Apple iPhone 16 event as it happened: AirPods 4, AirPods Max, and all the key announcements
It was a big day for Apple’s iPhone and AirPods
Greetings! Andy Madden here, kick-starting What Hi-Fi's coverage of today’s Apple 'Glowtime' event. It looks set to be a busy day dominated by iPhone announcements, but I’m expecting big news on the AirPods front too, with the potential for a refresh of its entire line! Also, there’s always the potential for Apple to throw an AV curveball, which we’ll be keeping an eye on. So, without further ado…
AirPods Max 2 looking more likely?
While the much-rumoured AirPods 4 seem almost certain to be unveiled at today's Apple event, in the past 24 hours, the odds of the AirPods Max 2 appearing have shortened considerably.
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, who many consider to be an authority on Apple, claims they will be on the agenda with "better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C". Given the original AirPods Max went on sale back in December 2020, this won't come as a surprise to many. The market has moved on a long way and despite still being excellent wireless headphones, Apple now has several key rivals to contend with from the likes of Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Focal.
We'd expect a new chip would be needed to boost the ANC of the headphones but whether Apple would tinker with the physical appearance of the headphones? We're not so sure. Head over to our AirPods Max review to see just how highly we rate these five-star headphones.
I expect Apple to launch new AirPods Max headphones tomorrow with better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C. They’ll launch with the low-end AirPods 4. This is line with my reporting for months but runs counter to lack of low inventory in stores. https://t.co/KIJQEwywcpSeptember 9, 2024
What will AirPods 4 look like?
The current AirPods 3 launched back in September 2021 and were quite the redesign compared to the AirPods 2 that went before them. We also found they offered a jump in sound quality compared to the second-gen model. Will the AirPods 4 change things?
We haven't seen much in terms of redesign rumours but you'd have to think at the very least we'll see a new processor for the buds. The introduction of the H2 chip from the AirPods Pro 2 could bring improvements to battery life, sound quality and ease of use, but could Apple go the whole hog and introduce noise-cancelling?
Surely, Apple will still want some separation between any new AirPods and its premium ANC earbuds?
R.I.P. AirPods 2 hello AirPods Lite?
New, cheap AirPods have been rumoured for some time now, but Apple seems to have been more than happy to keep the 2nd-Gen AirPods ticking over. If you thought the AirPods Max were old, these earbuds are positively prehistoric and launched back in 2019.
Not only are they a little long in the tooth, but they also feel expensive compared to some of the best cheap wireless earbuds we've tested in recent times. Industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes Apple is trying to hit the $99 mark for its cheapest AirPods which would be quite the story.
Besides price, the other big question is could Apple redesign new cheap AirPods so they look (and sound) more like the AirPods 3? The AirPods (2019) didn't offer the most secure first for a lot of users, so a revamped design might be a welcome change.
The Apple store is down!
I repeat, the Apple store is down! You know it's Apple event day when you click to buy something and you're greeted with words: ‘Be right back. We’re making changes to the Apple Store. Check back soon.’ We all know what that means...
iPhone 16 rumours overview...
The Internet is awash with iPhone 16 rumours and expectations, so we'll run you through some of the key ones...
Unsurprisingly, all fingers are pointing towards four models: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max. It's rumoured Apple's A18 chip will be the big talking point and that the iPhone 16 Pro models could have bigger screens than the non-Pros, with the iPhone 16 Pro screen rumoured to be 6.3 inches (up from 6.1 inches) and the iPhone 16 Pro Max measuring 6.9 inches (up from 6.7 inches).
We could wave goodbye to traditional push buttons with new capacitive buttons making an appearance for the first time.
The iPhone 16 Pro’s camera zoom is expected to increase to 5x (up from 3x on the 15 Pro), while the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s ultrawide camera is expected to increase to 48MP (from 12MP). The vertical rear camera on the non-Pro models is rumoured to be able to record spatial video, compatible with Apple Vision Pro.
And finally, it's expected that AI features (dubbed Apple Intelligence) won’t be available at launch but should come with iOS 18.1 in October.
Will the pricing be right?
While it's fair to say price hikes won't be out of the equation for any of the new products unveiled tonight, Apple's pricing hasn't fluctuated too wildly in the past couple of years.
For example, Apple managed to keep the prices of the iPhone 15 and AirPods Pro 2 down when they both launched. And in another recent post from Mark Gurman on 'X' he states he expects the 16 Pro starting price to be the same $999 as the iPhone 15 Pro.
In the UK, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at £999, and in Australia it’s AU$1749. If Gurman is on the money, we would expect international pricing to remain the same too.
I expect the touch sensitive camera button to be on all iPhone 16 models tomorrow. The slimmer bezels on the Pro line are noticeable, as are battery life improvements. I don’t expect the Pro entry price to be raised from $999. Big focus will be on AI & A18 chip across the board.September 9, 2024
Could we see a new Apple TV 4K or HomePod?
While there's been plenty of internet chatter about new iPhones and AirPods, what haven't we heard about? The Apple TV 4k is comfortably the best streamer we've tested and the hardware isn't missing anything tech-spec-wise. Apple could supercharge the user experience with the addition of Apple Intelligence but we think it's unlikely to unveil a brand new streaming box today.
The same goes for the Apple HomePod. We've written about a rumoured version of the wireless speaker with a screen, but that was earlier in the year and everything seems to have gone quiet on that front. Again, with all the other announcements that look set to happen today, we doubt there'll be space to squeeze in a HomePod announcement. But you never know...
Your 5 minute warning!
There's still time to make a quick cup of coffee before all the Apple festivities get underway. If you haven't been following all the news and rumours in the build-up to the event, we're expecting big things in the worlds of iPhone and AirPods and more...
Join us for the ride!
AirPods news is coming!
So, we're up and running at the Apple event. First up is the new Apple Watch Series 10 which isn't huge news in the world of What Hi-Fi? but during Tim Cook's intro video, he confirmed big AirPods news is on the way. Ready yourselves!
AirPods 4 are official!
Powered by Apple's H2 chip, the new AirPods 4 come in two flavours - one with one without active noise-cancelling. They use Apple's H2 chip and also claim improved sound quality with a new audio architecture.
Apple claims to have refined their design to create the “most comfortable AirPods ever”. They new models include personalised spatial audio which voice isolation will help remove background noise.
The AirPods 4 get a new wireless USB-C charging case (Apple's smallest ever) and total battery life of a claimed 30 hours. The standard AirPods 4 cost $129 while the ANC version costs $179. Both models start shipping September 20th.
AirPods Max get a minor upgrade
AirPods Max get a minor update with USB-C charging, new finishes and personalised spatial audio. Pricing remains the same at $549 and they start shipping on the 20th September.
AirPods Pro 2 are getting an update!
AirPods Pro 2 are getting a surprise update which includes a wealth of health upgrades including Hearing Protection, Hearing Test and a Hearing Aid feature.
iPhone 16 arrives with new finishes!
Here it is, folks. The iPhone 16 is official and available in five new finishes: blue, pink, teal, white and black. Powered by a new A18 chip, iPhone 16 uses a 2000 nits 60Hz OLED display and is available in 6.1in and 6.7in sizes. The design now includes a bigger battery and new camera button functionality for preparing the camera and taking pictures.
Don't forget the iPhone 16 Pro
Of course, there are also Pro and Pro Max versions of the iPhone 16. These handsets use a more powerful A18 Pro chipset, and feature an 'Always on', OLED ProMotion display (in 6.3- and 6.9-inch sizes) and the new camera button functionality of the non-Pro models. The range comes in black titanium, natural titanium, desert sand titanium and white titanium finishes. Good news - pricing for both models appears to be identical to their predecessors, starting at $999 for the Pro and $1199 for the Pro Max.
So, now you've had a few minutes to digest Apple's announcements, how do we feel? Do we think two variants of AirPods 4 is a good thing? How will the ANC fair on Apple's open earbuds? Will they sound better than the AirPods 3? We'll report back just as soon as we get our hands on a review sample.
And what about the AirPods Max? Their refresh is mild to say the least. New colours is nice and all that, but isn't it time we had a new version with some interesting new features? At least they can charge via USB-C now...
