Apple’s Glow-Up In the Age Of AI

It’s officially “glowtime” for Apple as the iPhone 16 series made its international debut on September 9th. The 2024 Apple basket featured the much anticipated ‘AI iPhone’, the Watch 10 with enhanced health features, medical-grade AirPods Pro 2, and the first Made-In-India iPhone Pro and Pro Max series.

Apple’s AI iPhone 

Apple has officially dabbled in AI with the launch of Apple Intelligence, featured on the entire iPhone 16 and iPhone 15 Pro series range. Every iPhone with the latest iOS 18.1 software update can witness the wonders of Apple’s personal intelligence system that helps you “communicate, work, and express yourself.” The first set of Apple Intelligence features is expected to drop in October 2024 with iOS 18.1. The iPhone 16 series will boast of a “custom-built A18 chip.” The powerful camera system features a 48MP Fusion camera with a 2x Telephoto option, giving users two cameras in one, while a new Ultra Wide camera enables macro photography.

With a bespoke Action button, the iPhone 16 series pioneers a “thoughtful integration of hardware and software.” Through Camera Control, the newest iPhone will unlock “visual intelligence to help users learn about objects and places faster than ever before.” This feature is expected to hit iPhone 16s on a rolling basis starting in 2025 in regions that support Apple Intelligence.

The iPhone is built to last, and the iPhone 16 series is no exception to this foundational rule. The latest-generation ceramic shield boasts of “an advanced formulation that is 50 percent tougher than the first generation and 2x tougher than glass on any other smartphone.” iOS 18 reimagines power and performance, offering the biggest boost in battery life on an iPhone till date. The iPhone 16 starts at $799, followed by the iPhone 16 Pro, which starts at $999, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which retails for $1,199 for the lowest storage capacity.

In addition to launching the first AI-powered iPhone, the iPhone 16 Pro series serves as the first set of Made-In-India iPhones to hit the smartphone market. According to a JP Morgan report, “Apple plans to shift 25% of its iPhone production to India by 2025 to diversify its manufacturing base.” Foxconn, one of Apple’s primary contract manufacturers, is geared to ship the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max models across the globe from Indian factories.

Apple prioritizes health with the Apple Watch 10 and AirPods Pro 2

Apple is entering the complex world of health tech by addressing central concerns like sleep and hearing impairments. To combat chronic disorders such as sleep apnea that compromises breathing patterns while asleep, Apple introduced the ‘Breathing Disturbances’ metric on the Watch 10. It utilizes an “accelerometer to detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.” A comprehensive 30-day report is compiled using breathing disturbance data to notify users of consistent signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea.

According to Apple, the sleep apnea feature is expected to receive marketing authorization from the FDA and other global health authorities “soon.”

Data from the World Health Organization suggests that approximately 1.5 billion people around the world are living with hearing loss. To tackle this rising health concern, Apple champions an intuitive, clinical-grade hearing test based on the standard clinical approach called pure-tone audiometry that users can take themselves with their AirPods Pro and a compatible iPhone or iPad. Apple’s built-in hearing test uses insights from the Apple Hearing Study that discovered that “one in three people are regularly exposed to loud environmental noise levels that can impact their hearing.” The AirPods Pro features an innovative over-the-counter hearing aid capability for users with mild to moderate hearing loss.

The Hearing Test and Aid features also await final operational approvals from the global health authorities and will be supported with AirPods Pro 2 with the latest firmware when paired with a compatible iPhone or iPad and will be available this fall in more than 100 countries and regions. In addition to these notable health tech developments, the Loud Sound Reduction feature will also feature on all compatible iPhones, iPads, or Macs running the latest operating system in the US and Canada by fall 2024.