Apple "Glowtime" Event 2024: Latest iPhone, AirPods, and Siri’s AI Integration Revealed

BY MUFARO MHARIWA
Sep 10, 2024
8 min read

On September 9, 2024, Apple held its highly anticipated annual event, revealing the latest iteration of the iPhone. As always, excitement was in the air as the world’s largest tech company teased its newest innovations. However, for those expecting groundbreaking advancements, this year’s event may have left some feeling underwhelmed.

Back in June at the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple hinted that the major development for this year’s iPhone would be deeper AI integration through Siri. With this in mind, the audience had tempered expectations, knowing not to expect dramatic changes to the iPhone’s core design. Yet, there was still significant buzz surrounding the potential release of a new iPad mini and the highly anticipated design overhaul for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch. Let’s take a closer look at what Apple unveiled.

Apple Watch Series 10: Subtle Upgrades Over Major Redesigns

There was much anticipation surrounding the Apple Watch Series 10, with many expecting a major redesign to mark its 10th iteration—similar to the significant changes we saw with the iPhone X. Speculation ran high, with some guessing that Apple might introduce a circular design or other bold changes to set the Series 10 apart from its predecessors.

Size: While the expected radical redesign didn’t materialise, Apple did unveil the Series 10 with a noticeably thinner body, now measuring just 9.7mm—achieved by reducing the size of the speaker without compromising its quality or loudness. In addition to the sleeker profile, the Series 10 is also 10% lighter than its predecessor, the Series 9.

The new model features larger screens as well, now available in 42mm and 46mm sizes—an upgrade from the previous 41mm and 45mm options. This is the first size increase since the Series 7, which introduced the 41mm and 45mm cases.

Display: The Apple Watch display has always been impressive, but with the Series 10, Apple has taken it up a notch. They introduced what they call a ‘wide-angle OLED display’, which significantly improves visibility from different angles. This is especially helpful for activities like running, where you can easily see the contents of your display from various angles without needing to adjust your arm to look at the watch directly.

Apple also made improvements to the Always-On display. Previously, it refreshed once per minute, but now it refreshes once per second. This means you can see the time update in real-time, even while the watch is on standby. To highlight this new feature, Apple has introduced a fresh watch face designed specifically to showcase the updated Always-On display.

Features: The Apple Watch has long been a valuable tool for tracking sleep, and with the Series 10, it introduces a new feature: sleep apnea detection. While not medical grade, Apple describes it as quite accurate, which could still be beneficial for users.

Water restistance: the Series 10 includes a new water temperature sensor and depth detector, ideal for swimmers and divers. The watch now automatically detects when you’re in the water, providing depth measurements and water temperature. A new Tides app has also been added to give you tide information before you head out for activities like surfing.

Battery life remains at 18 hours, a standard for Apple Watches, but the Series 10 boasts the fastest charging capabilities yet. You can now reach 80% charge in just 30 minutes.

Material: In terms of materials, the stainless steel option has been discontinued. The standard version will still be available in aluminium, but the premium version will now feature titanium, making it lighter and more scratch-resistant.

Colour: The aluminium watches come in two new colours: jet black and rose gold, alongside the classic silver. The polished titanium variant is offered in gold, natural titanium, and slate.

Speakers: Despite the reduction in speaker size, the Series 10's speakers are significantly improved. For the first time, you can listen to media directly from the watch’s speaker, and there is now voice isolation for calls.

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399 (approximately R7,200)

Apple Watch Ultra 2: Colour and Accessory Updates

There were no expectations for an Apple Watch Ultra 3, as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 was released less than a year ago. However, Apple did address user requests for more variety in colours. The new addition is a striking satin black, designed to blend seamlessly with a range of outfits, offering a more refined look compared to the lighter natural titanium.

Additionally, a new band called the Titanium Milanese Loop has been introduced. This band is ideal for deep divers and features a dual-button buckle for enhanced security while maintaining a classy appearance.

The Series 3 also includes updates for swimmers, with new customisable swim workouts and automatic stroke detection. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 still starts at $799 (approximately R14,243).

AirPods 4: New Features and Updates

The AirPods have consistently been the best-selling headphones, so expectations are always high with each new iteration. This year, Apple did not disappoint. The standout feature of the AirPods 4 is the introduction of Active Noise Cancellation, a capability previously reserved for the AirPods Pro and Max. There is also a Transparency Mode, though it remains to be seen if it matches the quality found in the AirPods Pro.

Additionally, a new Conversation mode will automatically lower your media volume when you start speaking or when someone begins speaking to you. Perhaps the most impressive new feature is the ability to respond to Siri by nodding or shaking your head.

The AirPods 4 come with a new, smaller case compared to the AirPods 3. This case supports wireless charging and includes a speaker to help locate the AirPods using the Find My app.

The AirPods 4 start at $129 (approximately R2,300) for the standard version. For the model with Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode, the price is $179 (approximately R3,190).

AirPods Pro 2: Hear These Software Updates

Although there will be no AirPods Pro 3 this year, the AirPods Pro 2 have received some notable updates. These updates are categorised under three key areas:

Prevention: A new feature called Hearing Protection has been introduced to help block and reduce exposure to loud noises. This always-on feature is particularly useful in environments such as concerts and live events, aiming to safeguard your hearing.

Awareness: Apple has added a new at-home test for your iPhone or iPad. This test is similar to the pure-tone audiometry performed in hospitals and measures how well your ears are functioning. It provides data that you can review with a doctor to monitor your hearing health.

Assistance: The AirPods Pro 2 now include an ‘over-the-counter’ Hearing Aid feature. This function amplifies surrounding sounds, allowing users to hear their environment more clearly.

AirPods Max: A Few Notable Updates

As the AirPods Max approaches its four-year mark, it remains a top contender in the premium headphones market, alongside Sony. One feature that was previously missing is now included: a USB-C cable.

The audio quality of the AirPods Max has always been impressive, and there is limited room for significant enhancement in that regard. Besides the addition of the USB-C cable, the AirPods Max now come in new colours: blue, orange, purple, starlight, and midnight.

The starting price for the AirPods Max remains at $549 (approximately R10,787).

iPhone 16: You Can’t See Most Updates

As is customary with Apple, major overhauls are rarely made all at once, and this year is no exception. The only visible updates are the additions of the Action Button and the Camera Control.

Camera: The iPhone 16 introduces only minor changes to the camera system, both externally and internally. The regular iPhone 16 and 16 Plus revert to the design seen on the iPhone 12 to support capturing spatial video for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro. A new addition is the 'Camera Control' button, which automatically launches the camera app. This button allows for quick access to various camera features, such as zooming in and out, adjusting exposure, and other functions within the camera app.

The iPhone 16 now includes a 48MP Ultra Wide camera for enhanced quality in wider shots, and the Macro feature from the iPhone 13 Pro series is now available. Additionally, the Action Button introduced with the iPhone 15 Pro series makes its way to the iPhone 16.

Performance: The iPhone 16 series is powered by the new A18 chip, designed to enhance AI capabilities. This chip boasts a 30% faster CPU and a 40% faster GPU compared to the iPhone 15, providing a performance boost for gaming and intensive tasks such as video editing and rendering. However, for everyday tasks, the difference may not be noticeable.

The iPhone 16 also supports Wi-Fi 7 and features improved thermal management for better cooling. Apple has claimed that this year's models will offer better battery life due to a larger battery, though this remains to be fully tested.

Display: The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus come with screen sizes of 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively. ProMotion remains exclusive to the Pro series, so it is not included this year. The display can dim down to 1 nit in low-light conditions while reaching up to 2000 nits of brightness. Apple also boasts that the display is 2x tougher than any other smartphone, enhancing its durability.

The iPhone 16 is available in black, white, teal, pink, and ultramarine.

The starting price for the iPhone 16 is $799 (approximately R14,243), while the iPhone 16 Plus begins at $899 (approximately R16,025).

iPhone 16 Pro: New Colour and New Sizes

As with the iPhone 16 series, the changes to the 16 Pro series are not immediately visible and are centred around new Apple Intelligence capabilities in the updated Siri.

Display: The trend of ever-larger smartphone screens continues with the 16 Pro series. The iPhone 16 Pro now features a 6.3-inch display, while the 16 Pro Max sports a 6.9-inch screen, up from the 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches of the previous 15 Pro models. This increase in screen size has been achieved by slightly enlarging the body and reducing the bezel thickness.

Performance: Performance-wise, there are no significant differences this year. The previous generation’s Pro models are sufficiently powerful to support the new AI features of the 16 Pro. However, Apple has claimed that the 16 Pro series offers the ‘Best iPhone battery life ever’. The iPhone 16 Pro’s battery now supports up to 27 hours of video playback, compared to 23 hours on the 15 Pro.

The 16 Pro Max provides up to 33 hours of video playback, an improvement from 29 hours on the 15 Pro Max. The new series also supports faster MagSafe charging speeds via a new MagSafe cable.

AI Features: The most notable updates are AI-powered, which Apple now calls "Apple Intelligence". Soon, users will be able to create their own emojis, have Siri rewrite emails, and even summarise notifications directly on the lock screen. Additionally, you’ll be able to generate images from written prompts and remove objects from the backgrounds of your photos. Siri is now much smarter, capable of advanced in-app functions like searching for a specific dress in an old photo or scanning through your messages to provide a summary of key information.

Camera: Similar to the regular iPhone 16, the Pro series introduces the Capture Button for more intuitive use of the additional lens. The 16 Pro includes a new 48MP Ultra Wide camera, along with new photographic styles and the capability to shoot 4K video at 120 frames per second.

Colour: A new colour option for the 16 Pro series is ‘Desert Titanium’, a bronze shade, alongside the existing black titanium, white titanium, and natural titanium options.

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $899 (approximately R16,026), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max is priced at $1,199 (approximately R21,374).