Apple: The new AI iPhone is coming

A music video, filmed entirely on an iPhone, the sound recorded on an iPhone, visually edited, color corrected and mixed with the help of Apple’s artificial intelligence: What Apple showed as part of the presentation of the new iPhone 16 Pro Max seemed like a glimpse into the future of multimedia production.

All videos, sounds and sensor data are recorded with a single device. Post-production is done quickly live and with the help of artificial intelligence, which optimizes the sound, corrects the color mix, selectively cuts images and adjusts the image framing.

The iPhone Pro, which was made clear at the presentation, is a tool for intensive users who want to constantly document their everyday lives in the highest quality. Only Apple knows how many customers actually use the phone in this way and how many see it as just a status symbol. But the message that Apple has recognized with the help of R&B pop star and brand ambassador “The Weeknd” is clear: professionals continue to choose Apple, even though Android devices such as Google’s Pixel Pro are now almost identical in terms of hardware and software.

The rest of the iPhone presentation, otherwise the core of Apple’s fall product launch, was nevertheless very predictable: a new housing color palette with pink, green and light blue, new screens with narrower bezels, a new, faster and more economical Apple A18 chip – all of this has been there before. The main innovation, the integration of artificial intelligence in the new iPhone, was already announced by Tim Cook in early summer: Apple’s smartphone will become a sensor for Apple’s in-house artificial intelligence.

Another significant innovation was the camera: The iPhone 16 and especially the iPhone 16 Pro are almost more of a camera than a smartphone. Apple used the majority of its iPhone Pro presentation to introduce the new camera features in hardware and software.

Both phones have a physical photo button – this also shows Apple’s focus on photo functions – into which Apple engineers have put a whole range of functions: Thanks to a dedicated haptic sensor, users can not only take photos, but also use a finger swipe and live zoom functions or change the exposure and color filters of the photos. The whole thing is supported by AI and has been dubbed “Visual Intelligence” by Apple.

The new 48-megapixel main camera is said to react faster than ever before, allowing for particularly sharp photos and videos. On the iPhone Pro in particular, videos in 4k resolution and 120 frames per second should bring completely new possibilities in post-production – for example, users can add slow motion afterwards. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro also have a wide-angle camera that works seamlessly with the main camera, which Apple calls Fusion.

The iPhone Pro has a 5x zoom camera over the “normal” iPhone, just like the iPhone 15. In addition, Apple will also allow ambitious users to edit their sound directly with the iPhone Pro, as the Pro now records sound spatially with four microphones. Users can then select whose voice should be highlighted in the video – that’s really new.

The on-board AI also accesses the cameras; Apple allows, for example, an AI-supported image search, similar to Google’s Lens function. In general, the AI: Assistant Siri is supposed to react much more intelligently in the new iOS, as already shown in the spring, and can also analyze screen content for this purpose. This allows the user to refer to chat content when giving commands to Siri, for example – Apple gives the example of a friend recommending music via chat message and Siri immediately searching for and playing it.

Apple’s artificial intelligence is omnipresent in the new iOS, for example, it immediately provides summaries of emails in the preview or prioritized notifications. However, various functions are initially reserved for US customers – in particular, the intelligent new Siri initially only speaks English, with other languages ​​to follow next year. All user data is to be processed directly on the phone so that privacy is maintained.

This is also why Apple has equipped the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 and the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro with its own AI processing cores, which should allow Apple Intelligence to be constantly analyzed in the background without immediately draining the battery. Both phones are said to have significantly longer battery life than their predecessors – but Apple’s team did not say exactly how long. There would have been enough time for that. The important topic of battery life was dealt with in less than 30 seconds, after a new game from the Chinese gaming giant Tencent had been praised for minutes as being particularly suitable for the iPhone. No, we won’t even mention the name of the game, it has been mentioned often enough.

Apple has packed all of the new technology into a titanium casing for the iPhone Pro, which is supposedly made from particularly high-quality “Grade 5” titanium. It remains unclear whether this is the same alloy that is mentioned under the same name in Wikipedia as the most commonly used and not at all rare titanium alloy.

The prices, however, are not unclear: The top model iPhone 16 Pro Max costs in Germany from 1449 euros, the iPhone 16 Pro with a slightly smaller screen from 1199 euros, the iPhone 16 at 949 euros and the iPhone 16 Plus with a slightly larger display at 1099 euros.

Great hopes are pinned on another device: the Apple Watch. The smart watch is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Unlike the iPhone, however, the model is not called “X”, like the Roman numeral 10, but simply Series 10. Apple has probably dispensed with the special name because it is no longer fond of really big leaps.

Apple Watch Series 10 has brighter display and new speakers

The most striking thing is the appearance of the Apple Watch Series 10. The new version not only has a larger display than its predecessors, but is also the thinnest model that Apple has released to date. The case is just 9.7 millimeters thick, ten percent less than the Series 9. The Retina display is also said to be 40 percent brighter. “We have pushed the boundaries of technology,” said Apple manager Jeff Williams at the launch.

Apple has installed the new S10 chip under the screen, which is designed to make the watch ready for AI functions called Apple Intelligence. The company has also noticeably improved charging times. The watch should be able to charge to 80 percent in 30 minutes, and the battery should last around 18 hours when fully charged. Apple has also installed new speakers that allow wearers to listen to music loudly.

On the functional side, Apple has introduced a new sleep apnea detection system. In the future, the Apple Watch will be able to monitor breathing pauses during sleep, almost like a snoring detector. Manufacturers of wearables have been working on sleep apnea functions for some time. At the beginning of the year, Samsung received approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for monitoring with the Galaxy Watch.

Apple says it expects to receive approval for its sleep apnea function soon. The function will then be available in more than 150 countries and regions. This does not necessarily require the new version of the Series 10; the immediate predecessor model and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the premium model, should also be able to handle the function.

Analysts have already speculated a lot about groundbreaking features of the new Apple Watch. According to Bloomberg Apple analyst Mark Gurman, Apple is working on a blood pressure measurement function. However, because there were problems testing the sensor, the launch has been delayed, claims Gurman. Analysts also had hopes for a new function that would enable diabetics to measure their blood sugar levels. But here too, the technical challenges still seemed too great.

Apple also initially decided not to include any new hardware in the premium model, the Ultra. The new watch will only be available in one color, black. Apple seems to have at least kept the old prices for the completely revamped Series 10. Depending on the features, the smartwatch is available from 449 euros. The new model is available in black, rose gold and silver. In addition to the usual aluminum case, Apple will also offer a version of the Series 10 with a titanium case. Apple used the supposedly stronger and more durable material for the first time in its iPhone Pro models last year.

Apple has also thoroughly revised its audio devices. With the fourth series of its Airpods, the company promises the “best Airpods ever”. Apple has used 3D modeling and laser measurements to develop the “best shape” of the in-ear headphones, as it says. In addition, the Airpods have some functions that were previously reserved for the premium series. These include voice isolation, personalized spatial audio, and responding to Siri by nodding or shaking your head. This is made possible by the powerful H2 chip that Apple has installed in the small earphones.

But Apple has come up with a special feature for the Airpods Pro. The new version has a kind of hearing aid function. After users have carried out a specially designed hearing test using the iPhone, the AirPods Pro can be converted into a personalized hearing aid, Apple announced. The created “hearing profile” is then automatically applied to music, films and phone calls on all of the user’s devices.