Going into today’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event, there were high expectations for a significant redesign for this, the tenth version of the Apple Watch. We’ve been burned before by rumors of a redesign, but thankfully, this year’s rumors turned out to be true. The new Apple Watch Series 10 looks like a noticeable upgrade; however the Apple Watch Ultra wasn’t upgraded and only received a new color option.
Apple Announces the New Apple Watch Series 10 and a New Color for the Apple Watch Ultra 2
Apple’s September 2024 Glowtime Event: By the Numbers
Today’s Glowtime online Apple event was packed with facts, figures, and statistics throughout the presentation and elsewhere. We’ve pulled together the highlights.
iPhone 16 and 16 Pro: The MacStories Overview
Today, Apple unveiled this year’s iPhone lineup consisting of four devices: iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. There are noteworthy improvements and additions across the line, so let’s dive in to what these phones have to offer.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
The iPhone 16 and its larger-screened variant add not one, but two new hardware buttons this year. They also include improved cameras and an important processor bump.
The A18 chip is built on a second-generation 3nm process. It features a six-core CPU with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, a five-core GPU that enables hardware-accelerated ray tracing in games, and Apple’s new 16-core neural engine. Its increased memory and bandwidth make the iPhone 16 capable of running Apple Intelligence, the first non-Pro iPhone to do so. The chip is also more efficient, which, in combination with a bigger battery and better heat dissipation, results in what Apple calls a “big boost” to battery life.
The Action button is the latest iPhone Pro feature to make its way down to the standard line. Everything true of last year’s Action button applies to this one: its size and shape, the fact that it’s physically pressable, and its software capabilities. I imagine many iPhone 16 buyers will just use the Action button as a slightly nicer mute switch, but for those who wish to, they can customize it to open the camera, turn on the flashlight, run Shortcuts, or perform any number of other actions.
Apple Unveils New Health Features Coming to the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2
Today at their September 2024 event, Apple unveiled a series of major new health features coming to the Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 2. The new features, centered around sleep apnea and hearing loss prevention and assistance, will be released as part of software updates this fall.
Sleep Apnea Detection on the Apple Watch
Later this month, the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Series 10, and Apple Watch Ultra 2 will gain the ability to detect signs of moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults who haven’t previously been diagnosed with the disorder. This detection will be based on a new metric called Breathing Disturbances, which will use the watch’s accelerometer to, in Apple’s words, ” detect small movements at the wrist associated with interruptions to normal respiratory patterns during sleep.” Apple says the data will be analyzed on a monthly basis to detect consistent signs of sleep apnea and send sleep apnea notifications.
In addition to watchOS 11, the Breathing Disturbances metric will be added to the Health app in iOS 18, where you will be able to consult and export the data to share with a healthcare professional.
Apple expects to receive marketing authorization for sleep apnea notifications from the FDA and other health authorities soon and plans to make the feature available this month in over 150 regions, including the U.S., the EU, and Japan.
Apple Announces Release Dates for New iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and OS Updates
Apple announced a lot of dates today. Here’s a rundown of all the dates mentioned in the keynote and press releases:
iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max
In Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, South Korea, Türkiye, the UAE, the U.K., the U.S., and 58 other countries:
Pre-Orders: Friday, September 13, 2024
In Stores and Deliveries: September 20, 2024
In Macao, Vietnam, and 19 other countries, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will be available starting September 27, 2024.
Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra
In Australia, Canada, France, Germany, India, Japan, the UAE, the U.K., the U.S., and more than 49 other countries and regions:
Pre-Orders: Today
In Stores and Deliveries: September 20, 2024
AirPods 4 and AirPods Max
Pre-Orders: Today
In Stores and Deliveries: September 20, 2024
AirPods Pro 2
AirPods Pro 2 are available online and in stores today.
iOS and iPadOS 18.0
Release Date: Monday, September 16th
watchOS 11
Release Date: Monday, September 16th
macOS 15.0, Sequoia
Release Date: Monday, September 16th
visionOS 2.0:
Release Date: Monday, September 16th
You can follow all of our September 2024 Apple event coverage through our September 2024 Apple event hub or subscribe to the dedicated September 2024 Apple event RSS feed.
Apple’s September 2024 Glowtime Event: Replay Today’s Keynote
If you didn’t follow the livestream of today’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ Apple event, you can replay it on Apple’s Events site or YouTube.
The keynote video can be streamed here and on the Apple TV using the TV app. A high-quality version will also be available through Apple Podcasts as a video and audio podcast. An American Sign Language version of the event keynote is available on the Apple Events page too.
We’ll be adding links to the product videos released by Apple today as they appear on YouTube after the break.
Dezeen Highlights The Observatory, a New Event Space at Apple Park→
Architecture and design site, Dezeen has an exclusive first look at The Observatory, a new events space built into the side of a hill at Apple Park. The building, which is near the Steve Jobs Theater, will open officially later today, presumably for the iPhone media event.
Apple’s global head of design (real estate and development) John De Maio told Dezeen:
When we built Apple Park, we wanted the entire campus to be seamlessly integrated into the landscape, and this building follows that same approach,
With its stunning views of the campus greenery and the mountains ringing the horizon, The Observatory truly is an extension of Apple Park, showcasing the best of California and the best of the natural environment around us,
The building brings in the natural stone, terrazzo and wood elements that are featured in The Steve Jobs Theater and across Apple Park. It’s a design that complements both the landscape and its neighboring buildings on campus.
The Observatory looks spectacular. Don’t miss the photos shared by Dezeen on its site.
Memberful: Powerful Developer Tools for Building Memberships [Sponsor]
If you’re a developer building a membership website for a client’s business, you should be using Memberful. It’s the best-in-class membership software used by the biggest creators, publishers, and media companies across the web.
Memberful includes everything you need to get the job done, including:
- Seamless WordPress integration;
- Content protection, enabling your clients to offer exclusive blog posts, videos, and downloadable resources;
- A wide array of customizable membership options, allowing your clients to set up membership tiers, recurring subscriptions, one-time payments, and more;
- Built-in payment processing via Stripe, so check-out is simple, and your clients get paid on time; and
- Full customization, so your Memberful implementation matches your client’s branding
We’ve used Memberful at MacStories since 2015 when we launched Club MacStories. Memberful made setting up the Club easy and has allowed it to grow and offer new perks to members as our needs changed and our business grew. What started as a simple newsletter implementation now includes downloadable content, members-only podcasts, and more.
Memberful also scales gracefully from creators who are just starting to those who already have thousands of members. Regardless of the stage of your client’s business, Memberful’s robust API and webhooks make setting up their website a breeze without writing complex custom code. And, with integrations with popular services like MailChimp and Discord, your clients will have even more ways to engage with their audience. Plus, you’ll get comprehensive analytics and can automate email communications, allowing you to easily adjust your marketing strategy as you go and stay in touch with members.
Help your clients monetize their passion by getting started for free with Memberful. It’s the best way for creators, publishers, and media companies to reach their audiences.
Our thanks to Memberful for sponsoring MacStories this week.
The Latest from Magic Rays of Light, Comfort Zone, and MacStories Unwind
Enjoy the latest episodes from MacStories’ family of podcasts:
Sigmund and Devon highlight the triumphant return of Slow Horses and rate tvOS streaming apps based on how well they take advantage of system features.
Niléane and Chris have upgraded their desk setups, but Matt didn’t get the memo and brought a hard drive or something. Then we see who can bend the rules the most to survive the challenge.
This week, a surprise apology for rain, an update on our annual OS reviews and what we plan to do with our free time once they’re finished, and a TV pick.