New wearables shine, but AI lags behind

Apple announced the new iPhone 16 series at its recent annual iPhone event, along with a number of new wearable products and a new silicon strategy. To no one’s surprise, AI was a big part of this launch. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro also put a lot of emphasis on A18 silicon, marking the first time in a long time that Apple has achieved performance nearly as good as the silicon inside base iPhone and Pro models. Apple also announced new AirPods, a new Apple Watch, and several software improvements to add features to the existing AirPods Pro 2.

new iPhone 16

As usual, Apple is touting the iPhone 16 as the company’s best iPhone ever. The launch represents a change in Apple’s approach, given that new base model iPhones are powered by Apple’s new A18 silicon. You might think this is normal, but the company has long reserved new chip updates for its Pro series and staggered chip availability. It’s not completely gone, but for example last year’s iPhone 15 had an A16 Bionic processor, while the 15 Pro used an A17 Pro Bionic processor. Apple completely replaced the A17 chip for the iPhone 16 with the A18 in the base model phone and the A18 Pro chip in the iPhone 16 Pro. So while we expect there to be some difference in specs between the two chips, it will likely be the smallest in Apple’s recent history.

One notable improvement this year is that Apple has decided to orient the camera so that base model iPhones can also capture spatial videos and photos, a feature that was previously exclusive to Pro models. Apple has also decided to make the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max cameras feature equivalent, making them exactly the same for the first time in a while. In the previous generation, you had to purchase the Pro Max to take advantage of the 5x telephoto, but this year it’s now available on both models. This led many users, including myself, to downsize to the smaller iPhone 16 Pro. Yes, there are hits in terms of both screen size and battery life, but the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life is already very good, and a few hours won’t make much of a difference.

What’s already making a difference is that the iPhone 16 Pro is much easier and more comfortable to hold, making the transition from a regular iPhone much easier for people like my newly adopted wife. That’s what happened. With cases and accessories like the Clicks Keyboard we reviewed earlier this year, the iPhone 16 Pro Max can be quite unwieldy, and while the 6.9-inch screen may be appealing to some, it’s size-wise it’s a tablet. It’s close.

The race for AI supremacy

The biggest issue with the new iPhone 16 series isn’t the hardware design or specs. It’s no exaggeration to say that the design hasn’t changed much since the iPhone 11 Pro. The main problem is that Apple is touting its Apple Intelligence capabilities for AI months before they are actually available. In fact, at launch, many Apple Stores were designed to show off the new version of Siri on iPhone 16, but it won’t be available until spring 2025, about six months after launch.

The new Siri is one of the cornerstones of Apple’s AI strategy and is designed to be an agent of sorts that leverages all new Apple Intelligence features. Given the delay between the launch of the iPhone 16 and the availability of AI-enabled Siri, some people believe that iPhone sales (a typical early adopter upgrade) will be slowed down because Apple doesn’t support it yet. They are concerned that they will struggle beyond the cycle and after the holiday season is over. We have officially launched full AI capabilities. I believe that Apple’s rush to adopt and integrate AI has allowed marketing hype to get ahead of product shipments even though the AI ​​product is far from complete. I think it’s because they feel pressure from other industries.

Apple Watch is a big hit

The new Apple Watch Series 10 introduces a mostly iterative approach to the Apple Watch, with the biggest improvements being in screen size and display quality. Previously, if you wanted a big Apple Watch, you had to buy an Apple Watch Ultra. The Apple Watch Ultra came with a significantly larger battery, more premium materials, and a price tag to match. In contrast, with the new Series 10, you can enjoy a larger, brighter screen and better viewing angles without spending more than $800.

Apple introduced a new color (black titanium) for the Apple Watch Ultra 2, but didn’t do anything special other than improve on the Series 10’s size and display. Apple has made the Series 10 thinner. While this is welcome, it’s not as important as oxygen sensing, which the Apple Watch still lacks due to the Masimo pulse oximeter lawsuit.

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

Apple also announced a series of new AirPods at the launch event, including AirPods 4. AirPods 4 are available in two versions, with and without noise canceling, and there is a $50 difference in price ($129 vs. $179). Apple updated the AirPods Pro Max with new colors and USB-C connectivity, and ditched the Lightning connector, but kept the old H1 chipset. Apple also kept the price of AirPods Pro 2, which has the best audio in Apple’s earphone lineup, at $249, but just days after its announcement, it received approval from the FDA and features features such as the ability to use it as a hearing aid. Added new features. .

As previously mentioned, this development at a price of $249 will revolutionize consumer access to hearing aids, and will help many people with hearing loss but not yet fully dependent on hearing aids. I believe it has the potential to significantly enrich the lives of people. AirPods Pro 2 quickly proved invaluable to millions of people around the world with hearing loss. On top of that, Apple has introduced the ability to use these AirPods to test your hearing and suggest whether you need to see a doctor for hearing loss.

What’s interesting (or scary, depending on how you look at it) is that the industry has had the technological capabilities in chipsets to provide this functionality for years, but until now Apple hasn’t taken the lead. , they haven’t bothered to provide that functionality. We hope that Apple’s leadership in this space will encourage others in the industry to adopt similar features, raising the tide for all hard-of-hearing users, so to speak.

Apple’s upcoming competition

I believe the base model of the iPhone 16 is the closest to the Pro model that Apple has ever produced, but the reality is that many people expect and expect Apple Intelligence. Apple Intelligence is the core of what Apple wants consumers to be excited about, but the company won’t be able to provide it to consumers until next year. Additionally, Apple does not have a foldable model available to users, but there are rumors that the company will offer a slim and SE model next year. I don’t think this will have much of an impact other than helping Apple expand the base of devices that can support Apple Intelligence.

I believe that the core of Apple’s strategy today is to build as large a base of Apple Intelligence-enabled devices as possible so that developers can build apps that take advantage of those features. At that point, Apple can use its scale to gain an advantage over its competitors, as it usually does. Apple’s approach to AI is to make it simple and easy to use for consumers, but if these AI capabilities aren’t rolled out soon, Apple may lose mindshare among customers, especially outside the US, where competition is fierce. there is a risk of losing. I believe this is why the iPhone 16 upgrade sale was so strong compared to previous years, and I predict that Apple will have to become price competitive again in China by next year. It’s also the reason why I do it. Since Apple won’t have foldable devices as a growth engine for the foreseeable future, it will have to compete using Apple Intelligence and pricing instead.