A slew of exciting new Apple products was just announced at Apple's September iPhone event, including the iPhone 16, the Apple Watch Series 10, and new AirPods.
The main event was the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, which were announced alongside some highlights of Apple Intelligence from WWDC 2024. The Apple Watch Series 10 (or Apple Watch X) was also in the spotlight with a slightly lighter, thinner design and some key new features. The iPhone 16 and Apple Watch X were accompanied by a new set of AirPods and light refreshes for the AirPods Max and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
Other products are still in the works for later in 2024. The iPad mini 7 and the highly-anticipated M4 Macs didn't make an appearance at this event, as expected, but could still arrive before the end of the year. And, of course, Apple Intelligence is still slated to roll out this fall.
Here’s everything that launched at Apple's 2024 September iPhone event.
Where to watch Apple's 2024 September event
If you missed Apple's September event, you're in luck. Apple always posts the recorded livestream of its virtual events on YouTube so you can watch the entire event for free.
The full livestream is over an hour and a half long, so you might want to check out our highlights here then go back and watch the parts you're most interested in:
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
Unsurprisingly, the star of the show at this year's September event was the iPhone 16 line-up. They got some key upgrades from the iPhone 15 generation along with some stunning new color options. Here's a look at the current iPhone line-up after this week's event:
For the most part, Apple stuck to the standard iPhone design. You can choose between 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes and all the models have effectively the same chassis shape as last year. However, there are some key updates worth taking a look at.
First, Apple changed up its color offerings with a few brighter, bolder shades. The ultramarine blue is particularly eye-catching. You can also go with a vibrant flamingo pink or a bold mint green. The iPhone 16 Pro is once again more toned-down metallic colors, but the new desert gold shade is cool.
Apple also added an action button to the iPhone 16 and gave the whole line-up a new camera control. The action button is a customizable physical button you can assign to a range of tasks, such as activating Siri.
The camera control is a little different. This touch-sensitive plate on the side of the iPhone 16 can act as a shutter button for the camera and allow you to quickly control various camera settings. Other phones have had dedicated camera buttons for years, but it's nice to finally see this feature on the iPhone given its popularity for photography.
The iPhone 16 line-up also got a camera update inside and out. The cameras on the entire line-up are capable of capturing spatial videos and photos, which you can view in 3D on the Apple Vision Pro. Plus, the camera app received a full overhaul with a new layout and new features like AI editing tools.
The iPhone 16 line-up is powered by Apple's new A18 chipset (or A18 Pro for the Pro models). Thanks to an upgraded 5-core GPU, the A18 chip is better for gaming than previous iPhones and even capable of running some AAA titles, like Assassin's Creed: Mirage or Honor of Kings: World. The A18 chip will also allow the iPhone 16 line-up to run on-device AI features when Apple Intelligence rolls out later this year.
Apple Watch 10
In addition to the iPhone 16, Apple also launched the Apple Watch Series 10 at this year's September event.
Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo correctly reported that it would offer "larger screen sizes" and "a thinner design." Apple did indeed give the Series 10 a larger display and a slightly thinner, lighter design available in 42mm and 46mm sizes. The Series 10 is still compatible with 41mm and 45mm watch bands from previous generations, though, which is nice.
Arguably the biggest update for the Series 10 is the addition of sleep apnea monitoring. While Samsung's Galaxy Watch Ultra beat Apple to this feature earlier this year, it's still a big deal to finally see it on the Apple Watch.
The Series 10 can monitor sleep disturbances to detect signs of sleep apnea. According to Apple's presentation on Monday, some 80% of cases of sleep apnea go undiagnosed. So, hopefully, this feature will help address that. The Series 10 can also recharge up to 80% in just 30 minutes, which will make it easier to wear around the clock without running out of battery.
Apple also gave the Series 10 water depth and temperature sensors as well as features for water activities like tide tracking and "float plans," which are like running plans but in the water. The Apple Watch is still far from being a true SCUBA-quality dive watch, but these features are great for other water sports like snorkeling, swimming, or surfing.
In addition to the Apple Watch Series 10, we thought Apple might give the budget-friendly Apple Watch SE an update. Since launching it in 2020, Apple has consistently revamped the Watch SE every two years.
There were rumors the upcoming 3rd generation model will get a new option for a plastic chassis and potentially a lower starting price, both of which could help it appeal more to kids and families. However, it didn't make an appearance at the September event.
AirPods 4 and new hearing features
Apple's audio line-up also got a refresh at this year's September iPhone event. Apple announced the AirPods 4 as well as some major feature updates for the AirPods Pro 2.
The AirPods 4 inherited the same base pricing as the AirPods 3 at $129, or $179 with active noise canceling. Apple tweaked the classic AirPods design, though, with a slightly different shape. The case also has USB Type-C charging now, which is a welcome update. The AirPods 4 also has support for spatial audio and gesture-based Siri interactions that involve shaking your head or nodding.
The updates to the AirPods Pro 2 are focused on health with new automated hearing protection and fully-fledged hearing aid capabilities.
The AirPods Pro 2 is now capable of running a hearing test directly on your iPhone. Using that data, your phone and AirPods can customize performance to account for hearing loss and boost surrounding sounds, allowing users to use the AirPods Pro 2 as hearing aids. The feature is still awaiting FDA approval but should be available later this year.
Plus, the AirPods Pro 2 can help protect your hearing by automatically detecting loud surrounding noise and blocking it out.
In addition to these innovative hearing health features, Apple also gave the AirPods Max a light refresh with some new color options and USB Type-C charging.
Release dates for everything announced at Apple's September event
If you're excited to buy any of the new devices Apple unveiled at its 2024 September iPhone event, you won't have to wait long.
The iPhone 16 line-up is available for pre-order now and arrives in stores on September 20. The same goes for the Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4.
We'll be covering all the latest updates on Apple's new product launches, the iPhone 16, and future Apple devices coming later in the year. So, stay tuned for more info!
