It’s no surprise that Apple Intelligence was everywhere during Apple’s big iPhone event on Monday. Sure, there were new phones — better, faster, AI-ready, and coming Sept. 20 — but what was most interesting was the multitude of different ways the company has figured out how to make a difference with various types of artificial intelligence (AI).
The variety of implementations, from sleep apnea detection on the Apple Watch to using AirPods Pro as a full hearing aid to a host of new camera features (including a new Cinematic Slow Motion tool), served to underscore the message Apple has been giving: AI is more than GenAI, and AI doesn't really matter at all unless it's making a difference in people's lives.
Sweet 16 (and 16 Pro)
As always in early September, the topic of the day was the new iPhones, the 16 and 16 Pro, about which there were no major surprises. For those who care more about form than function, the new Pro color this year is a tan, copper, and fawn “Desert Titanium.” The iPhone 16 comes in five colors (if you count black and white as colors), including “Ultramarine”; the Pro and Pro Max come in four: white, black, natural titanium, and the aforementioned Desert Titanium.