Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ event and iPhone 16 launch scheduled for September 9

Apple has confirmed its latest event will take place in a little under two weeks in an invite sent out to press with the tagline ‘It’s Glowtime’.

So, after what feels like a longer than normal dummy run, we now have the date for the next Apple event and what will undoubtedly be the launch of the new iPhone 16s. The world’s press will once more descend on the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, though whether they’ll finally be treated to a live presentation or whether Apple will stick to the pre-recorded announcements of recent times is an unknown; Apple plays its cards remarkably close to its chest when it comes to this sort of thing.

Everywhere else though it’s been absolutely leak central. We already know a vast amount about the new iPhones and, while as ever some of the rumour is bound to be wide of the mark, there’s enough meat in the information swirling around for a degree of confidence in what is to be announced.

That’s below, but first let’s quickly sidebar Apple Intelligence. Apple is estimated to be two to three years behind the curve on AI compared to Google, whose Pixel 9 series phones have launched with a plethora of AI tools baked in. Apple Intelligence was announced earlier in the year, but a lot of its features are not expected to debut until 2025, and may not be available at all in Europe, giving rise to a fun new concept of geoblocked vapourware. The delay may work in the company’s favour though. The Pixel 9 is getting a lot of pushback for the power of its image manipulation tools and lack of accompanying safeguards in particular. 

Wall St loves AI and the stampede to embrace it continues. But, like a whole host of pioneering consumer technologies before it — a shout out to stereo 3D and the metaverse here — demand in the marketplace has yet to really be proven. 

Anyway, there’s definitely more substantial hardwarey stuff to talk about with the new phones. Here’s what we think is coming down the pipe.

• Four new models: iPhone 16 and 16 Plus; iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max
• Potential for a fourth generation and couple up entry-level SE (though this is now more likely for 2025)
• New A-series 3nm chip, potentially with an upgrade for the Pros
• 16 Pro screen size to increase to 6.3 inches; 16 Pro Max to increase to 6.9 inches
• Thinner bezels
• New vertical camera layout for the base models with pill-shaped bump
• Triple lens system retained for Pro models, which also gain a 48 megapixel Ultrawide lens
• Again for the Pros, a stacked rear camera design to increase light sensitivity and capture range
• Action button previously restricted to Pro models available to all
• New capture button for photos and videos. Pressure sensitive and multi-function
• Possible price hikes of $100

There will also likely be a new Apple Watch 10 with a refreshed design and new health features, as well as two new AirPod models with shorter stems. The higher end version of these will feature active noise cancellation.

tl;dr

• Apple has announced an upcoming event with the tagline 'It's Glowtime' for the launch of the new iPhone 16s.
• The new iPhone models include the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, with potential upgrades such as a new A-series 3nm chip and larger screen sizes.
• There may also be a new Apple Watch 10 with a refreshed design and new health features, as well as two new AirPod models with shorter stems, featuring active noise cancellation in the higher end version.
• The event may also shed light on Apple's progress in AI technology, with Apple Intelligence features expected to debut in 2025 and potential concerns about AI in consumer technologies.