These are the 5 biggest announcements I expect at Apple’s iPhone 16 event

Apple has confirmed September 9 as the official date for its 2024 iPhone keynote. The slogan “It’s Glowtime” is prominently featured in the invitation to the event. This year, the iPhone 16 series is expected to take center stage.

In particular, we expect the launch of four new iPhone models: the iPhone16The iPhone 16 PlusThe iPhone 16 Proand the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

However, it’s nothing new for Apple to unveil other new hardware at the same time as the new iPhone. In addition to the heavily rumored handsets, here are six key things I expect to see at the company’s September event.

1 Larger handsets in Pro format

Apple is not immune to the trend towards larger phones

Apple’s next-generation handsets, iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, are expected to maintain the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screen sizes that we’ve become accustomed to on recent iPhone lineups.

The big change rumored to be happening this year will be to the Pro phones – they’ll be slightly larger to make room for the new 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch displays.

If these leaks are true, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be the largest phones Apple has ever shipped. For fans of larger devices, this could be great news. For those of us who prefer compact hardware, it’s less than ideal.

2 Next generation AirPods

USB-C charging and active noise cancellation could come

It’s been a while since Apple updated its base model AirPods, and now is a good time to do so. Rumor has it that a USB-C charging case will be included in the box, which would be another blow to the aging Lightning connector.

Rumor has it that active noise cancellation (ANC) will also find its way into Apple’s new 4th generation AirPods, which was previously only available in the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max models. Active noise cancellation uses a mix of computing algorithms and integrated microphones to intelligently block out background noise. This does require a little more battery life, but I think the effect is worth it if you want to block out annoying ambient noise.

Another rumor doing the rounds is that Apple plans to launch two different variants of its next-generation AirPods, each aimed at a different price range. Not much is known about this possibility, but there could well be a non-ANC option at a reduced price. Alternatively, the cheaper variant could retain the current price of the 3rd generation AirPods if the ANC version sees a price increase.

3 A brand new Apple Watch Series X

Could we see a major iPhone X-style redesign of the Apple Watch?

Leaks point to the release of an Apple Watch Series 10, likely to be marketed with the Roman numeral X. Rumors suggest that this next-generation watch will feature a new design and adopt iPhone-like visual elements in the form of a square case.

The exterior of the Apple Watch has remained pretty much the same over the years, featuring a rounded appearance and curved front glass. In an era of flat-edged iPhones, iPads, and even Macs, it would make sense to unify the design language across product categories.

Apple used the X stylization on 2017’s iPhone X, which represented the biggest advancement in iPhone hardware since the original model was introduced. If Apple believes the Watch Series 10 is as big an advancement as the iPhone X was in its day, then a Watch Series X is more than likely.

4 Updates for the Watch SE and Watch Ultra product lines

The Apple Watch SE 3 and a Watch Ultra 3 could be released on September 9

In addition to a Watch Series X, we’ll likely also see updates in Apple’s spin-off smartwatch lines. In particular, leaks suggest the existence of a third-generation Watch SE and a third-generation Watch Ultra.

There’s a good chance that Apple will want to launch these new Watch models alongside the flagship Series X to create more buzz. The SE models are aimed at budget-conscious buyers and offer the basic Watch experience at a reduced price. The Ultra, on the other hand, is a high-end strap marketed to professional athletes and divers.

For several years, there have been rumors that Apple will switch from OLED to Micro-LED display technology for the Apple Watch. The high-priced Ultra model would be the ideal candidate for such an upgrade, but unfortunately it doesn’t look like it will happen anytime soon. Industry analyst Ming Chi Quo reports that Apple has abandoned its plans for a Micro-LED watch, Ultra or not.

5 More details and demos on Apple Intelligence

Expect Apple to boost the AI ​​hype cycle by several notches

The slogan of Apple’s event, “It’s Glowtime,” could refer to the snazzy new Siri animation that the company first unveiled along with its Apple Intellgience AI Suite at WWDC 2024.

Apple Intelligence looks promising, but not all features are ready to go yet, even in beta. There’s a good chance the iPhone 16 won’t even have built-in AI at launch, as some features are reportedly being delayed until iOS 18.1 in October.

In the meantime, I expect Apple to show off several new AI demonstrations to further fuel hype around the feature. Hopefully, any potential stage demonstration won’t suffer from the implementation issues that plagued Google’s recent Gemini demo.