Thought Leadership
Apple is about to unveil its most important iPhone in years. The new models, which are expected to be presented to the public on Monday evening, are set to catapult the company into the AI era.
However, things will be different for users in the European Union. 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 make it possible to use iPhones largely without Apple apps on the devices for the first time.
The new iPhone models are expected to be unveiled from 19:00 CEST on Monday. The company also 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 variants 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 largely be based on that of the current generation. The usual upgrades are better cameras and more powerful chips. However, according to Bloomberg, the Pro models will have slightly larger screens than before.
New camera button as a hardware innovation
Apple is also said to have come up with another button as a camera shutter release. On the one hand, it should work in a similar way to photo cameras: Pressing it lightly activates the autofocus, pressing it down takes a picture. At the same time, the button will also make it possible to control the zoom with swiping movements.
The phones will also be given more RAM so that they can 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”.
Thanks to AI, the iPhone and other Apple devices are set to simplify users’ lives: Summarizing missed emails and text messages, creating individual emoji symbols, fishing out information on demand – all this should be possible in the future.
No “Apple Intelligence” for the EU for the time being
However, some of the new functions will not initially be available in the EU. The company points to legal uncertainties caused by 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.
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 launched it on 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 third version of the larger Apple Watch Ultra will primarily feature improvements 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 at the same time. On Tuesday, the first TV debate between presidential candidates Kamala Harris and Donald Trump is likely to attract a great deal of attention in the domestic market. And 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 Court of Justice of the European Union (CFI) in Luxembourg, before which Apple had prevailed.
In addition, rival Huawei plans to unveil its own innovations just a few hours after the iPhone event. In particular, a smartphone with a display that can be folded out on two sides is expected. Huawei was once the number two in the global mobile communications market – until US sanctions sent the Chinese company into international insignificance. Meanwhile, Huawei remains strong in China.
dpa
