Following usual tradition when Apple is launching new hardware, the Apple Online Store is down ahead of the ‘Glowtime’ Apple event which kicks off at 10 AM Pacific Time today.
The company is expected to announce a new iPhone lineup; iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. Apple Watch Series 10 will also be announced featuring a design change and new larger screen sizes, along with a new generation of AirPods, and potentially some other surprises.
Assuming Apple follows its normal pattern, the iPhone 16 range will go up for preorder this Friday, September 13. The phones would then start shipping a week later, with an official September 20 release date. The store will show details and specs about the new phones, but you won’t be able to buy one just yet.
Apple may start sales of the AirPods, or Watches, though. In the past, these devices have sometimes gone on sale immediately following the announcement event.
The headline feature of the new iPhones will be a new button, possibly called the ‘camera button’. This will allow users to easily capture photos and videos with a physical depression gesture. The button is expected to be capacitive; a half-press will trigger the camera app to focus on the current subject, mimicking the way higher-end dedicated camera shutter buttons work. The iPhone camera button will also be swipeable, enabling seamless zoom.
iPhone 16 will also feature a new chip, A18 and A18 Pro, upgraded cameras, and a new array of colors. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus rear cameras have been moved to a new vertical stacked layout, enabling spatial video recording for the first time. Apple is expected to promote Apple Intelligence features in coordination with the new phones, although a lot of Apple’s flashiest AI features will not be ready for some time yet.
For the Apple Watch, on its tenth anniversary, we are expecting Apple to unveil the Series 10 lineup. This will be composed of two sizes, which are expected to feature thinner chassis and larger screens than their Series 9 counterparts. Sleep apnea detection will also be a key new feature, expanding the Watch’s abilities as a health companion.
The new AirPods range is expected to feature two models, a high-end and a low-end model, both sitting below AirPods Pro in price. The higher-end ‘AirPods 4’ is rumored to include some form of active noise cancellation. Apple’s high-end headphones, AirPods Max, may also be getting a refresh today including a USB-C port for charging. AirPods Pro are not expected to be updated until sometime in 2025.
Updates to iPad and Mac are scheduled for later this year, probably announced at another Apple event in October, so don’t expect them to be talked about today.
Stay tuned to 9to5Mac for full coverage of Apple’s September event, as we bring you live coverage of all the announcements.
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