At Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event tomorrow, the consumer electronics giant will push the iPhone firmly into the generative AI era with a new family of devices that combines their powerful NPUs with what will eventually be a much broader range of AI capabilities. The only question is when: Most of the AI features Apple showed off at its WWDC event in June won’t be available at launch.
“It’s Glowtime” kicks off Monday, September 9, at 10 am PT/1 pm ET. That’s a day earlier than usual, but Apple is trying to avoid a potential PR disaster by moving the launch event ahead of Tuesday. That’s when the EU will announce whether Apple is guilty of conspiring to underpay taxes with the government of Ireland. If it’s found guilty, Apple could have to forfeit all $14 billion tax bill that’s currently being held in escrow.
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Regardless of the day, Apple’s annual iPhone launch event each September is by far its biggest, with that product responsible for nearly 50 percent of its revenues in the year-ago quarter. But this year’s event iost s particularly dramatic because iPhone sales have leveled off in the past year or two, and Apple is counting on a boost from a set of AI features that aren’t yet ready. Among those likely to debut Monday is a revamped, AI-powered Siri that explains the event’s name: In iOS 18, Siri announces her appearance on-screen by displaying a glow effect on the display edges.
Most of what Apple will announce has leaked multiple times, most notably by Bloomberg’s reliable Mark Gurman. He and others point to a minor hardware refresh, with the same basic lineup as last year. The iPhone 16 Pro models will feature faster processors and NPUs plus enough RAM (8 GB) to handle on-device AI tasks, and they’ll come with slightly bigger screens and a new dedicated camera button. The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will also get an improved 48 MP ultra-wide camera lens and a new Gold Titanium color that replaces Blue Titanium.
The base iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will pick up the Action button that debuted on the iPhone 15 Pros last year, new colors, and other minor changes.
Apple Watch will see a major set of upgrades tomorrow, Gurman says, with all three models being updated simultaneously for the first time. The Apple Watch Series 10 is getting a larger display and a thinner body, while the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will see smaller, mostly internal upgrades.
Apple will also upgrade its base AirPods ear buds and add a new mid-tier model, both of which will resemble the AirPods Pro 2 and come with similar USB-C cases. The mid-tier model will have ANC (active noise cancellation) capabilities, like the AirPods Pro 2, and higher-end case with a speaker.
I assume Apple will spell out its schedule for adding additional Apple Intelligence AI features beyond the iPhone 16 series and iOS 18 launch. But the firm plans other product launches in the coming months, too, most notably to the Mac: Apple will likely upgrade its MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac hardware with Apple Silicon M4 chips in October or November, alongside a new iPad Mini and, possibly, base iPad. Updated AirPods Pro and AirPods Max will follow, though the timing is unclear. An updated iPhone SE is due in 2025, however, as is an M4 upgrade for the MacBook Air.
See you tomorrow. This should be interesting.
