Apple ‘Glowtime’ event live blog — iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, AirPods 4 and more

An Apple Watch SE surprise?

It’s not going out on a limb to say that there will be new Apple Watch models at the Glowtime event, with the Apple Watch 10 all but certain to appear and the Apple Watch Ultra 3 also likely. But there have been fewer Apple Watch SE 3 rumors, raising some doubt as to whether Apple has a new version of its entry-level watch in the works. 

The timing is certainly right for a new SE model. The first Apple Watch SE came out in 2020, followed by a sequel in 2022. If that means a two-year cadence for new models, then the Apple Watch SE 3 would be right on schedule.

The question is, what would Apple do with such a watch? There’s a thought the company might switch to plastic for the enclosure to lower the cost of the SE. It could also get an S9 processor that could improve battery life.

Not everyone’s convinced that an Apple Watch SE 3 is coming this year, but our wearables expert Dan Bracaglia is excited by the prospect of a new entry-level model.

Get ready for iOS 18 

We don’t just find out about hardware at Apple’s fall events. Apple also announces release dates for the software updates it first previewed back at WWDC. In this case, that will be iOS 18, iPadOS 18, watchOS 11 and macOS Sequoia.

That news isn’t always included during the presentation itself. Often, Apple simply announces dates when the software will become available via press release.

We’d expect iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and watchOS 11 to arrive at the same time. In recent years, Apple has waited to roll out its macOS update, though that might change this year since macOS Sequoia includes Apple Intelligence features that will also be available on the iPhone and iPad. Then again, since Apple Intelligence is expected to arrive until a later software update, Apple could continue to stagger the release of its macOS update until after the other OS downloads are made available.

As for timing, you’d expect the iOS 18, iPadOS 18 and watchOS 10 updates to show up just ahead of the new hardware Apple is releasing. Assuming a September 20 launch date for the new devices, we’d expect the software to come out the same week, either on a Monday or a Tuesday.

iPhone 16 Pro zoom upgrade incoming 

A consistent rumor about the iPhone 16 Pro is that the lower-cost version of Apple’s Pro phones was going to follow in the footsteps of last year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max by adding a tetraprism telephoto lens capable of supporting a 5x optical zoom. Right now, the iPhone 15 Pro tops out at a 3x zoom, relying on digital zoom beyond that.

You really see how the shorter zoom length limits the iPhone 15 Pro’s cameras when you compare it to other camera phones that can zoom further out. I did exactly that with my Pixel 9 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro camera face-off. The two phones are actually fairly evenly matched on the camera front, which is encouraging for Apple. But one area where the Pixel is clearly better is on zoom shots, where everything’s sharper and more detailed with the Pixel 9 Pro. (Google’s Super Res Zoom feature also plays a hand in that, as does the higher-megapixel rating on the Pixel’s 48MP telephoto sensor.)

So yes, the tetraprism-style telephoto lens may be a hand-me-down feature. But it’s one the iPhone 16 Pro badly needs.

Glowtime — get ready for the new Siri

The ‘It’s Glowtime’ in the Apple invite is a direct reference to the new animation for Siri in iOS 18, which is a going to be a hallmark feature for the new iPhone 16 series. Yes, the new Siri will work with the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, too, but this is the first set of iPhones that will be built from the ground up to handle Apple Intelligence.

The new Siri is designed to be more conversational and have better contextual intelligence, so you won’t have to be as specific when you ask follow up questions. And you don’t have to worry if you stumble over your words; you should be able to correct yourself mid-sentence and the new Siri should be able to understand you.

However, I was not that impressed with the new Siri when I went hands-on with the iOS 18 public beta. And certain features may not come until later in the year or even next year, such as ChatGPT integration and being able to voice control various apps. We just reported on the fact that some Apple Intelligence features could be delayed. 

We’ll have to see if Siri makes a good impression during live demos. No pressure! 

A big redesign for Apple Watch 10

The Apple Watch 10 is expected to be a major upgrade for Apple based on various reports. After all, it’s the 10th anniversary of Apple’s wearable, so another iterative upgrade is not going to cut it.

For one, we’re expecting larger sizes for the Apple Watch 10 ranging up to 49mm. The Apple Watch 8 is available in 41mm and 45mm. You can also expect a flatter display.

In addition, the Apple Watch 10 is tipped for health upgrades, including a new ECG sensor and the ability to detect sleep apnea. But it looks like blood pressure reading is off the table at least for now. 

Here comes the AirPods 4 — two of them?

We’re pretty confident that new AirPods will be among the products to debut at Glowtime, with the AirPods 4 set to get some stage time at the event. It’s more of a debate as to how many AirPods there will be, as one rumor speculates that Apple is coming out with two versions of the AirPods 4.

Some of the expected changes are quite obvious. Apple’s going to release a USB-C charging case with the new AirPods, because USB is the direction Apple is going in these days. They could also pick up the look of the AirPods Pro, according to one report.

But that’s not the only thing at least one set of the AirPods will adopt. The higher-end version of the AirPods 4 looks like it’s getting an active noise cancellation feature, the first time that’s available outside of the Pro version of the earbuds. The other AirdPods will be an entry-level model more akin to the AirPods 2, which Apple is likely to discontinue along with the AirPods 3.

iPhone 16 Release Date: When will it ship?

We’ll find out at the end of the event two important dates — when iPhone 16 pre-orders begin and when the phones arrive in stores. However, a little background knowledge about how Apple does things can help us make educated guesses as to when that iPhone 16 release date will be. 

Usually Apple starts taking pre-orders the Friday following the iPhone launch event. That would give us a date of Friday, September 13 should Apple stick to that pattern. The iPhones themselves usually go on sale a week later, so we’d assume September 20 is the big day.

One source disputes that claim — a leaker who’s assumed that Apple is moving everything up by a day since this year’s launch event takes place on a Monday instead of its typical Tuesday slot. We don’t follow that reasoning. Besides, Apple is opening one of its retail stores in Stockholm, Sweden, on September 20, so you’d imagine the company would want the store open for business in time for the iPhone 16 release.

Last-minute iPhone 16 rumors

Though we’re just hours away from the start of the Glowtime event, that’s not going to stop last-minute details from leaking out about the iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10 or whatever else is on the agenda for today. Obviously, we’ll post any last-second rumors we hear about, particularly if it relates to the price Apple plans to charge for its new hardware (a classic detail to leak out right at the last second).

If you want to stay up to date on the latest rumors surrounding Apple’s phones, though, check out our round-up of last-minute iPhone 16 rumors.