Apple ‘Glowtime’ event live updates: Tim Cook announces new iPhone 16 series, Apple Watch, AirPods, and more
Apple is gearing up to release new devices at its “Glowtime” event.
It’s “Glowtime,” folks.
Apple Park is buzzing as Tim Cook and Co. take the stage to introduce the public to the iPhone 16, new AirPods, and the latest Apple Watch model. All eyes are on Apple to see the new smartphone that will be outfitted with the company’s flavor of generative AI features, called Apple Intelligence.
The stakes are high, and Apple needs a boost. iPhone sales slowed in the most recent quarter, and investors are hoping Apple will show off a smartphone that will motivate iPhone owners to upgrade to the latest model.
An AI-powered iPhone is expected to drive a “golden upgrade cycle,” according to Wedbush Securities analysts, who gave Apple an “outperform” rating and a $285 price target ahead of the announcement.
Now that the event has kicked off, Apple will go over the biggest changes to each device, prices, and the day consumers can start preordering their new iPhone 16.
We’re live-blogging the event as it’s streamed online.
Scroll on for the latest.
An all-new Apple Watch Series 10 is first up.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is the first product to get the spotlight. It’s the “biggest display and thinnest design ever,” Tim Cook says.
Apple CEO Tim Cook kicks things off.
Tim Cook
Artificial intelligence is getting an early shout-out during the event. The new iPhone is the first that’s built “from the ground up” for AI and Apple Intelligence, Cook says.
And we’re off!
Apple
The event is opening with a view of how Apple’s products integrate into the daily lives of its consumers.
Today also marks a less popular milestone for Apple.
U2 and Apple have worked together many times over the years, but their 2014 stunt is the most memorable.
Exactly 10 years ago today, Apple made a decision that would go on to spawn multiple apologies to consumers.
It automatically added U2’s album, “Songs of Innocence,” to millions of iPhones during its fall event, and made a lot of iTunes listeners unhappy as a result.
U2 member Bono issued an apology in the months following the marketing move in 2014 and apologized again in his memoir years later.
A ring-shaped event venue is also expected to open in Apple Park today.
The circular Apple Park headquarters building is visible from the roof of the visitor center. A new observatory event space has also been added to the campus, Dezeen first reported.
Apple HQ is known for its futuristic architecture, like “The Spaceship” building that forms a massive ring around green landscaping.
Today, Apple showed off to the press an addition to its circular theme with an observatory built into the hillside of its Cupertino campus. It reportedly has an underground event space that Apple can use to host people in conjunction with product launches.
Architecture magazine Dezeen shared exclusive photos of the subterranean structure that looks like it’s something out of a J.K. Tolkien novel — with an Apple modern design twist, of course.
Tim Cook continues his tradition of a sunrise picture of Apple Park.
A picturesque scene from Cupertino is usually an indicator that an Apple event is only hours away — that is, if it’s coming from the X account of its CEO.
Apple Park is glowing! #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/gVgtMbZhaM
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) September 9, 2024
Today, Cook shared a view of a rainbow statute with the caption, “Apple Park is glowing!”
Get ready for some gold: Apple is expected to introduce a gold titanium finish in the new lineup.
New colors are coming to the iPhone 16.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will showcase four new iPhone versions: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. Like Apple’s last version of the iPhone, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are expected to have 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens, respectively.
The Pro device is reportedly set to be available in gold titanium, and the other versions will be available in new shades of pink, blue, and green.
“I think the new iPhone 16 Pro gold is going to be the stand-out color this year and potentially drive interest,” Gurman said on X.
The “It’s Glowtime” event is taking place in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park
The Steve Jobs theatre opened in 2017.
The building — an underground auditorium accommodating up to 1,000 people — is named after the company’s cofounder, Steve Jobs. It’s located at the company’s headquarters, Apple Park, which resembles a spaceship with its circular design.
It was rumored to have cost $5 billion to build before it opened in 2017 when Apple unveiled the first product of its iPhone X launch event.
The site was designed as part of an eight-year collaboration with architecture firm Foster and Partners.
Here’s what the new iPhone models and AirPods might include
The iPhone 15 on display in an Apple retail store.
The rear camera is expected to have a cool new spatial computing feature. Gurman says it will be able to record 3D videos that can be viewed with its Vision Pro headsets.
Taking photos and videos with the iPhone 16 will be much easier, as it will have a touch-sensitive button on the right side of the device to open the camera app quickly.
Gurman added that the new AirPods Max headphones could come with better noise cancellation.
Analysts think the iPhone 16 launch will accelerate growth in China
Tim Cook traveled to China in March.
China is Apple’s third-biggest market after the US and Europe, but it needs a boost following dwindling sales in the country this year. According to data from research firm Counterpoint, sales dropped by 24% in China in the first six weeks of 2024, a trend that has continued since then.
Wedbush analysts, including Dan Ives, think the iPhone 16 could be the answer. In a note on Friday, analysts at the investment firm said they expect China to see “improving and accelerating growth” with the iPhone 16.
The analysts added that they are seeing “indications across the Asia supply chain this iPhone upgrade cycle could be a historical one.” That’s due to the “roughly 300 million iPhones globally” that have not been upgraded in over four years.
But Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman doesn’t seem convinced it will result in a “super cycle” of sales, particularly in China, where Apple Intelligence won’t be available, he said in an X post.
The Apple Watch is expected to get a refresh
The Apple Watch Series 9 was released in September 2023.
It’s been 10 years since Tim Cook announced the first Apple Watch. To coincide with that anniversary, Apple enthusiasts are on the lookout for the Apple Watch Series 10 — a thinner version of its wearable device, according to reports from Bloomberg and 9to5Mac.
It will reportedly have an upgraded heart rate sensor, or ECG, and the ability to detect sleep apnea. The latest watch is also expected to have a better battery life.
A rumor that the tech giant could launch an Apple Watch partnership with fashion house Jacquemus is making the rounds on social media.
The luxury brand posted a photo on its Instagram stories on Sunday night of a blue location icon on a map of Apple Park, along with a caption that says “Bonjour @apple,” sparking chatter that it could announce a brand partnership on Monday.
iPhone 16 buyers will have to wait until next month for Apple Intelligence features
The Glowtime event is taking place at Apple Park in Cupertino, California
Apple is hotly tipped to share more information about its AI features, called Apple Intelligence, during Monday’s event. But iPhone 16 buyers will need to be patient and wait until October to play around with them, as it will be rolled out as part of the iOS 18.1 software update next month, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said in his “Power On” newsletter on Sunday.
The catch for some European fans is that Apple Intelligence won’t be available in the EU — which includes France, Italy, Spain, and Germany — because of Apple’s concerns over the EU’s Digital Markets Act.
Some of the features expected include removing objects and people from photos, an AI-generated summary of notifications, and tools to help you write, Gurman said.
