Apple’s iPhone 16 event: the 8 biggest announcements

Apple's "It's Glowtime" event has just come to a close. While the iPhone 16 was the headliner of today's showcase, Apple had several other announcements to share, including some exciting new additions to its smartwatch and AirPods lineups.

Here are all the biggest announcements from the event.

The iPhone 16 adds two new buttons

In addition to inheriting the iPhone 15 Pro's Action Button, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus now come equipped with a handy new DSLR-like button that you can use to take pictures and videos as well as adjust settings. They also have rear cameras stacked atop one another that support spatial video recording for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro.

The iPhone 16 has a faster A18 processor to handle new AI features coming to the device. The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 starts at $799 and $899 for the 6.7-inch Plus version. They are available in white, black, green, pink, and blue and start shipping on September 20th.

The iPhone 16 Pro has bigger displays and better cameras

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max come with slightly bigger displays, with the base Pro model featuring a 6.3-inch display (instead of 6.1 inches), while the Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display (instead of 6.7 inches). Just like the base iPhone 16, the Pro lineup also comes with the new capture button. They also have an upgraded A18 Pro chip, with the Pro Max version possessing the "best iPhone battery life ever," according to Apple.

As opposed to last year's model, both phones - not just the Pro Max - are getting the same 5x telephoto camera with a "tetraprism" design, along with an upgraded 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 48MP "Fusion camera." The Pro-level iPhones come in gold, black, white, and "natural" titanium (gray). The iPhone 16 Pro costs $999, while the Pro Max costs $1,199. They'll be available for preorder on Friday and in stores on September 20th.

The iPhone 16 gains Visual Intelligence

All of the iPhone 16 models are ready for Apple Intelligence - the new AI features Apple is launching in beta next month starting in English. These features include the ability to search for images in your library by describing them and creating custom emoji.

Yet Apple is also outfitting the iPhone 16's Camera Control button with a new feature, called Visual Intelligence, which will automatically search for things you take photos of. You can also use it to perform actions, such as snapping a photo of a concert poster and easily adding it to your calendar.

The Watch Series 10 comes with a bigger display and thinner profile

The Apple Watch Series 10 has the thinnest profile yet, along with a larger wide-angle OLED display that Apple says is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle. It's also capable of detecting signs of sleep apnea by measuring breathing disturbances while you're asleep. The new watch also has a built-in depth and water temperature sensor.

The new device comes in a polished aluminum finish in black, with matte options for rose gold and silver or a polished titanium finish that Apple says is 20 percent lighter than the Series 9. The Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and will become available on September 20th.

The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a new satin black finish

The Watch Ultra didn't get any major updates during this event, but Apple announced a sleek satin black finish as well as a titanium Milanese Loop band that Apple says is "made from corrosion-resistant titanium and designed for scuba."

The next-gen AirPods add better audio and ANC

Apple has finally taken the wraps off the AirPods 4, which come with a new H4 chip that allows for better audio quality. With an open-ear design, Apple says the new buds are the "most comfortable AirPods" ever. They also come with helpful features like voice isolation and transparency mode.

They feature a smaller USB-C-compatible charging case with a speaker, allowing them to make a noise if you're trying to locate them with the Find My app. Apple is also bringing active noise cancellation to the next-gen AirPods, but they're more expensive. The cheaper AirPods model costs $129, while the version with ANC costs $179. They both start shipping on September 20th.

The AirPods Pro 2 will soon become a hearing aid

Later this year, Apple will make the AirPods Pro 2 available as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Apple is launching a couple of other hearing-focused features on the AirPods Pro 2, including a feature designed to protect hearing and a clinical-grade hearing test. These features become available in a free software update in more than 100 countries and regions this fall.

The AirPods Max have USB-C charging, too

Apple also had a small update to its over-the-ear AirPods Max. It's offering the device in some new colors and switched out the Lightning charging port for USB-C.