On Monday, Apple unveiled its iPhone 16 series, marking the first devices from the company to natively incorporate generative AI features under the brand name "Apple Intelligence." Alongside the iPhones, Apple also introduced the tenth-generation Apple Watch and new AirPods.
CEO Tim Cook began his keynote by emphasizing the role of artificial intelligence and machine learning in shaping many of the features we enjoy today. "In June, we introduced Apple Intelligence, our powerful new personal intelligence system, which will have a profound impact... We are excited to present the first iPhones designed from the ground up to harness the capabilities of Apple Intelligence," Cook stated. He highlighted that the next-generation iPhones are built specifically for this technology, signifying the start of a new era.
The new 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus come equipped with the A18 Bionic processor, featuring a new camera control button and enhanced visual intelligence capabilities that provide quick answers using the camera. The iPhone 16 also includes a 48-megapixel fusion camera with 2x telephoto zoom, offering the equivalent of four lenses, including a macro lens.
Apple Intelligence powers personal intelligence across the iPhone 16, utilizing Private Cloud Compute to access private servers for running generative models. Users now have access to tools for writing assistance, image editing, and photo filtering through simple searches. Siri has been upgraded with on-screen awareness, allowing for more natural interactions and context-aware commands.
Sribalan Santhanam, Apple`s VP of Silicon, explained that the A18 Bionic represents a two-generation leap forward, designed to support the GenAI models with a new CPU and GPU architecture that is significantly faster than its predecessor.
In terms of offerings, the iPhone 16 Pro features a 6.3-inch display, while the Pro Max offers a 6.9-inch screen. Both are powered by the new 3-nanometer A18 Pro chip with a 16-core neural engine, enabling features like faster ray tracing, ProRes video recording, and quicker USB transfers. The iPhone 16 Pro also includes a 48MP Fusion Camera, a 48MP ultra-wide camera, and a 5x telephoto camera. With cinematic slow-motion capabilities at 4K 120 frames per second, and enhanced audio features, the Pro models offer advanced photography and creative options.
The Apple Watch Series 10 boasts Apple`s largest display and thinnest design yet, featuring a wide-angle OLED screen and a polished titanium build, making it lighter than previous models. It`s the fastest-charging Apple Watch to date, powered by the new S10 processor. According to Dr. Sumbul Ahmed Desai, Apple`s VP of Health, the watch now includes sleep apnea detection through an accelerometer that monitors a new sleep metric called "breathing disturbances."
Apple also introduced the latest generation of AirPods, which now feature noise cancellation, adaptive audio, and transparency modes in the base model. The AirPods Max has been refreshed with new colors and USB-C charging, while the AirPods Pro gains new health features, including default hearing protection, hearing test results, and a hearing aid function to assist those with hearing loss.
