Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ iPhone 16 Event: What to Expect and How to Watch [CNET]

Here’s what could come from the anticipated launch of the iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series X and new AirPods.

Here’s what could come from the anticipated launch of the iPhone 16, Apple Watch Series X and new AirPods.

Apple’s iPhone event is two weeks away, during which the company is expected to debut the iPhone 16 and potentially share more details on the public launch of iOS 18 and Apple Intelligence. 

The company’s event invite, sent on Monday, depicts the Apple logo with different overlapping colors, and the text “It’s Glowtime” written underneath. The design calls back to the one sent out for June’s Worldwide Developers Conference keynote, which introduced the world to Apple Intelligence, the company’s suite of AI features. It’s likely the iPhone maker will continue that conversation during its fall event, along with unveiling new hardware.

Here’s everything we’re anticipating, and how you can tune into Apple’s keynote.

How to watch Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event

Apple’s fall keynote takes place Monday, Sept. 9, at 10 a.m. PT (1 p.m. ET, 6 p.m. BST, 3 a.m. AEST). You can tune in via a livestream on Apple’s site, or on YouTube. You can also watch from the Apple TV app.

Expect iPhones packed with AI — and maybe better cameras

Apple used much of its June WWDC keynote to talk about Apple Intelligence, its suite of AI features that includes capabilities like a smarter Siri, AI-powered writing tools and ChatGPT integration. The company noted that Apple Intelligence will arrive on iPhone 15 Pro models, and it’s likely the iPhone 16 lineup will be the first to come out of the box with those new AI features baked in.

Going hand in hand with that anticipated announcement is the long-awaited public rollout of iOS 18, which Apple also debuted in June. The new operating system includes features like customizable home and lock screens, an updated Control Center and RCS messaging, which should make texting friends with Android phones more seamless.

The company is also expected to shine a light on iPhone hardware advancements, especially related to the cameras. Rumors suggest the iPhone 16 lineup could include larger image sensors and a new physical camera button, which would sit next to the Action button that debuted on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. It’ll reportedly recognize swipe gestures, so you could swipe right or left to zoom in or out. 

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo also suggests the base iPhone 16 Pro will come with a 5x optical zoom lens, meaning you’d no longer have to opt for the pricier Pro Max to get that capability. Another noted analyst, Jeff Pu, says the ultrawide cameras on both the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could get a significant bump up from 12 megapixels to 48 megapixels. 

When it comes to the baseline iPhone models, the 16 and 16 Plus could feature cameras that are vertically stacked, instead of horizontally. This would allow the devices to more easily shoot spatial video, using information from both cameras to create a 3D-like effect. Spatial videos look like standard 2D videos when viewed on an iPhone but are designed to give a 3D effect when viewed on Apple’s Vision Pro headset. 

Apple Watch Series 10 — or X?

It’s been about seven years since Apple surprised everyone with its unique naming convention for the iPhone X (skipping the iPhone “9” altogether in favor of a title that would commemorate the 10th anniversary of the device). And now, the company is poised to follow that tradition by potentially dubbing the 10th generation of its Watch series either the Apple Watch 10 or X (for the purposes of this article, we’ll go with X).

The smartwatch could have a thinner design, as well as larger screen size options; the 41mm iteration could increase to 45mm, while the 45mm current option could jump to 49mm. The Apple Watch X may also pack new health capabilities, including blood-pressure monitoring and a system for detecting sleep apnea by measuring someone’s sleeping and breathing habits. It could also feature a new mechanism for attaching bands to the watch face magnetically.

New AirPods: Two is better than one

It’s possible Apple could unveil two new AirPods models during its fall event, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. They’d both have a redesigned look, including shorter stems, and support for USB-C charging. A higher-end version could feature Active Noise Cancellation, meaning you wouldn’t need to get the more expensive AirPods Pro to tap into that feature.

Come Sept. 9, we’ll see how many of these rumors come to fruition.