Apple's Fall Event is Nearing: iPhone 16 Series, AirPods, and Apple Watch Get Major Upgrades, but "Apple Intelligence" Remains a Question Mark

Apple's Fall Event is Nearing: iPhone 16 Series, AirPods, and Apple Watch Get Major Upgrades, but "Apple Intelligence" Remains a Question MarkAmidst the recent downward trend in the US stock market, the consumer electronics market will be greeted with a major event next Monday night Apple's Fall event. Due to the time difference, Chinese investors will witness the updates to the latest generation of iPhone phones, AirPods, and Apple Watch at 1 am Beijing time on Tuesday

Apple's Fall Event is Nearing: iPhone 16 Series, AirPods, and Apple Watch Get Major Upgrades, but "Apple Intelligence" Remains a Question Mark

Amidst the recent downward trend in the US stock market, the consumer electronics market will be greeted with a major event next Monday night Apple's Fall event. Due to the time difference, Chinese investors will witness the updates to the latest generation of iPhone phones, AirPods, and Apple Watch at 1 am Beijing time on Tuesday. Renowned Apple leaker Mark Gurman, in his latest article on Friday, provided a comprehensive overview of the details of the September release, as well as the release schedule for October and next year.

An Unusual Release Date

Apple typically does not hold events on Mondays, but this year's situation is somewhat unique - there are a lot of things happening next Tuesday. Aside from the "battleground debate" between Trump and Harris, the European Union will also decide whether to make Apple pay $14 billion in back taxes. Of course, Wednesday (September 11th) is not an option either; no self-respecting American company would choose to hold a release event on that day.

The iPhone 16 Series, Which Holds Apple's Destiny

As the product responsible for nearly 60% of Apple's revenue, the reception of the new iPhone will significantly influence the company's stock performance. This is why the iPhone is currently the most heavily leaked product, with hardware updates already fully exposed.

As in the past few years, the iPhone 16 series will still comprise four models: iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. Similar to last year, the changes to the standard models aren't significant, maintaining the aluminum body and 6.1-inch/6.7-inch screens. In a bid to push "Apple intelligence," the new generation iPhones will all be upgraded to 8GB of RAM and a new chip. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will adopt the "Action Button" from the 15 Pro series, while the rear cameras will be vertically stacked to support spatial video recording.

The focus of upgrades remains on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max. The most noticeable change in their appearance is the larger screen sizes, upgraded from 6.1-inch/6.7-inch to 6.3-inch/6.9-inch. However, thanks to narrower bezels, the overall look is more streamlined. Both phones will also have 8GB of RAM, but with a higher-spec chip than the standard series.

Imaging capabilities remain the core selling point of the Pro series. Both phones will see their ultrawide cameras upgraded from 12MP to 48MP, while the iPhone 16 Pro's wide-angle lens will also upgrade to 5x optical zoom, matching the Pro Max.

To entice users to spend, Apple has introduced a new physical button. On the right side of the phone, there's a capacitive touch-sensitive button dedicated to taking photos, operating similarly to the shutter button on a DSLR - a light press focuses, and a firm press captures the image. Users can also swipe on the button to switch between video/photo functions and zoom. There's a point of debate here: Gurman claims that only the two Pro models will have this photo button, while other leaks suggest that all four new phones will have it.

Finally, there's Apple's traditional move: color changes. The Pro models will adopt gold titanium to replace blue titanium, retaining black, white, and natural colors; the standard models will replace yellow with white and gain new green, pink, and blue colors.

That concludes the information about the iPhone 16. It also leaves a mystery for next week's event what exactly is this "Apple intelligence" everyone is talking about? Although most users won't be able to utilize what Apple calls "intelligence" when these phones launch, and many core functionalities won't be available until early next year, next week will still be an opportunity for Apple's management team to "paint a picture" for everyone.

Two New AirPods Headphones

Apple will release two new AirPods headphones next week, representing the entry-level and mid-range models in the product line. Both new models will sport a design similar to the current AirPods Pro, with updated charging cases and USB-C ports, and improved sound quality.

As the key focus for shipments, the new mid-range model is said to have a "more premium casing" and speaker, along with the most important feature: noise cancellation. A potential major update for this product line is hearing health functionality. Apple has been diligently working to make AirPods a substitute for hearing aids and a device for conducting hearing tests. However, Gurman also mentions that this feature has been delayed and may be launched later.

A new version of the AirPods Pro is currently under development, with a release potentially as early as next year, expected to feature design and noise-canceling upgrades. Apple is also developing new AirPods Max headphones, but given the current stock of the current generation, a new release might be some time away.

Apple Watch Receives a Full Lineup Update

For the first time in two years, Apple will refresh all Apple Watch models at once next week, including the new entry-level Apple Watch SE, the mid-range Series 10 models, and a new Ultra 3. The Series 10, marking the "10th anniversary," will see the most significant upgrades, offering a larger size option and a noticeably thinner body.

Gurman warns against expecting significant AI features on Apple's watches, even when AI is eventually introduced, it will be more related to functions like health coaching. Additionally, due to the dispute between Apple and Masimo, the blood oxygen sensing function is unlikely to return in the new models. Similarly, blood pressure detection is not expected to be available in the short term.

However, this generation of watches will have one major upgrade: sleep apnea detection. The watches will detect if the wearer has sleep apnea and advise them to seek medical attention. Gurman also warns that the new functionality may not be available at the time of release.

October Event Preview

Apple is planning to upgrade its entire Mac lineup with the M4 chip, starting with the MacBook Pro, Mac Mini, and iMac. However, the release date is not before October. The October event will also feature new iPads, including a long-awaited upgraded iPad mini.

Looking Further Ahead

A new full-screen iPhone SE with an OLED display is currently being tested and is expected to be released next year. New AirTags are also under development and are expected to be released next year.

In summary, while Apple's Fall event will bring a series of new products, the market is most eagerly awaiting the "Apple intelligence" feature, the actual performance of which remains to be seen. We'll have to wait until next week's event to find out.