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At its September 9, 2024 “Glowtime” event, Apple announced the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro families, Apple Watch Series 10, a black titanium Apple Watch Ultra 2, two versions of AirPods 4, USB-C AirPods Max in new colors, and hearing-health features for AirPods Pro 2. Apple Intelligence was part of the iPhone announcement, but its features arrived in stages after the keynote.
What Apple announced at the September 9 event
Apple’s 2024 event covered several product families and software, rather than a single iPhone launch. The announcements included:
- iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, alongside iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max.
- Apple Watch Series 10 and a black titanium finish for Apple Watch Ultra 2.
- AirPods 4 in standard and Active Noise Cancellation versions, updated AirPods Max, and hearing-health features for AirPods Pro 2.
- Apple Intelligence features planned for iOS 18.1 and related software releases.
Apple’s September 12, 2024 follow-up said the new products would begin arriving in stores on September 20, 2024. That is the historical launch date, not a statement about current availability.
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Apple positioned the standard and Pro families around different chips and camera capabilities. These are Apple’s launch descriptions, not independent performance or camera tests.
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- Rear camera: 48MP, f/1.6, wide, Front Camera: 12MP, f/1.9, wide, iOS 18.3.1, upgradable to iOS 18.5
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| Family | Chip and camera positioning | Other launch details |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus | A18 chip and a 48MP Fusion camera system | Camera Control, Action button, and Apple Intelligence positioning |
| iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max | A18 Pro chip and more advanced, pro-level camera capabilities | Larger displays; Apple’s September 2024 follow-up also cited Camera Control and improved battery life |
The announcement material does not provide a like-for-like battery test or an independent camera comparison. Apple’s “improved battery life” description should therefore be read as a launch claim, not a measured result.
Apple Intelligence was a phased rollout
At the keynote, Apple said Apple Intelligence would begin rolling out the following month with iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1. The initial announcement named all iPhone 16 models and iPhone 15 Pro models, as well as iPad and Mac models with M1 or later. It also specified that the device and Siri language should be set to U.S. English for that initial release plan.
Rank #2
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length. There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length.
- This product will have a battery which exceeds 90% capacity relative to new.
- Accessories will not be original, but will be compatible and fully functional. Product may come in generic Box.
- This product is eligible for a replacement or refund within 365 days of receipt if you are not satisfied.
Apple’s examples included Writing Tools, message and notification summaries, a more natural Siri, and the Clean Up tool in Photos. Those features were not all available at the moment of the September keynote.
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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →- October 28, 2024: Apple said the first Apple Intelligence feature set was available with iOS 18.1 and related system releases. Its notice described availability in most regions when the device and Siri language were set to U.S. English, and listed supported iPhone, iPad, and Mac hardware.
- March 31, 2025: Apple said iOS 18.4 brought many additional languages and regions, including access for iPhone and iPad users in the EU.
These dated rollout notices are milestones, not a complete current compatibility list for every feature, device, language, or region. Apple described its privacy approach as running many models on device and using Private Cloud Compute on Apple silicon servers for more complex requests; that is Apple’s account of its system, not an independent audit.
Rank #3
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length. There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length.
- This product will have a battery which exceeds 90% capacity relative to new.
- Accessories will not be original, but will be compatible and fully functional. Product may come in generic Box.
- This product is eligible for a replacement or refund within 365 days of receipt if you are not satisfied.
Apple Watch Series 10 and Ultra 2
Apple described Series 10 as thinner and lighter, with its largest and most advanced Apple Watch display to that date, faster charging, and water-depth and temperature sensing. The event also brought a black titanium finish for Apple Watch Ultra 2 and a titanium Milanese Loop band.
| Watch | What Apple emphasized in 2024 | Battery claim in Apple’s September 2024 notice |
|---|---|---|
| Apple Watch Series 10 | Thinner, lighter design; display; faster charging; water-depth and temperature sensing | Not stated in the cited September 2024 follow-up |
| Apple Watch Ultra 2 | Black titanium finish and titanium Milanese Loop band | Up to 36 hours in regular use and up to 72 hours in Low Power Mode, as claimed by Apple |
Apple’s September 2024 follow-up said Series 10 sleep apnea notifications were pending FDA clearance and expected later that month. The company described the intended feature as detecting signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults 18 or older without a diagnosis. That dated statement does not establish the feature’s current regulatory status or availability by market.
Rank #4
- This pre-owned product is not Apple certified, but has been professionally inspected, tested and cleaned by Amazon-qualified suppliers.
- There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length. There will be no visible cosmetic imperfections when held at an arm’s length.
- This product will have a battery which exceeds 90% capacity relative to new.
- Accessories will not be original, but will be compatible and fully functional. Product may come in generic Box.
- This product is eligible for a replacement or refund within 365 days of receipt if you are not satisfied.
AirPods 4, AirPods Max, and AirPods Pro 2
AirPods 4 came in two versions: a standard model and a model with Active Noise Cancellation. Apple described their design as open-ear and said they used a new acoustic architecture. The announcement does not establish an independent sound-quality comparison between them.
Apple also announced USB-C charging and five colors for AirPods Max. For AirPods Pro 2, it announced a hearing-health experience. These were distinct updates across the AirPods range; the event material does not support treating them as equivalent models or as a single hardware refresh.
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What to take away from the event
The event’s main choices were between the standard and Pro iPhone camera-and-chip tiers, between standard AirPods 4 and the version with Active Noise Cancellation, and between Series 10’s thinner design and sensing updates and Ultra 2’s black titanium finish and stated battery modes. Apple Intelligence was a software rollout that continued beyond launch day, so its announcement should be understood alongside the later dated release milestones.
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