Apple Launches AI-Powered iPhone 16

Apple has unveiled its new iPhone 16, featuring AI-driven capabilities designed to enhance user experience and support sales growth. The iPhone 16 introduces “Apple Intelligence,” a set of AI-powered features aimed at improving functionality across its devices.^[1]  

At the launch event held at Apple's Silicon Valley headquarters, CEO Tim Cook emphasized the significance of these new AI features. "We are excited to introduce the first iPhones designed from the ground up for Apple Intelligence and its new capabilities," Cook said.

The AI tools include enhanced image editing, translation, and creative messaging options, and will initially be available in English through a software update next month. Additional languages will be supported in future updates.

The iPhone 16 also features a new Camera Control Button, which can automatically search for information related to photos or add calendar items based on images, such as concert posters.

The new iPhone 16 models will start at $799 and will be available from September 20th. Alongside the iPhone, Apple also introduced updated models of the Apple Watch and AirPods, with new health features such as hearing protection and sleep apnea detection.

Apple's announcement comes shortly after Google revealed its AI-enhanced Pixel 9 smartphones, positioning its challenge to Apple's market share. Samsung has also introduced AI features across its products, increasing competition in the tech industry.

In June, Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 concluded with a series of product releases topped by Apple Intelligence, a new play in AI. 

Apple Intelligence’s platform is expected to offer individualized and privacy-preserving functions, including contexts, notifications, writing and rewriting services, and image synthesis. Apple Intelligence should be able to execute multiple applications and leverage what cloud-based models provide while being secure about the users’ data.

Apple also partnered with OpenAI to enable Siri to access OpenAI’s ChatGPT in a major improvement, making suggestions or even generating content such as bedtime stories with images. This feature will be free for the users and will not require any account creation, thereby keeping the users' data private. Siri will also be enhanced in real-time statement correction as well as being more integrated with Apple operating systems.