Apple Event Fall 2024 Key Takeaways
What the hands-on experience at an Apple Event really looks like
Apple Events are broadcast live, so attending in person at the Steve Jobs Theater is about conversations before and after, and getting hands on with new hardware. Here are my key takeaways:
Phones, Silicon, and Apple Intelligence
The new iPhone 16 base models get a powerful A18 chip, which enables Apple Intelligence on any of the new phones, not just the Pro models. Prices stayed the same in USD as last year on all models as well.
All new iPhones get a camera button that can launch the camera and act as a shutter button, but also has mode and zoom controls with haptics if you leave your finger on it. I got a demo. It’s great.
The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are big leaps from earlier base models -- nearly anyone with an older iPhone will notice significantly better battery life, better cameras, and new features they won't get on their older model. (It’s significantly faster, too, but average users may not notice that nearly as readily.)
Most upgraders from older iPhones will be getting satellite capabilities for the first time, and Apple has been steadily improving this feature. In North America, you can now send iMessages via satellite and send video to select 911 centers for context/trauma response. Emergency SOS via satellite is now available in nearly 20 countries (it takes time for Apple to set up relay centers in each new area).
The new iPhone 16 Pro comes in two sizes: 6.3" and 6.9" but both have the telephoto camera, so consumers can pick the size they want. Personally, I prefer the smaller one, but the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the best battery life on an iPhone ever. Both Pro models get an even faster A18 Pro with increased Neural Engine (NPU), presumably to run more/bigger AI models on device in the near future and down the road.
As expected, Apple spent time highlighting Apple Intelligence which is coming to iPhone 15 Pro and all iPhone 16 models. Apple Intelligence is a collection of generative AI features that make Siri easier to talk to naturally, generate summaries, text, and images, and allow Siri to control third party apps when developers use new APIs. Apple is behind Samsung and Google in implementing genAI features, but that delay doesn't seem to matter much to iPhone owners, especially now that Apple is promising to catch up in some areas and leapfrog the competition in others. The ability for Siri to access data and services across apps privately and primarily on-device could change how people use smartphones. For example, you could ask Siri to call a car service or book a restaurant based on when a flight arrives or when a meeting is over. I covered Apple Intelligence at WWDC fully in this report.
Apple Intelligence is exciting, but it's in the very earliest stages of deployment. It is language and geography dependent, and even if you live in the initial English language markets (ex: U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia), only some features will be available in beta next month. The EU won't get Apple Intelligence until EU regulators promise Apple that it doesn't violate DMA. China won't get Apple Intelligence until Chinese authorities authorize the use of Chinese AI models on device. Even in the U.S. it will likely take years for developers to update their apps to the point where you can reasonably expect the souped-up Siri to have access to the apps, data, and services you use regularly. However, when that day comes, Apple will have an extreme competitive advantage -- if the user experience is good enough, it will be very difficult to get consumers to switch ecosystems to one where AI is siloed.
Wearables and Health
Apple's other big message is around health: the new Apple Watch series 10 can detect sleep apnea (along with existing heart arrythmia and other features), and AirPods Pro 2 will have a suite of hearing health features. Samsung beat Apple to market with FDA approved sleep apnea detection, but the scale of Apple's Watch sales is so massive that its implementation will likely save millions of lives. Sleep apnea detection is coming to Apple Watch Series 9 in a software update as well.
The AirPods Pro 2 are not new but they will now have hearing protection on by default. Later this year, AirPods Pro 2 are getting "clinical grade" hearing tests which will then inform the EQ curve used across all your media, and they will also be able to serve as hearing aids. Many people don't get their hearing tested, and even when they know that they have hearing loss are unwilling to do anything about it. AirPods Pro don't have any stigma, so hopefully people who need hearing aids but aren't willing or are unable to afford them will be well served with AirPods Pro instead.
It’s not all about health, the Apple Watch Series 10 hardware got a complete design makeover with a thinner design, bigger and better display, and new silicon. If the Apple Watch Ultra 2 didn’t have a much bigger battery, activity-specific features, and a more durable case, the pricier Watch would be a hard sell. (But it does, so it will continue to sell well.) The Apple Watch Ultra 2 didn’t get new hardware because it really didn’t need an update, but it will get all the new software that the Series 10 is getting. There are new colors and straps that horologists and fashionistas will appreciate; Apple understands that watches are personal statements and does a great job here.
There are also two all-new 4th generation AirPods. The base model costs $150 and sounds better than before: I only got brief ears-on, but that was readily apparent. There is also a version of AirPods 4 with ANC and transparency mode for $180 that was surprisingly good considering that these earbuds don't seal off your ear canal. The design has supposedly been tested to fit most peoples' ears, and they were certainly comfortable, but I am 100% certain that they will fall out of my ears with even the slightest jostle. YEMV (Your Ears May Vary). The Pro models still sounds significantly better and has better ANC as well, so even without all the hearing health functionality Apple is not cannibalizing its pricier line with the AirPods 4.
The AirPods Max got USB-C charging, new colors, and …that’s it. Apple has shown that there is a market for super premium headphones beyond audiophiles, and USB-C was badly needed. I still wish that at $550 Apple would give the AirPods Max a full design overhaul with lighter build, updated silicon, and a proper case.
Sustainability
While I’m including sustainability as a separate heading, Apple didn’t. Rather than hitting people over the head with sustainability as its own presentation segment or do a Mother Earth sequel video, Apple weaved a strong Apple 2030 message throughout each announcement. All Apple Watches can be 100% carbon neutral, recycled materials are used in many parts of Apple’s products, single-use plastic has been eliminated from all packaging, and Apple’s data centers use renewable energy. These are commendable actions, and the presentation came across as practical, not preachy.
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One more thing: all the new iPhones can shoot spatial photos and video. Apple is playing the long game with Apple Vision Pro, and 3D pictures and video really are magical inside the headset, so it is worth capturing them in that format if you can.