Everything Apple announced at iPhone 16 event: AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, AI, more

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Every fall, major tech companies unveil their newest hardware ahead of the holiday season. On Monday, Apple held its marquee event, dubbed "Glowtime," unveiling its highly anticipated iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10, redesigned AirPods, and more. 

Although the hardware was the star of the show and WWDC, its software event, was only months ago, Apple also sprinkled in some new helpful software features users can expect soon, including highly anticipated health offerings -- and, of course, artificial intelligence (AI).

Also: Every iPhone model that will be updated to Apple's iOS 18 (and which ones can't)

If you didn't get to tune in or want a detailed summary of the announcements, keep reading for ZDNET's full roundup of the news below. 

1. iPhone 16 series

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The iPhone 16 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone Pro Max, was at the forefront of Apple's event. 

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus come in new bold colors, including ultramarine, teal, and pink, alongside white and black. Other than colors, the changes to the phones' appearance include a rear camera bump, camera alignment, and two new buttons, which we will explore below. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus maintain 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, respectively. 

The phones have a new customizable Action button on the side, which can be programmed to perform different tasks, such as opening the flashlight. 

Also: iPhone 16 hands-on: So packed with features, I almost forgot about its Pro model

Additionally, there is a new Camera Control button, with touch-capacitive sensors that users can tap and swipe to control the camera. The button functions like a regular camera, allowing users to press it lightly to focus on a subject and harder to take a picture. The button can also launch the camera app, start recording, and pull up camera controls. 

The phones also feature upgraded camera systems, including a 48-megapixel lens, with a 2X Telephoto option and a new macro photography lens enabled by the new 12MP Ultra Wide camera. Both phones also take spatial photos and videos for the Apple Vision Pro. 

To give the smartphones enough power to run the latest features powered by generative AI found in Apple Intelligence, the new phones also feature a new A18 processor. The A18 chip makes it up to two times faster for machine learning, has 17% more memory bandwidth, is up to 30% faster than the CPU in the iPhone 15, and has a 40% faster GPU. 

Also: Every iPhone 16 model features a new camera button. Here's what it can do

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will be available for preorder on September 13 at $799 and $899 respectively, starting at 128GB. 

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max also came packed with upgrades, the highlights being larger 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays, the thinnest borders ever on an Apple product, Super Retina XDR displays, four titanium finishes (black titanium, natural titanium, white titanium, and desert titanium), Camera Control, and the A18 Pro chip. 

The A18 Pro chip has 16-core neural engines and 17% more memory bandwidth to excel at generative AI workloads. It runs up to 15% faster than last year's A17 Pro, using 20% less power, paired with a 6-core GPU. Apple also threw around the term "Next-gen ML accelerators" during the event. 

Also: When is the iPhone 16 coming out? What to know and where to preorder

The camera system has also been upgraded on the Pro line, featuring a new 48MP Fusion camera with a "faster, more efficient quad-pixel sensor and Apple Camera Interface, unlocking 4K120 fps video recording in Dolby Vision - the highest resolution and frame-rate combination ever available on iPhone, and a smartphone first," according to Apple. 

The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are available for preorder on September 13 at $999 and $1,099 respectively, starting at 128GB of storage. 

2. Apple Watch Series 10

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

For the first time since the Apple Watch Series 7 launch, the mid-tier wearable received a noticeable redesign with the launch of the Apple Watch Series 10. 

Apple gave its Series 10 the thinnest design (9.7 mm) and biggest screen yet. Apple also touted that the Apple Watch Series 10 features fast charging and up to 18 hours of battery life. 

The watch has Apple's first wide-angle OLED display, which makes its screen up to 40% brighter than the Series 9 when viewed from an angle. This helps readers better read the screen. This OLED display allows for a faster refresh rate, updating once a second instead of once a minute in always-on mode. 

Some of the new breakout features of the Apple Watch include sleep apnea notifications, audio playback through the Series 10's new speakers, background noise reduction during calls, and a built-in depth gauge and water temperature sensor. 

Also: The 5 best iPhone 16 Pro features that enthusiasts will care about

The Apple Watch Series 10 starts at $399, is available for pre-order starting today, September 9, and will ship on September 20. For the first time, it is available in a polished aluminum finish in jet black, rose gold, and silver aluminum. The titanium case, made of a new grade 5 titanium, is available in natural, gold, and slate.

Alongside the Watch Series 10, Apple announced a new satin black finish for its Watch Ultra 2, which is tailored to avid athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. It starts at $799; pre-orders start today and ship out on September 20. 

Apple also launched an array of new watch bands, including new offerings from Hermes and Nike Sport Loop. 

3. AirPods 4

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

After rumors circulated about two new AirPod models since last year, Apple finally launched them: Apple AirPods 4 and AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC). One is the new entry-level option, while the other sits between that and the more premium AirPods Pro 2.

Both of the new Apple AirPods 4 models feature an H2 chip, much better overall sound quality, Personalized Spatial Audio, voice isolation, gesture-based Siri controls, and, most notably, a USB-C charging case. In addition to USB-C charging, the AirPods can be charged using an Apple Watch charger or a Q-certified charger, delivering up to 30 hours of battery life.

Also: Apple AirPods 4 vs. AirPods 4 with noise cancellation: Which earbuds fit you best?

Apple also shares that the new Open-Ear Fit makes these AirPods the "best headphones Apple has ever created with an open-ear design, setting an entirely new benchmark for fit and comfort." The stem now features a force sensor, allowing users to press on the stem to pause, mute, or end calls. 

The more advanced version includes active noise cancellation at a slightly higher cost. AirPods 4 will cost $129, and the model with ANC will cost $179. Like the rest of the products, they are available for pre-order today and will be in stores starting September 20. 

Apple also refreshed its AirPods Max offering with new colors (midnight, blue, purple, starlight, and orange), and USB-C charging.

Kerry Wan/ZDNET

Lastly, Apple announced new hearing health features for AirPods Pro 2 coming this fall: Hearing Protections, which actively reduce louder noises from your surroundings using machine learning; Hearing Test, which requires AirPods Pro and an iPhone; and a Hearing Aid feature, which allows earbuds to double as hearing aids. 

Also: Your AirPods Pro 2 can soon double as over-the-counter hearing aids. Here's how

These features will be available in the fall for AirPods Pro 2 via the software update when paired with an iPhone running on iOS 18 or iPad running on iPadOS 18. 

4. Apple Intelligence updates

Screenshot by Kayla Solino/ZDNET

Apple debuted its in-house generative AI features, Apple Intelligence, during its annual Worldwide Developers Conference in June. During the conference, we saw how Apple planned to implement Apple Intelligence across its personal devices, including via an upgraded Siri with more conversational capabilities.

During today's event, Apple mostly reviewed the features it had previously unveiled, highlighting ways it will help users, such as auto-writing, proofreading, emoji-generating, searching photo galleries using conversational prompts, and more. 

Also: Apple delivers on hardware upgrades but punts Apple Intelligence rollout

The biggest highlight was the launch of Visual Intelligence, Apple's answer to Google Lens. Like Google Lens, you can take photos of your surroundings, such as a dog or restaurant, and get personalized insights and relevant information on what you captured.

Users who purchase a device from the new iPhone 16 lineup will be able to access Visual Intelligence from the new Camera Control option "later this year," according to Apple, though the company did not clarify an exact launch date. 

Everything to know about iOS 18

Jason Hiner/ZDNET

Apple unveiled iOS 18 during this year's WWDC in June. It will be readily installed on all iPhone 16 models and available to download on older iPhones this coming Monday, Sept. 16. Even though Apple didn't touch on iOS 18 much during the event, plenty of features are packed into the new software, so we rounded up some of the best ones:

RCS support, scheduled messages, and text formatting in iMessageCustomizable app placements and icon designs on the home screenA redesigned Control Center with multiple panels for widgetsA redesigned Photos app for easier searchingTap to Cash in Wallet

ZDNET is at Apple headquarters in Cupertino now, so stay tuned for the latest news, hands-on reviews, takeaways, and more.