On Monday, Apple is expected to reveal its iPhone 16 models along with other new products, in a livestreamed event called “It’s Glowtime.” The latest generation of iPhones will mark what one analyst called Apple’s “biggest upgrade cycle in its history.”
The event is scheduled to take place on September 9 at 1 p.m. Eastern time at the tech company’s Cupertino, California, headquarters.
All eyes will be on Apple’s latest line of iPhones, all models of which will be powered by Apple Intelligence — Apple’s response to the generative AI revolution — which will be integrated into iOS 18, according to an announcement Apple made in June on the new AI feature.
Integrated into apps like Mail and Notes and designed to simplify daily chores like list-writing, “it harnesses the power of Apple silicon to understand and create language and images, take action across apps, and draw from personal context to simplify and accelerate everyday tasks,” according to Apple.
Apple Intelligence is also expected to make the phones’ virtual assistant, Siri, work better, though perhaps not until next year. As reported by Bloomberg, the “full set of Apple Intelligence features” will be made available “via multiple updates to iOS 18 across the end of 2024 and through the first half of 2025.”
“This iPhone 16 release is all about Apple Intelligence and the unleashing of the consumer AI Revolution through Cupertino,” Wedbush Securities technology analyst Dan Ives said in a research note.
He expects Apple’s move to compel developers to build AI-driven apps to keep up with the iPhone 16-driven “AI tidal wave.”
Simultaneously, according to analysts, the aim is for Apple Intelligence to be discreetly woven into the phones’ software, at least from the consumer perspective.
“The goal is for the AI to be integrated behind the scenes and across applications: invisible and intuitive,” CB Insights analysts said in a research note. “For Apple, all roads lead back to user experience.”
Here’s what else to know about the new iPhone.
Mega display size
The latest and greatest iPhone models will feature larger screen displays, according to analysts who track the company. The regular Pro model will see its screen increase from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, according to Ives. The larger Pro Max’s screen will grow from 6.7 to 6.9 inches.
New chip
The latest iPhone models will likely feature the new A18 and A18 Pro chips that drive Apple Intelligence, to make the devices work faster. The upgraded chips will also improve phones’ battery life, which is a pain point for many consumers, according to research reports.
Better camera
The phones’ cameras will feature upgraded technology, too, which Wedbush’s Ives called “a major selling feature.”
BofA Global Research analysts expect a 48-megapixel camera with an ultra-wide lens, plus a new “capture” button that gives consumers more control, and the ability to better focus on and zoom in on subjects.
Pricing
Ives doesn’t anticipate any major price hikes, “as Apple is not going to lose any upgrades (and the move to AI) on a price increase in our view.”
Currently, the iPhone 15 starts at $799, while the iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199.
Customers typically have to wait at least a week after products unveilings to purchase new tech tools. BofA Global Research analysts say that if iPhone 16 starts shipping on September 20, the devices could be in customers’ hands by the end of the month.
