Everything Apple announced, from the AI-powered iPhone 16 to AirPods that double as ‘clinical grade’ hearing aids

Updated

Apple unveiled its latest iPhone on Monday, along with updates to other key products like the Watch and the AirPods.

The new hardware bring some new looks, beefier under-the-hood processing power, and a slew of capabilities, including health features such as hearing aid and sleep apnea monitoring technology.

And of course, there's Apple Intelligence, the company's AI system, announced in June, coming to the latest iPhones, iPads, and Macs. You can watch a replay of the launch event video here.

And here's a recap of all the new product announcements:

iPhone 16

Four new models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, iPhone 16 Pro Max

The latest version of Apple's flagship product, the iPhone, puts AI front and center, with a slew of integrated AI features, and two new buttons on the side of the device, including the a new "camera control" button.

The iPhone 16s have a new, touch sensitive "camera control" that lets users adjust settings like zoom and depth-of-field by sliding a finger alongside the surface of button, and quickly summon AI features by pressing the button when the phone is pointed at real world objects.

An "action" button, on the other side of the device, gives users a quick shortcut that can be customized to launch a variety of features. The button, which replaces the mute switch and was introduced in the iPhone 15 Pro models last year, will now be standard across all iPhone models.

While not as radical a shift in design as the foldable screen phones some of Apple's competitors are rolling out, the new iPhone buttons are a big change in the context of Apple's modus operandi.

The iPhone 16s will be powered by new A18 and A18 Pro chips, even smaller transistors that pack 17% more memory bandwidth. The A18 Pro tech boasts central processing that is 15% faster than on A17 Pro, and a graphics processing unit that is 20% faster.

Siri will learn to harness the power of Apple Intelligence. On the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, Siri will use a “personal semantic index” to do things like rewrite notes into professional emails.

Writing tools integrated into iOS will turn notes into formal invites, tweak the tone of a Slack message, and create custom emojis (like a cowboy frog!). And by typing a description from your memory into photos, Apple Intelligence will retrieve footage, down to a specific moment in a video.

The Pro comes in four titanium finishes, including a new “desert” gold shade. Apple execs also boasted more powerful battery life for the suite of 16s but didn't specify the capacity.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799 and $899 for the iPhone 16 Plus, with up to $800 off with trade in. The Pro model starts at $999.

Apple Watch Series X

Apple kicked off Monday's event by unveiling the latest version of the Apple Watch — Series X (pronounced Series 10).

The Series X Watch, which starts at $399, will have the biggest display, thinnest design yet, with up to 30% more screen area than previous generations, Apple COO Jeff Williams said. And at 9.7 millimeters, the new watch is 10% thinner than Series 9, and weighs 20% less.

The Series X will be available in jet black, rose gold, and silver. Williams also announces Titanium finishes, which “celebrate the beauty of metal” in natural, gold, and slate gray.

As for AI: ML will help with crash detection, and a new neural network will make for clearer calls.

Along with ovulation and sleep stage tracking, the new watch will be able to detect sleep apnea using an accelerometer to identify breathing disturbances. Clearance from FDA and other regulators is expected soon, Apple said.

Apple executive Julz Arney said the Series X can detect water temperature and depth up to 20 ft - “perfect for snorkeling!” And a tides app will show rising, falling, high, and low tides with data for coastlines “all over the world.”

Series X starts at $399 and is available Sept. 20. Available for preorder starting today.

AirPods 4 and AirPods Pro

Apple's showed off the fourth generation of its wireless AirPods, AirPods 4, and teased a new software update that will turn AirPods Pro 2 into a hearing aid.

Apple says it designed the new AirPods 4 by mapping and analyzing “thousands of earshapes” and generating 50 million data points — all of which will presumably make the earbuds fit snuggly.

Personalized Spatial Audio will enable an "immersive media experience,” and machine learning has made using AirPods for calls easier and clearer. AirPods will respond to a nod to pick up calls. There will be a button to play/pause music and mute or end calls. Apple is also offering a version of the AirPods 4 with active noise cancelling for an extra $50.

The case for the AirPods 4 is 10% smaller (hopefully not 10% easier to lose), and includes USB-C charging.

One of the most interesting bits of AirPods news is not about new hardware, but rather, a software update coming to the existing AirPods Pro. The update will transform the AirPods Pro into a "clinical grade" hearing aid for people with mild to moderate hearing loss, the company said, citing a study that found 75% of people diagnosed with hearing loss haven’t gotten help.

Apple will also release a 5-minute clinically validated hearing test that will be stored in the Health App as part of the hearing aid offering, which it said will be available in more than 100 countries this Fall following authorization from global health authorities.

Next Gen AirPods 4 are $129 and AirPods 4 with noise cancellation are $179. Available Sept. 20.

AirPods Max will now come in Midnight, blue, purple, orange and gold-ish “starlight.” They’re still $549.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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