Apple unveils iPhone 16 and new Apple Watches today

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Apple is about to unveil its most important iPhone in years. The new models, expected to be presented to the public on Monday evening, are set to catapult the company into the AI era. However, the US company will not introduce the advanced AI functions in the EU for now, citing legal uncertainties. A new operating system version will also make it possible to use the iPhone without Apple apps for the first time. The new iPhone models will be presented at 7 p.m. CEST on Monday. The technology company traditionally refreshes its Apple Watch computer watch at September events. New models of AirPods earphones are also expected.

According to information from the financial service Bloomberg, the new iPhone will again be available in four variants this year: The standard iPhone 16 model and the more expensive and better-equipped iPhone 16 Pro will have two display sizes. The design will largely be based on that of the current generation. The usual upgrades are better cameras and more powerful chips. According to Bloomberg, however, the Pro models will have slightly larger screens than before.

Another button as a camera shutter release?
Apple is also said to have developed an additional button that functions as a camera shutter release. On the one hand, it should work similarly to photo cameras: pressing it lightly activates the autofocus, and pressing it down takes a picture. At the same time, the button will also allow users to control the zoom with swiping movements.

The phones will also have more RAM to run new functions based on artificial intelligence. Of the previous models, only the iPhone 15 Pro from last year is powerful enough for this. All new iPhones should now be ready for “Apple Intelligence.”
The iPhone and other Apple devices should simplify users’ lives thanks to AI. In the future, they should be able to summarize missed emails and text messages, create individual emoji symbols, and fish out information on demand.

Some functions will remain outside the EU
However, some new functions will not initially be available in the EU. The company points to legal uncertainties due to the Digital Media Act (DMA), which sets rules for large platforms. Above all, Apple is concerned that the DMA requirements for opening up to other manufacturers and service providers could compromise the protection of user data. However, according to media reports, the “Apple Intelligence” functions will also be gradually introduced for US users over several software updates.

According to the Bloomberg report, the Apple Watch will have a slightly larger display and be noticeably thinner. The company introduced the computer watch ten years ago and launched it in the spring of 2015. Since then, the Apple Watch has led the market and is the basis for the company’s fitness business. The third version of the larger Apple Watch Ultra will primarily feature improvements on the inside.

It is rather unusual for Apple to present new iPhones on a Monday, but the company avoids two other events simultaneously. On Tuesday, the first TV debate between presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump will likely attract much attention in the domestic market. In Europe, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) will announce its decision on the state aid dispute between Apple and the EU Commission, which wants the company to pay more than 13 billion dollars in back taxes in Ireland. The ECJ could send the case back to the General Court of the European Union (GC) in Luxembourg, before which Apple had prevailed.

Rival Huawei will also present its own new products just a few hours after the iPhone event. The main expectation is a smartphone with a display that can be folded on two sides. Huawei was once the number two company in the global mobile communications market, but US sanctions sent the Chinese company into international insignificance.