Apple sets iPhone 16 event for September 9 with an AI glow

Apple just made it official: its next major hardware event is kicking off on September 9th, 2024, at 10AM PT / 1PM ET at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park.

The invitation comes with the tagline "It’s Glowtime," and there is little doubt about what is taking center stage: the iPhone 16 lineup.

New buttons and vertical cameras

The standard iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are expected to see their biggest cosmetic overhaul in years, switching to a vertically aligned rear camera setup.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are rumored to get slightly larger displays while keeping the familiar three-lens layout. Apple may also introduce a new bronze finish to replace previous colorways.

Hardware controls are getting a shakeup across the board. The Action Button, which was restricted to the iPhone 15 Pro line last year, is expected to arrive on all four iPhone 16 models.

There are also rumors of a brand-new dedicated capture button for snapping photos and recording video, though it remains unclear whether that will be reserved for Pro devices or spread across the entire lineup.

Beyond smartphones, Apple is reportedly preparing to unveil the Apple Watch Series 10 alongside two new versions of AirPods.

Banking on Apple Intelligence

AI will almost certainly dominate the stage.

Right now, anyone wanting to run Apple Intelligence is forced to buy an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max. That bottleneck looks set to disappear, with reports indicating that the entire iPhone 16 family will support Apple Intelligence out of the gate.

The catch, of course, is timing. Supporting the platform is one thing; having the full suite of Apple Intelligence features ready and stable on day one is another entirely.

Why it matters

For regular buyers, this event could mark the rare year where skipping the Pro model actually makes financial sense.

If Apple truly equips the standard iPhone 16 with the Action Button and full Apple Intelligence support, the everyday experience gap between entry-level and flagship will shrink dramatically. Anyone sitting on an older iPhone who wants on-device AI will finally have a sub-thousand-dollar option.

Still, buying hardware for promised software updates is always a gamble. We think the real test for Apple is whether Apple Intelligence feels like a transformative reason to upgrade right at checkout, or just an IOU for features shipping later in the year.

For the broader tech ecosystem, Apple is drawing its battle lines. Instead of redesigning the chassis, Cupertino is trying to make system-level generative AI the primary upgrade driver for hundreds of millions of consumers.