What we know about Apple's iPhone 16 launch event

Rob Waugh
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 10: Apple CEO Tim Cook delivers remarks at the start of the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) on June 10, 2024 in Cupertino, California. Apple will announce plans to incorporate artificial intelligence (AI) into Apple software and hardware. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed some hints of the AI functions earlier this year at the Worldwide Developers Conference. (Getty) (Justin Sullivan via Getty Images)

Apple is set to announce the new iPhone 16 line-up on Monday evening, in a move that will signal the tech giant’s first serious foray into the world of artificial intelligence (AI).

It will be spearheaded by a new version of Siri, and is the first time Apple has ever launched one of its iPhones on a Monday.

The event in Cupertino, California, will be livestreamed on Apple’s site as well as on YouTube, and is expected to debut "Apple Intelligence": Apple’s response to rivals such as Samsung and Google which have already baked AI features into their flagship smartphones this year.

Apple is also expected to unveil new watches and Airpods as well as the usual hardware upgrades across its iPhone and Pro line. The event is billed as "Glowtime", which insiders suggest refers to the boosted on-screen glow of Apple’s Siri assistant, which will receive an AI upgrade this year.

The new Apple event is billed as 'Glowtime' (Apple)
The latest Apple event is billed as 'Glowtime'. (Apple) (Apple)

The Glowtime event will take place in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, on Monday.

The event starts at 10am Pacific Time in the US, or 6pm UK time, and will probably last between one and two hours – judging by previous Apple events – with the biggest news generally held for the end.

The new Apple iPhone 15 on display inside the tech giant's flagship store in Regent Street, central London. Picture date: Friday September 22, 2023.
The latest models will replace the iPhone 15, pictured, but are set to look similar. (PA) (Jonathan Brady, PA Images)

There will be four models – iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max – which will look similar to last year’s iPhone 15 line-up.

The two smaller phones are expected to add Apple’s Action button, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, while, in a significant development, all four models are tipped to have a "camera" or "capture" button on the bottom right-hand side.

The capture button will allow users to access the camera app instantly and it may be swiped to zoom or touched lightly to autofocus, while a harder press takes a photo or starts recording a video.

The iPhone 16 Pro is rumoured to capture 4K video at up to 120 frames per second, double the speed of the current iPhone 15 range, allowing up to four times slow-motion effects at the camera's highest resolution.

The Pro models are also expected to have very slightly bigger screens, with the Pro at 6.3in (up from 6.1in) while the Pro Max will be 6.9in (up from 6.7in).

In this photo illustration, the digital assistant owned by Apple, Siri, logo seen displayed on a smartphone with an economic stock exchange index graph in the background.
Siri is expected to have a total revamp in the latest iPhones. (Getty) (SOPA Images, SOPA Images Limited)

The biggest news is a total revamp of Siri, which will be integrated more tightly into the operating system - and have a new "glowing" look.

When users summon Siri, instead of a glowing ball at the bottom, the edges of the display glow instead - hence "Glowtime".

The new phones are expected to have a large number of AI features under the banner Apple Intelligence, billed as "AI for the rest of us".

Apple wrote earlier this year: "With an all-new design, richer language understanding, and the ability to type to Siri whenever it’s convenient for you, communicating with Siri is more natural than ever.

Mobile phone with website of AI platform Apple Intelligence in front of business logo. Focus on top-left of phone display.
The iPhone 16 range are expected to have AI features under the banner Apple Intelligence. (Getty Images) (Timon Schneider)

"Equipped with awareness of your personal context, the ability to take action in and across apps, and product knowledge about your devices’ features and settings, Siri will be able to assist you like never before."

Apple Intelligence is expected to offer new writing tools, including the ability to summarise long content such as websites and lectures, alongside image creation tools including AI Genmoji.

Apple aims to protect users' privacy, with much of the processing done "on device", so private details are never compromised.

There is, however, some uncertainty about how much of the new technology will be available immediately in European markets following a stand-off between the company and new EU competition rules that require Apple products to integrate more seamlessly with their rivals' services.

Apple could receive a hefty fine on Tuesday from the European Commission over a long-running tax dispute, reportedly part of the reason it is launching the new iPhone on a Monday.

Tech publications including Forbes and Bloomberg have predicted that, judging by past events, the new iPhones will go on sale on the Friday of the week following the announcement.

This year, that would mean the new iPhones would go on sale on 20 September.

Some leaks have suggested some iPhone 16 models will retain the prices of last year’s models.

With the new phones seen as an incremental hardware upgrade, before bigger changes arrive next year, it’s plausible that they will keep the same price.

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