Apple unveiled its much-anticipated iPhone 16 smartphones equipped with a suite of AI tools called Apple Intelligence in a bid to reverse sluggish phone sales and better compete against devices from Google and Samsung.

CEO Tim Cook stated during the Glowtime event yesterday (9 August) the iPhone 16 models are the first “designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence and its breakthrough capabilities”.

Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro has a 6.3-inch display and the Pro Max 6.9-inch, compared with the 6.1-inches and 6.7-inches of the namesake iPhone 15 models.

The tech giant stated the latest models have the “thinnest borders on any Apple product” and “by far our best iPhone displays ever”. The bodies of each feature high-grade titanium which Cook said is nearly half the weight of stainless steel and is stronger and more scratch resistant than lower grades of titanium “that others have used”.

Colour options include black, white, natural and a new desert titanium.

The iPhone 16 Pro features Apple’s A18 Pro chip with a 16-core neural engine the company stated would offer “amazing” AI capabilities while delivering a 15 per cent improvement in performance over the comparable iPhone 15 model.

For gaming, it features improved graphics performance due to a six-core GPU which is 20 per cent faster than the A17 Pro chip used in its previous phone. The A18 Pro chip is built with second-generation 3nm transistors and Apple claims it is the first in the world to use smaller versions to provide “better density, performance and efficiency”.

The A18 Pro chip also powers new features including a new 48MP “fusion camera” module which can read data twice as fast and an ultra-wide option which captures more details. Both Pro models also feature a telephoto option.

Apple stated the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best iPhone battery life to date.

Pricing for the iPhone 16 Pro starts $999 and Pro Max $1,199 with shipments due to begin on 20 September.

Apple also announced the 6.1-inch iPhone 16 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 16 Plus, which use the same A18 chip.

The CPU in the latest models is up to 60 per cent faster than an iPhone 12, with the GPU 40 per cent head of that in the iPhone 15.

Apple priced iPhone 16 at $799 and the Plus at $899, with shipments due on 20 September.

Executives said Apple Intelligence features will start to roll out next month.

Important
CCS Insight chief analyst Ben Wood told Mobile World Live the iPhone 16 family “is hugely important for Apple at a time when consumer demand for new smartphones is slowing”.

“The range is the first to support Apple Intelligence across the board, which will be central to the next decade of the iPhone.”

Wood explained there is a growing feeling smartphone updates have “become a bit boring”.

“Apple is not immune to this trend and is betting on software and AI to breathe new life into its most important product to reignite consumer interest and drive upgrade purchases.”

Wood noted Apple Intelligence will be available in the UK but not the European Union, due to a stand-off over compliance with the Digital Markets Act.

Other devices
Apple also unveiled the Series 10 version of its smartwatch, which at 9.7mm is nearly 10 per cent thinner than the Series 9. Its screen area is 30 per cent larger, enabling users to increase the font size “without sacrificing content” while viewing an additional line of text in apps. 

Pricing starts at $399, with availability on 20 September.

A new version of the higher-end Ultra will also be offered, priced at $799.

Apple updated its standard $129 AirPods with a smaller case and a USB-C charger, while a version priced at $179 includes noise cancellation, which previously was only available on the high-end AirPods Pro.

A new line of AirPods Max headphones with USB-C charging will also be available, priced at $549.

Updates to the AirPods Pro enable them to test and aid hearing, with the capabilities to be added through software updates in the coming months.

Wood said the hearing aid capability “arguably showcases Apple’s belief that people may be ready to wear AirPods all the time and in all social settings, which would be a fascinating next step in the development of the product”.