Yahoo Finance Apple event - live: iPhone 16, new Watch and AirPods unveiled alongside big AI updates
Apple has unveiled a brand new range of iPhones at its biggest event of the year.
The new iPhone 16 lineup was launched alongside updated Apple Watches and AirPods, together with some major AI announcements from the Cupertino company.
The ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, which was live streamed from Apple’s campus in California, kicked off at 10am local time (6pm UK time), with CEO Tim Cook saying it marked a major shift in the company’s approach to its hardware.
One of the biggest updates to the iPhone 16 – which will actually be four different models – is a dedicated “capture” button for using the camera, but perhaps the biggest feature was one that was revealed earlier this year: Apple Intelligence. The AI tools include the ability to create custom emojis from a simple text command, while its integration to the new AirPods Pro 2 mean they can be used as a “clinical-grade hearing aid”.
You can follow all the latest news and updates from the launch, as well as watch a live stream of the event, right here.
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All of Apple’s big announcements
20:47 , Anthony Cuthbertson
From new iPhones to AirPods that also function as clinical-grade hearing aids, Apple had a lot to show off today – and all came with a heavy dose of AI (which today stands for Apple Intelligence).
Here’s a full rundown of the main announcements from Apple’s biggest event of the year:
iPhone 16 and Pro: Apple reveals new phone with more buttons – and loads of AI features
Apple Watch Series 10 brings new, thinnest ever design and biggest display ever
Apple unveils new AirPods
That’s all folks
19:44 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Tim Cook is back on screen to conclude today’s Apple event.
“The innovation and invention these products deliver will continue to deepen the meaningful impact they have on all of our lives,” he says. “Have a great day.”
Apple’s ‘most extraordinary’ iPhone lineup
19:40 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple says this is its “most extraordinary iPhone lineup ever”. Here’s how they line up:
iPhone 16 Pro price and specs
19:37 , Anthony Cuthbertson
iPhone 16 Pro gets chip and camera upgrade
19:28 , Anthony Cuthbertson
The iPhone 16 Pro comes with a pro version of the A18 chip found in the standard model, imaginatively called A18 Pro.
Once again, Apple says it has been built with Apple Intelligence in mind.
Apple claims it is the fastest CPU in any smartphone ever built, offering improved data processing and “never-before-seen camera features”, including new photographic styles.
The AI can understand skin tones in order to better capture subjects in various lighting conditions, while video improvements include cinematic slow-motion effects through a higher 4K120 frame rate. Not sure what they’re doing in Apple’s example of this new feature, but it looks professional.
Onto the iPhone 16 Pro
19:17 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Tim Cook is back, who tells us that the new Apple iPhone Pro models have been “designed with Apple Intelligence at its core”.
Apple claims that it has “the best iPhone battery ever”, while also being built “from the ground up” with Apple Intelligence at its core.
It comes in four different colours and they feature the largest iPhone display ever made.
Apple iPhone 16 specs
19:13 , Anthony Cuthbertson
And here’s the spec sheet for the iPhone 16:
iPhone 16 camera details
19:06 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Here’s the full spec sheet for the new iPhone camera:
Apple iPhone 16 camera gets big upgrade
19:03 , Anthony Cuthbertson
The new dedicated camera button leads to an impressive snapper that Apple is calling a “48 megapixel fusion camera”.
For the first time, an iPhone camera can capture spatial pictures to view on the Apple Vision Pro. Here are the specs:
Watch Apple unveil new iPhone 16
18:58 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple Intelligence brings custom emojis
18:54 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple’s AI tool, called Apple Intelligence, is being integrated into the iPhone through the latest iOS software. The funnest feature is a new custom emoji tool that lets you creat brand new emojis from just a simple text command. I imagine there’s some safety controls on this. Here’s the example Apple gave:
Apple Intelligence will also include writing tools to change the tone of a message.
Onto the iPhone 16...
18:49 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Tim Cook is back with us to introduce the iPhone 16, which he says will “raise the bar for what an iPhone can do”.
As expected, it also comes with a dedicated camera button, which can be controlled by sliding your finger up and down to change different camera functions.
The iPhone 16 comes with a new A18 chip, which has been optimised to work with new AI features. It’s also much faster than its predecessors, and is powerful enough to “challenge high-end desk-top PCs”.
Oh, and there’s some new colours too.
Watch Apple unveil new AirPods 4
18:41 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Watch Apple unveil new Series 10 watch
18:41 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple AirPods Max get a makeover
18:37 , Anthony Cuthbertson
No major hardware updates for the AirPods Max, however it will be coming in new colours. That’s the fourth year now that the over-the-ear headphones haven’t had a proper revamp.
Apple AirPod specs and price
18:35 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Here’s everything you need to know about the new AirPods:
Onto Apple AirPods
18:32 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple is updating its range of AirPod headphones
They include something called upgraded microphones, “personalised spatial audio”, while machine learning also allows you to interact with Siri just by nodding or shaking your head.
Conversation awareness automatically detects when you’re speaking to someone without having to manually turn them down.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 specs
18:27 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Here’s everything you need to know about the Apple Watch Ultra 2:
Apple Watch Ultra gets new upgrades
18:26 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Apple says its new Apple Watch Ultra is the best smartwatch for outdoor activities.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 comes in new colours and materials, with prices starting at $799. It’ll be available from 20 September.
Apple Watch Series 10 specs and price
18:22 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Apple Watch’s specs and price:
And you can read more about it here:
Apple Watch gets depth guage
18:20 , Anthony Cuthbertson
The new Apple Watch Series 10 is coming with a depth guage, that works up to 6 metres. This is perfect for snorkelling and other water activities. It also comes with new tide forecasts for anywhere in the world through the Tides app.
Apple Watch charges faster than ever before
18:14 , Anthony Cuthbertson
The Apple Watch is the fastest-charging smartwatch Apple has ever built, offering 80 per cent battery from just 30 minutes of charging.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is “the most refined expression of Apple Watch yet” and comes with a new S10 chip.
For the first time you can also play music directly from the Apple Watch’s speakers.
Apple Watch Series 10 unveiled
18:06 , Anthony Cuthbertson
We’re starting with Apple Watch, which is getting a host of updates to make it “more essential, useful and intelligent”.
The new Apple Watch Series 10 has the biggest display of any Apple wearable ever, and comes in a thinner body to its predecessor. The display is also 40 per cent brighter when viewed from an angle, making it easier to see it at a glance.
It features a new alloy finish in three colours: Jet black, rose gold and silver alluminium.
This is what the new Apple Watch looks like:
Apple’s biggest event of the year gets underway
18:04 , Anthony Cuthbertson
And we’re off! After a video intro showing various Apple gadgets being used for everything from education to exercise, Tim Cook is here to introduce today’s event.
He says it will be “without a doubt the biggest event of the year... introducing some breakthrough technologies adn truly meaningful innovations.“
Watch Apple event live stream
17:50 , Anthony Cuthbertson
You can watch the live stream of today’s Apple event right here.
Everything we know about the iPhone 16
17:30 , Anthony Cuthbertson
There’s only 30 minutes to go now, but if you’re impatient to find out what the new iPhone is going to be like, we’ve got a comprehensive round-up of everything we’re expecting to see today.
From a new DSLR-like camera button, to even bigger displays for the Pro models,The Independent’s Alex Lee takes a look at some of the more substantial rumours. They include loud whispers that the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will have thinner bezels than their predecessors, as well as brighter screens than ever before, with a peak brightness of 1,200 nits - 20 per cent higher than the iPhone 15 Pro.
You can read the full story here:
The iPhone 16 launches today, here are all the rumours to know
Crowds arrive at Apple Park
17:17 , Anthony Cuthbertson
With less than an hour to go before we get underway, crowds are beginning to arrive at Apple Park. Here’s some pics from our tech editor Andrew Griffin, who is at the company’s HQ for the event and will hopefully have some first impressions of the new iPhone 16 later on.
Apple store goes down ahead of iPhone event
16:47 , Anthony Cuthbertson
As is customary before a big iPhone unveiling, Apple has taken down its online store while it refreshes its hardware lineup. Instead of iPhones, iPads and Macs, visitors to the webpage are greeted with a glowing Apple logo in reference to today’s event.
When it next reopens, there’ll likely be price drops for its older models, including the iPhone 14 and iPhone 15. It will also likely mean a farewell to the iPhone 13.
What won’t be announced today?
16:16 , Anthony Cuthbertson
While we await the unveiling of brand new iPhones, AirPods and Apple Watches, there’s a few things that almost certainly won’t be on the agenda today.
Of the four new iPhone models set to be announced, none of them will be foldable. While smartphone rivals - most notably Samsung - are already offering several different foldable versions of their premium handsets, Apple is not yet ready to show off what it’s rumoured to be working on.
Apple might be famous for its ‘One more thing’ announcements, but another product that will definitely not see the light of day today is the Apple car. After a decade of work on the Project Titan self-driving car, which reportedly drew in around 5,000 employees to develop it, Apple decided to quietly ditch the ideaearlier this year in order to focus on generative artificial intelligence.
That’s at least one topic we will be hearing a lot about today.
Tim Cook posts ahead of Apple event
15:34 , Anthony Cuthbertson
The Apple boss has made his customary early morning post to X (formerly Twitter) ahead of the iPhone unveiling, with a shot of the rainbow inside Apple Park. He gives a nod to the event’s name, writing that Apple HQ is “glowing!”
Apple Park is glowing! #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/gVgtMbZhaM
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 9, 2024
Why is the event happening today?
15:16 , Andrew Griffin
The iPhone launch, of all Apple’s events, has lately kept to a relatively reliably schedule that sees it fall on the second Tuesday of September.
This year, however, it’s on a Monday. That’s a very unusual day for an Apple event and doubly unusual for an iPhone. (In fact, an iPhone has never been revealed on a Monday.)
The move is thought to be at least in part because of the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, which is scheduled for Tuesday evening. Apple presumably doesn’t want to share the headlines with such a momentous (and potentially controversial) event. You can follow the latest on the run-up to that debate here.
It remains unclear whether this will mean anything for the release schedule of the new devices. They too have kept their own very regular schedule: pre-orders open the Friday after the event, then the devices are released a week later.
That will probably stay the same. (If so that will mean the phone will launch on the 20th.) But we’ll find out later today.
What else to expect from today’s Apple event
12:56 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Beyond a new range of iPhones packed with AI, there are a number of other big announcements expected today.
Apple will likely use the event to unveil brand new models of its AirPods and Apple Watch, while there could be some news and updates related to its iPad range.
Among the anouncements could be a long-overdue refresh of its AirPods Max, which have remained the same since they were first launched nearly four years ago.
With five hours to go until it begins, here’s everything to expect at today’s event:
Apple launch a new iPhone. But its next event might be much bigger than that
The first AI-phone
11:58 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Today, like every previous event held by Apple in September, will see the launch of a brand new range of iPhones, alongside a host of updates for its other devices. But this year will be slightly different.
The ‘It’s Glowtime’ event is expected to be the platform to announce the tech giant’s artificial intelligence ambitions, referred to as ‘Apple Intelligence’. The new iPhone 16 is expected to be the company’s first AI phone, with features including a revamped Siri and the ability to create customised emojis from simple commands.
It will not be the first time that Apple’s devices feature AI technologies: currently everything from cutting people out of photos to recommending apps use artificial intelligence. But for a long time Apple has chosen to focus more on the experiences that those technologies have enabled, without explicitly referencing the technologies themselves. Until recently, if it did refer to those technologies then it preferred to call them machine learning.
This year, pressure from the media, investors and commentators, as well as an increased interest among customers, have led the company to lean into generative artificial intelligence like never before.
You can read the full story here:
This year’s iPhone is going to be a huge and risky first for Apple
Last-minute rumours point to small bezels
06:13 , Andrew Griffin
Everything suggests that it’s going to be a relatively conservative set of changes this year. But last-minute rumours seem to be confirming what we thought – while shedding a little light on what it might mean.
At the top level, there is nothing dependable to suggest the rumoured new line-up is wrong: we’re going to be getting new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods and more.
The iPhone will probably get the biggest changes. On the outside, the bezels will slim down, it will get a new capture button, and there will be new colours. On the inside it is expected to include new processing power to help with Apple Intelligence.
The Apple Watches are likely to receive a relatively minor spec bump and perhaps a small redesign. The AirPods line-up could finally get sorted out, making it easier to follow with a cheaper and middle version of the earbuds, to sit alongside the existing (and unchanged) AirPods Pro.
When does the Apple event start?
06:07 , Andrew Griffin
10am local pacific time. That’s 1pm on the east coast, or 6pm in the UK.
You can find your local time here.
How to watch Apple event live
06:04 , Andrew Griffin
Apple lets you get its live events in a variety of different ways these days. But the most prominently promoted one is still its own “Apple Events” website, which you can find here.
You can also watch on YouTube. (In my humble opinion that’s the best way to do it: it’s compatible with just about everything, and you can even set yourself a reminder.) You can find the video below.
Hello and welcome...
05:51 , Andrew Griffin
... to The Independent’s live coverage of Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, which is rumoured to bring new iPhones, Watches and AirPods – as well as potentially more information about Apple Intelligence.
