Apple launches iPhone 16 range with generative AI features, plus camera-based ‘visual intelligence’, new AirPods, Watch

Apple on Monday introduced its long-awaited generative AI features that will be built into the new iPhone 16 line and are expected to drive upgrades for users that don’t have devices with the latest processors.

The new AI features will work on the iPhone 16 range and high-end phones launched last year.

Expectations of a sales surge have helped drive Apple’s stock price up 13 percent since the company previewed its AI strategy in June, increasing Apple’s value by around $400 billion (£305bn) and making it the most-valuable listed US company, ahead of Microsoft, Amazon and Google.

The AI tools will include features for drafting emails and texts and will enable more natural conversations with Siri, Apple said.

Apple Intelligence

“Apple intelligence marks the start of a new era for Siri and makes it more natural, more contextually relevant and more personal to you with richer language understanding,” said senior vice president of software engineering Craig Federighi at a launch event at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino.

Siri will be able to pull information from users’ text messages to remind them of TV show or music recommendations sent by friends, he said.

“You’ll be able to simply say, ‘Send Erica the photos from Saturday’s barbecue,’ and Siri will dig up the photos and send them right off,” he said.

The software will also be able to generate visual images from natural language prompts.

A new camera control button on the side of the phone will give access to a “visual intelligence” feature that can access information based on what’s in the frame.

Visual AI

Federighi said users could point the camera at a restaurant and call up reviews, the menu and how to make a reservation, identify a dog breed or a landmark, or add something to the user’s calendar.

“The next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence from the ground up. It marks the beginning of an exciting new era,” said chief executive Tim Cook.

A beta version of the new AI — or “Apple Intelligence” — features is to launch in the US in English next month, with international English versions in December and French, Chinese, Japanese and Spanish versions available next year.

The technology could launch Apple as “the gatekeeper of the consumer AI revolution”, said Webush Securities analyst Dan Ives in a research note.

The high-end iPhone 16 Pro will be able to shoot video in 4K resolution at 120 frames per second, with the ability to make the video slow-motion after recording a clip.

AirPods 4, Apple Watch 10

Audio recording will receive new features including spatial audio with reduced background noise for distinguishing conversations from ambient noise.

iPhone 16 pricing is to start at $799 for a basic model, with the iPhone 16 Plus starting at $899 and the iPhone 16 Pro Max starting at $1,199.

The devices will be available for pre-order on Friday and in stores on 20 September.

Apple also introduced fourth-generation AirPods, the Pro model of which will include a clinical-grade hearing aid feature, as well as a hearing test users can take on their phone, available in 100 countries this month.

The new Apple Watch 10, marking the tenth anniversary of the iconic device, will include a sleep apnea detector available in more than 150 countries and regions later this month.