Kyle Barr
Apple’s Glowtime event was less interesting than the rumors predicted: We thought we’d see a fully redesigned Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch FE, but instead the 2024 refresh on iPhones, wearables, and AirPods was a slightly subdued affair. The big headline was the promise of Apple Intelligence AI features, which are still in the “coming soon” category. If there was any phrase uttered more than “our most ___ ever” today, it was “coming later this year.”
Still, there’s some exciting stuff waiting in the wings for Apple fans. The new slimmed-down Apple Watch Series 10 should be lighter but with more screen real estate. If you like big phones, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are bigger than ever. And if you were hoping to use your iPhone like a DSLR with a half-cock shutter button, you will… eventually. That feature, and many more, are coming later this year.
iPhone 16 Lineup Adds a Button Specifically for Your Camera
The regular old iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus look a lot like the iPhone 15, though with a redesigned camera bump and two new buttons jutting out the side. The base model gets the iPhone 15 Pro’s programmable action button, but the big addition is the Camera Control “tactic” button. The new control button on iPhone 16s can open the camera app and take photos; it can also swipe through some simplified photo controls without the user needing to hit the screen.
All new iPhone 16 models use a version of the A18 Bionic CPU. The A18 Pro in the Pro and Pro Max phones has a better GPU and NPU, plus it allows ProMotion display support and always-on display. The Pro models also come with several more camera tweaks. The promised AI features won’t be out until after iOS 18 drops alongside the iPhone 16 on September 20.
Apple Watch Series 10 Is Thinner With a Bigger Screen
Sorry, this isn’t the rumored “Apple Watch Series X,” even with the Apple Watch’s first major redesign in several years. The Apple Watch Series 10 has 30% more screen area thanks to reduced bezels and a sloped watch face design. It’s thinner and lighter than previous models, and you can now finally get it in anodized black in either aluminum or titanium.
The new watch will charge faster than before, with a promised 0% to 80% in 30 minutes. Plus, a new sleep apnea detection mode will monitor your movements and breathing for signs of distress while you snooze. The new Apple Watch should be available Sept. 20, with preorders starting today.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 Now Comes in Black
Everything comes in black over here in Apple land. There’s no Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year, but instead, anybody who didn’t like the silver look of the original model can nab a version in scratch-resistant black. There’s a new titanium Milanese loop for sports stars who want to look stylish, but the coolest feature for nerds like me is the Tides app. This will let you know when high tide or low tide is coming, and you can even see the elevation of the tides with a simple graph.
The AirPods 4 Include Options for ANC or Without
Apple’s offering a few more options if you don’t want to shell out for the AirPods Pro just to get active noise cancelation with your Apple-brand buds. The big touted new features of the AirPods 4 models are a new acoustic architecture, drivers, and on-board M2 chip. But other than that, there are actually two versions—you’ll want the ones with active noise cancelation. The open ear design that retails for $180 comes with ANC and a “premium charging case.” The $130 lower-end version comes without ANC, but both will have nod-based gestures to respond to Siri announcements such as incoming calls.
The $130 version won’t have access to the Qi-certified wireless charger, whereas the $180 version does. All-in-all, it seems like the more expensive option is a much better investment unless if—for some reason—you can’t stand ANC.
The AirPods Max Have Returned, Kind of
It’s been four years since the last time Apple updated its AirPods Max headphones. Well, there’s finally an update, but it’s mostly an attempt to switch the headphones from Lightning to USB-C chargers. That’s fine and dandy, but it’s nowhere near as dramatic as we’d hope for. They still run for $550 in a few new color options, like light purple. They will retail for $550 and be available Sept. 20.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 Can Now Act as Pseudo Hearing Aids
The tech giant finally showed off its long-rumored work to turn its earbuds into hearing tech. Apple’s Health app now has a hearing section that can conduct a simple hearing test, in case you’re worried all those loud jams have damaged your hearing.
More important is the hearing assistance included in the AirPods Pro 2. Apple calls this an “over-the-counter hearing aid capability,” turning the buds into “clinical-grade hearing aids.” Simply put, with the AirPods in, users should be able to have sounds like speech or music boosted for them, all of which can be adjusted in settings.
Apple says it’s getting approval from global health agencies “soon,” and this feature should be available in the U.S. and elsewhere sometime later this year.