Apple is about to launch its most important iPhone in years. The new models, which are expected to be presented to the public on Monday evening, are intended to catapult the company into the AI era. For users in the European Union, however, things will be a little different. Apple will not be introducing its advanced AI functions in the EU for the time being, citing legal uncertainties. At the same time, the upcoming version of the iOS operating system will allow iPhones to be used for the first time largely without Apple apps on the devices.
The new iPhone models are expected to be presented from 7 p.m. CEST on Monday. In addition, the company traditionally refreshes its Apple Watch computer watch at its September events. And new models of the Airpods earphones are expected.
Larger displays for iPhone Pro
According to information from the financial service Bloomberg, the new iPhone will again be available in four versions this year: The standard iPhone 16 model and the more expensive and better equipped iPhone 16 Pro will each have two display sizes. The design will therefore largely be based on that of the current generation. A common upgrade is better cameras and more powerful chips. However, according to Bloomberg, the Pro models will have slightly larger screens than before.
New camera button as hardware innovation
Apple is also said to have come up with another button to act as a camera shutter release. It will work in a similar way to a camera: light pressure activates the autofocus, and pressing it all the way down will take a picture. At the same time, the button will also allow you to control the zoom with swiping movements.
The phones will also get more RAM so that they can run new functions based on artificial intelligence. Of the current models, only the iPhone 15 Pro from last year is powerful enough for this. Now all new iPhones should be ready for “Apple Intelligence”.
Thanks to AI, the iPhone and other Apple devices are designed to make users’ lives easier: summarizing missed emails and text messages, creating individual emoji symbols, fishing out information on demand – all of this should be possible in the future.
No “Apple Intelligence” for the EU for now
However, some of the new functions will not be available in the EU at first. The company points to legal uncertainties caused by the digital law DMA, which sets out rules for large platforms. Apple said it was particularly concerned that the DMA requirements for opening up to other manufacturers and service providers could compromise the protection of user data. But according to media reports, the “Apple Intelligence” functions will also be gradually introduced for US users over several software updates.
New case for Apple Watch
According to the Bloomberg report, the Apple Watch will have a slightly larger display and will also be noticeably thinner. The company introduced the computer watch ten years ago and brought it onto the market in spring 2015. Since then, the Apple Watch has led the market and is the basis for the company’s fitness business. The larger Apple Watch Ultra, in its third version, is said to have improvements mainly on the inside.
Apple event avoids other dates
It is rather unusual for Apple to present new iPhones on a Monday – but the company is avoiding two other events. On Tuesday, the first TV debate between presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is likely to attract the greatest attention in the domestic market. And in Europe, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is announcing 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 (GCC) in Luxembourg, where Apple had prevailed.
In addition, rival Huawei plans to present its own innovations just a few hours after the iPhone event. The main product expected is a smartphone with a display that can be folded out on two sides. Huawei was once number two in the global mobile phone market – until US sanctions pushed the Chinese company into international insignificance. In China, meanwhile, Huawei is still strong.
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