Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL, ETR:APC) is set to unveil the latest iPhone in its series on Monday, with the 16 edition to boast a slew of new artificial intelligence features.
Indeed, AI features are “set to be central to the new offerings,” according to Hargreaves Lansdown analyst Susannah Streeter, as Apple appears to throw the “AI kitchen sink at its hand-held devices”.
Such AI upgrades are expected to complement a larger screen, improved cameras and a better battery for the iPhone 16.
Alongside this, new Plus, Pro and Pro Max models are set to be revealed, as well as the latest Apple Watch and AirPod products.
AI upgrades
Key to the latest launch, set for 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern and 6pm British summer time, will be how AI software, dubbed Apple Intelligence, fits in with these new products.
Apple already launched a beta upgrade for those in the US with Pro models of the iPhone 15 earlier this year, which stretched to versions of the Mac and iPad.
These included a ChatGPT-powered version of speech recognition software Siri, AI-enabled writing tools and image-generating technology.
The upgrades run on Apple’s existing A17 chip, with a new, faster A18 in line to be introduced on Monday for some of the latest products, based on Arm Holdings PLC (NASDAQ:ARM)’s latest V9 design, according to the Financial Times.
iOS 18 and new apps
While “noticeably faster,” this new chip will be the “engine behind driving Apple Intelligence,” Wedbush analysts say, and likely prompt developers to build hundreds of new AI-driven apps over the coming year.
“[These] will be key ingredients in the recipe for Apple's success as its technology stack creates the core building blocks of the consumer AI tidal wave we see coming,” Wedbush added.
In line with the new iPhone, Apple’s latest software, iOS 18, is tipped to launch, bringing the new AI features to those outside of the US.
However, rumours appear to disagree over the timeframe of the new software’s rollout, with suggestions being made that the upgrades could be introduced gradually.
New design?
Aside from fresh AI offerings, Apple’s latest iPhone will reportedly be available in new colours and feature an additional button for taking photos.
This is rumoured to be situated on the bottom right-hand side of the new phone, meaning snapping a photo would not feel dissimilar to using an old-style digital camera.
Though minor, a new button would mark a reverse on year’s worth of upgrades which have seen such external controls gradually removed from Apple’s products.
This feature is by no means expected to overshadow the AI announcements though, which Streeter noted could “prompt a domino effect of mass upgrades around the world”.
“Clearly this is a key moment for a business that’s struggled to deliver real innovation in recent times,” she said, adding Apple was in part playing catch up on Samsung and Google models already embedded with AI tools.
Wedbush analysts forecast the Cupertino "AI revolution" to lead to the shipment of 90 million new iPhone 16s, against consensus estimates of around 82 million.
Pricing for the new model is expected to be largely in line with that seen for the iPhone 15 too, Wedbush said, at around US$799 for the base model in the US and slightly higher as usual in the UK.