The 5 Coolest Things From Apple’s ‘Glowtime’ Event

Apple’s new lineup is official, with the iPhone 16 series, Apple Watch Series 10, and AirPods 4 all officially announced. Also notable were some of the unique features that rolled out, like the new Action button, Apple Intelligence capabilities, and features like 4K slow-motion video recording. There was a lot to chew on here, but below you’ll find the top five coolest things from the “Glowtime” event.

The Apple Watch Series 10 comes with a seriously revamped design, with an OLED display that’s 40% brighter while still being 10% lighter and thinner than the Series 9. Because it’s been a decade since Apple unveiled the first-generation Apple Watch, it also comes in an incredibly slick looking jet black model, reminiscent of the jet-black iPhone 7. In place of stainless steel, it comes with a titanium finish and it’s also available in natural, slate, and gold color options as well as 42mm and 46mm sizes. Expect to get 17 hours of battery with the new, more power efficient S10 chipset, with pricing starting at $399 for the GPS model and $499 for GPS+Cellular.

The AirPods 4 are yet another improvement on previous generation, but the improvements are by no means small. The design is mostly the same, asiude from the addition of a USB-C port for the case. They come with a new H2 chip for improved audio, better bass and highs. There’s also personalized spatial audio and the a model with noise cancellation, along with a transparency mode, adaptive audio, and support for spatial audio. Last, but not least, are a set of new health features that allow the old AirPods Pro 2 to double as over-the-counter hearing aids. While they’re not likely to be as capable for major hearing loss, it’s a nice affordable alternative to those who’s hearing loss isn’t serious enough for a medical device.

For pricing, expect the AirPods 4 to start at $129 or $179 for the noise cancelling version. The AirPods Max will start at $549 and come in midnight, blue, purple, orange, and starlight color options.

Apple Intelligence was the talk of the town at Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event. The base iPhone 16 comes with the new A18 chip, which gives it a 30% faster CPU and improved power efficacy. With the iPhone 16 Pro, you get the A18 Pro chip, which also comes with some awesome new AI features. Technically, Apple Intelligence will run on every model of the iPhone 16, though the capabilities may differ. You get things like Private Cloud Compute and Camera Control to help you search, store, and snap photos more easily.

Also introduced to the Apple Watch Series 10 is a new Sleep Apnea detection feature. According to Apple, as many as 80% of those affected by sleep apnea are undiagnosed, and it can cause health concerns like disrupted sleep, irritability and more. While it’s not quite yet FDA approved, Apple Watch users should expect it to be approved shortly. While this feature debuts on the Apple Watch 10, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will also get access to this health feature.

One of the coolest features debuted on the iPhone 16 line this year at the Apple Event was the Camera Control. It sounds exactly like its intention: A new button on the side of the iPhone 16s can help put at-a-tap controls right in your fingertip. You can use this button to snap photos without opening up your phone and the accompanying camera app. In addition to snapping photos, you can also adjust photo styles to your preference, zoom in or out with a swipe, and more. Press and hold the button to record video footage — and with the integration of 4K at 120fps, you can capture high-quality footage hassle-free.