New wearables shine, but AI lags

During Apple’s recent annual iPhone event, where the company announced its new iPhone 16 series, it also unveiled a slew of new wearables and a new silicon strategy. For no one, the AI ​​was a major component of the launch; there was also a heavy focus on A18 silicon in the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro, the first time in a long time that Apple has offered near-parity silicon within the base iPhone and the Pro model. Apple also announced new AirPods, a new Apple Watch, and some software improvements to add functionality to the existing AirPods Pro 2.

The new iPhone 16

As usual, Apple has presented the iPhone 16 as the best iPhone it has ever made. This release represents a change in Apple’s approach, as the new base model iPhones come with Apple’s new A18 silicon. You might think this is normal, but the company has long been reserving newer chip upgrades for the Pro series and staggered chip availability. This hasn’t completely gone away, but for example, last year’s iPhone 15 had an A16 Bionic processor, while the 15 Pro used the A17 Pro Bionic processor. Apple skipped the A17 chip entirely for the iPhone 16, moving to the A18 for the base model phone and the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro. So I expect there will be some sort of spec gap between the two chips, but it will likely be the smallest in Apple’s recent history.

A notable improvement this year is that Apple has decided to orient the cameras so that even the base model iPhone can capture video and space photos, which was previously a feature reserved for the Pro models. Apple also decided that it would bring parity to the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max cameras, making them exactly the same for the first time in a long time. In the last generation, users had to buy the Pro Max to get access to the 5x telephoto lens, but this year it’s available on both models. This has led many users, myself included, to downsize to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro. Yes, there’s a hit in both screen size and battery life, but the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life is already pretty good, and a few hours won’t make a big difference.

What has already made a difference is that the iPhone 16 Pro is much easier and more comfortable to hold, and for people like my adopted new wife, it’s a much easier transition from a regular iPhone. When using a case or an accessory like the click keyboard I reviewed earlier this year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is difficult to handle, and while the 6.9-inch screen may be attractive to some, limits the size of a tablet.

The race for AI dominance

The biggest issue with the new iPhone 16 series isn’t the design or the hardware specs, although the design has remained pretty much the same since the iPhone 11 Pro. The main problem is that Apple is introducing its Apple Intelligence capabilities for AI several months before they are available. In fact, at the time of launch, many of Apple’s stores were designed to showcase the new version of Siri for the iPhone 16, which won’t be available until spring 2025, nearly six months after launch. .

The new Siri is one of the pillars of Apple’s AI strategy and is designed to be a kind of agent to take advantage of all the new capabilities of Apple Intelligence. Given the delay between the launch of the iPhone 16 and the availability of AI-enabled Siri, some have worried that iPhone sales may struggle (beyond the typical refresh cycle of the first and then of the holidays) because Apple hasn’t done it yet. really unleashed all of its AI capabilities. I believe that Apple has allowed its marketing hype to rush before the delivery of its product, even though Apple’s AI product is far from finished, because it feels the pressure of the rest of a industry that is racing to adopt and integrate AI.

Apple Watch gets big

The new Apple Watch Series 10 introduces a largely iterative approach to the Apple Watch, with the biggest improvements in screen size and display quality. Previously, if you wanted a large Apple Watch, you had to get the Apple Watch Ultra, which came with a significantly larger battery and even more premium materials, and a price tag to match. With the new Series 10, on the other hand, you can enjoy a bigger, brighter screen with better viewing angles without having to spend $800 or more.

While Apple introduced a new color (titanium black) for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, it didn’t really do much else outside of the size and display improvements for the Series 10. Apple made the Series 10 it’s thinner, which is welcome, but not necessarily as important as oxygen detection, which Apple Watches still lack due to demand for the Masimo pulse oximeter.

More AirPods, cosmetic updates, and improvements for hearing-impaired users

At the launch event, Apple also announced a number of new AirPods, including the AirPods 4, which come in two models, with and without noise cancellation, resulting in a $50 price difference ( $129 vs. $179). Apple updated the AirPods Pro Max with new colors and USB-C connectivity, moving away from Lightning connectors but keeping the older H1 chipset. Apple also kept the $249 price tag for the AirPods Pro 2, which have the best audio in Apple’s headphone lineup, but added new features, including the ability to use them as headphones , with FDA approval just days after the announcement. .

As I said before, I believe that at $249, this development will revolutionize consumer access to hearing aids and could significantly enrich the lives of many people who may be hard of hearing but are not yet fully dependent on hearing aids. I could see the AirPods Pro 2 being extremely useful right away for millions of people around the world with hearing loss. In addition to this, Apple has introduced the ability to test hearing using these AirPods, as well as to suggest whether someone should see a doctor about hearing loss.

What’s interesting (or perhaps scary, depending on your point of view) is that the industry has had the technical capability of chipsets to offer this functionality for years, but hasn’t bothered to do so until now, with Apple taking the leadership Hopefully, Apple’s leadership in this area will push the rest of the industry to adopt similar capabilities, turning the tide for all hearing-impaired users, so to speak.

Apple’s next competition

While I think the base model of the iPhone 16 may be the closest to the Pro model that Apple has ever produced, the reality is that many people are waiting and anticipating Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence is the core of what Apple wants consumers to be excited about, but the company simply can’t give them until well into next year. Also, Apple doesn’t have any foldable material to offer its users, although there are rumors that the company will offer Slim and SE models next year. I don’t think it will have much of an impact, other than helping Apple expand the base of Apple Intelligence capable devices.

I think the core of Apple’s strategy right now is to build as large a base of Apple Intelligence-enabled devices as possible so that developers can build apps to take advantage of these capabilities; at this point, Apple can use its scale to beat its competitors as it usually does. Apple’s approach to AI is to make it simple and easy for consumers to use, but if these AI capabilities don’t come soon, Apple risks losing customer engagement, especially outside the U.S. , where it has much more competition. I think that’s why the iPhone 16 upgrade deals have been so good compared to previous years, and that’s why I expect Apple to be price competitive again in China next year. Apple won’t have any foldables as a growth driver anytime soon, so it will have to compete with Apple Intelligence and pricing.