The Apple iPhone 16 event showcases new watches, AirPods, and AI power.

“Apple Intelligence was the driving force behind the design of the upcoming iPhone generation. “At a product introduction, Chief Executive Tim Cook declared that it signified the start of an exciting new age.

Apple’s stock finished the day hardly altered at $220.91. The competitive issue that Apple confronts is highlighted by the timing of its event, which took place just hours before China’s Huawei (HWT.UL) unveiled a tri-fold phone. To power the 16s, Apple has not yet revealed its AI partner in China.

Phones are anticipated to be one of the key arenas for the competition between Apple and other tech giants worldwide to include AI into their products. The corporation, located in Cupertino, California, is also placing bets that the AI function would encourage customers to upgrade in the midst of dropping iPhone sales.

According to corporate insiders, Siri will be enhanced with Apple Intelligence, the AI program, to include features like object recognition and understanding from phone cameras.

The English language version of the U.S. will have access to a test version of Apple Intelligence starting next month. It will be accessible in December for further English localizations; versions in Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish will follow the following year. According to Apple, features will be released gradually, including enhancements for Siri. But it didn’t specify when it would go past testing.

With an aluminum case and updated chip, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will cost the same as the versions they replace. One of the most praised hardware elements in a format resembling earlier models was an adjustable button that could operate the camera.

With titanium construction and enhanced AI capabilities, the more expensive iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max can advise better photo shoot setups and offer audio editing tools targeted at high-end video production.

With particular capabilities designed to accelerate AI applications, Apple’s new iPhone CPUs are built on the most recent iteration of Arm’s architecture.

“Upgrading would likely entice existing iPhone owners who have owned their smartphone for 3–4 years, even if some features are trickling out later, as this will future-proof their device for AI,” said Nabila Popal, an analyst at International Data Corp.

However, many potential customers were first kept off the market by the feature delays, according to multiple analysts.

It is possible that individuals will hold off on starting research until they have a better understanding of how these things operate. TECHnalysis Research founder Bob O’Donnell stated, “But I don’t think we’ll see the mad rush that we’ve seen in years past.”

On the other hand, Huawei’s website said on Monday that it had received over 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone before it was formally unveiled. In China, where customers yearn for more AI features and are prepared to pay for them, this highlights Huawei’s capacity to get around US restrictions and strengthens its position against Apple.

Airpods and watches
Apple also introduced upgraded hardware design along with new Watches and AirPods with health-focused features. Apple highlighted the Watch’s capacity to identify and react to emergencies like falls as well as longer-term health concerns like sleep apnea.

Apple released hearing-aid features that it has submitted for regulatory assessment in the United States together with the AirPods upgrade.

The new AI-powered phones have been anticipated by Apple enthusiasts worldwide. Of Apple’s $383 billion in revenue last year, more than half came from iPhones.

According to D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria, “Apple has packaged them well and will be able to market them far more broadly, even though Android phones may have some of these features.”

China presents unique difficulties for Apple.

According to Gadjo Sevilla, a senior technology analyst at eMarketer, “Apple dropped out of the top five smartphone vendors in China in Q2.” For the first time, indigenous Chinese smartphone companies occupied all five positions. Apple Intelligence won’t probably be a major factor in the region’s adoption at first because Beijing still has to give its approval before it can be implemented in China.

Early this year, Apple drastically reduced pricing in China as a result of local competition and government constraints.

Although the AI features are anticipated to be available on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, the high-end models of the previous generation, the iPhone 16 lineup is the first Apple smartphones built around them.

Alphabet’s (GOOGL.O) rivals open a new tab In an effort to challenge Apple’s hegemony in the high-end smartphone market, Google is also displaying AI technologies.

Google, the company behind the Android operating system, which rivals Apple’s iOS, concentrated on artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities during the Pixel smartphone launch event in August. One such feature is Gemini Live, which enables users to have live speech conversations with a digital assistant.

Many of the artificial intelligence (AI) technologies that Google had revealed were also made available for Android-based devices from manufacturers including Motorola (MSI.N) and Samsung (005930.KS), opens new tab.

In June, a week following its developer conference, Apple announced that European Union tech regulations will cause it to postpone the rollout of AI-powered features in that region.

In China, Huawei plans to formally unveil the Mate XT Z-fold phone on Tuesday.