Apple has officially sent out invitations for a special event to be held on September 9, 2024, at the Steve Jobs Theater on its Cupertino campus. Many anticipated the event would occur on September 10, with several purported invitations circulating online; however, these turned out to be fake. Apple is expected to showcase the new iPhone 16 models, the 10th generation of the Apple Watch, and possibly new AirPods.
The "GlowTime" branding hints at a renewed focus on Siri, Apple’s long-standing virtual assistant, which debuted with the iPhone 4S in 2011. During WWDC in June, Apple announced its entry into generative AI with "Apple Intelligence," which will also revamp Siri. Many users can already test some of these new features by running the iOS 18.1 Beta. The GlowTime branding aligns with Siri’s new glowing motif, suggesting there may be more Siri-related announcements at the event.
Siri is, of course, a software feature that integrates with Apple’s hardware, and three of Apple’s most important mobile products are expected to receive significant updates at this event. The iPhone 16 lineup will likely be powered by new silicon—most likely the A18 and A18 Pro chips—across the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max models. The non-Pro iPhone models will feature a vertically aligned camera array, an improved ultra-wide camera, faster processors, 8GB of RAM as standard to support on-device generative AI processing, and a new capture button for taking photos, in addition to the action button that debuted with the iPhone 15 Pro models. New colours are also expected.
The iPhone 16 Pro models are rumoured to include an upgraded ultra-wide camera with a 48-megapixel resolution. The main camera sensor is also expected to increase in size and support dual-stacked transistor technology, a feature now common in flagship cameras from OnePlus, Vivo, and Xiaomi. The 5x telephoto capability is also expected to be added to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro. Apple is likely to place further emphasis on video, particularly spatial video, a key feature of the Apple Vision Pro.
Moreover, the size of the Pro models is set to change, with Apple likely adopting new screen technology that will make the displays wider, more power-efficient, and likely brighter. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to feature a 6.3-inch screen, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is anticipated to have a 6.9-inch display. Like the standard iPhones, these devices will also include a capture button—a capacitive button that supports a half-press to lock focus and a slide to zoom—along with the action button. These phones will likely have larger batteries, and the A18 Pro chip is expected to be Apple’s most powerful mobile chip, with on-device AI processing capabilities and a GPU optimized for gaming. A new "desert titanium" colour has been teased for these models.
The Apple Watch, which will celebrate its 10th anniversary, is expected to undergo a design overhaul. New Siri capabilities are anticipated, alongside a long-rumoured blood glucose monitor.
Cheaper variants of the AirPods are also expected to be announced, with active noise cancellation being added to the AirPods 4—a feature previously reserved for the AirPods Pro models. Apple may also reveal the AirPods Max 2, which will likely feature a new H2 chip enabling lossless audio on the Apple Vision Pro, improved sound quality, a redesigned case, and USB Type-C connectivity.
For the first time, Apple will be making all iPhone models in India. In light of the recent budget, with the rejigging of customs duties, Apple has already made some models cheaper in India, but reports suggest the new iPhone 16 models could launch at a lower price than the iPhone 15 series as Apple starts to unlock the benefits of local manufacturing in India.
