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It’s quite light on the wrist. I was surprised.

Now that Apple’s Glowtime event is over, we’ve gotten to spend some time with the Apple Watch Series 10.
This is the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, but the Series 10 isn’t that different from what you already know. It looks a lot like prior Apple Watch models, but it has an updated design that makes the whole package thinner while expanding the screen sizes to 42mm and 46mm, up from 41mm and 45mm on the Series 9. That said, even though the sizes have crept larger since the Series 7, both the 42mm and 46mm don’t feel chunky when you wear them. Apple says the new display is 40 percent brighter and that its always-on mode will now refresh once every second, up from once every minute on older devices.

The jet black Series 10 has a quite fetching glossy finish.

I ran around trying on every iteration of Series 10 I could get my mitts on. And as much as it’s tempting to eye-roll a bigger, thinner display, it really makes a difference once you slip one one. I’ve been wearing the Ultra 2 as my daily driver for a year and the difference in weight was massive. The titanium models also look slick, particularly the new rose gold color.
Speaking of colors, yes, the all-black Ultra 2 is quite fetching. As is the jet black model for the regular Series 10. This is 100 percent the smartwatch Batman would buy himself. The new clasp on the black Ultra 2 Milanese loop is a little tricky to use, however.

It’s the black Ultra 2 y’all have been clamoring for.

I got to see a short demo of the sleep apnea feature — which isn’t available yet but will come via an over-the-air update once Apple gets FDA clearance. Basically, you’ll be able to see whether your have elevated or not elevated breathing disturbances. Unlike other sleep apnea features I’ve tried, this uses the accelerometer instead of SpO2 sensors — convenient given that Apple’s currently in the middle of a patent battle with Masimo.

Apple has also updated the watch with a new processor, a depth gauge, and the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea. It’ll be available in black, silver, and rose gold aluminum starting at $399 and in slate, gold, and natural titanium starting at $699.
We’ll be getting review units soon, and you can bet we’ll be putting all of the watches through their paces.
Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

It’s quite light on the wrist. I was surprised.

Now that Apple’s Glowtime event is over, we’ve gotten to spend some time with the Apple Watch Series 10.

This is the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, but the Series 10 isn’t that different from what you already know. It looks a lot like prior Apple Watch models, but it has an updated design that makes the whole package thinner while expanding the screen sizes to 42mm and 46mm, up from 41mm and 45mm on the Series 9. That said, even though the sizes have crept larger since the Series 7, both the 42mm and 46mm don’t feel chunky when you wear them. Apple says the new display is 40 percent brighter and that its always-on mode will now refresh once every second, up from once every minute on older devices.

The jet black Series 10 has a quite fetching glossy finish.

I ran around trying on every iteration of Series 10 I could get my mitts on. And as much as it’s tempting to eye-roll a bigger, thinner display, it really makes a difference once you slip one one. I’ve been wearing the Ultra 2 as my daily driver for a year and the difference in weight was massive. The titanium models also look slick, particularly the new rose gold color.

Speaking of colors, yes, the all-black Ultra 2 is quite fetching. As is the jet black model for the regular Series 10. This is 100 percent the smartwatch Batman would buy himself. The new clasp on the black Ultra 2 Milanese loop is a little tricky to use, however.

It’s the black Ultra 2 y’all have been clamoring for.

I got to see a short demo of the sleep apnea feature — which isn’t available yet but will come via an over-the-air update once Apple gets FDA clearance. Basically, you’ll be able to see whether your have elevated or not elevated breathing disturbances. Unlike other sleep apnea features I’ve tried, this uses the accelerometer instead of SpO2 sensors — convenient given that Apple’s currently in the middle of a patent battle with Masimo.

Apple has also updated the watch with a new processor, a depth gauge, and the ability to detect signs of sleep apnea. It’ll be available in black, silver, and rose gold aluminum starting at $399 and in slate, gold, and natural titanium starting at $699.

We’ll be getting review units soon, and you can bet we’ll be putting all of the watches through their paces.

Photography by Victoria Song / The Verge

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For the first time, Apple’s AirPods for the masses come in two different versions. Today, the company announced its AirPods 4 earbuds, which start at $129, but there’s also a higher-tier $159 model that brings active noise cancellation to this open-style design. We’ve seen this attempted by other brands before — most recently Samsung with the Galaxy Buds 3 — and I’m very curious about how well Apple’s implementation will be able to combat city streets and airplane noise without the help of an in-ear seal from silicone tips.
I just checked out the AirPods 4 here at Apple’s event, and the earbuds themselves look and feel quite similar to their predecessors, though Apple’s website says the contours have been refined for a more secure fit. The charging case is now smaller and lighter than ever, and if you spring for the ANC version, the case supports wireless charging and includes a speaker for Find My location tracking.

The internal acoustic architecture has been redesigned yet again for improved sound, and the AirPods 4 pick up a lot of software tricks from the AirPods Pro, including adaptive audio, transparency mode, and conversation awareness. Much of this is possible because they include Apple’s H2 chip.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The AirPods 4 go up for preorder on Friday, along with the new iPhone 16 lineup, and will be available in stores on September 20th. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days. I’m eager to see how the ANC fares. Will it actually be useful? Can it possibly compare to the AirPods Pro and their traditional in-ear fit? We’ll find out soon enough.

For the first time, Apple’s AirPods for the masses come in two different versions. Today, the company announced its AirPods 4 earbuds, which start at $129, but there’s also a higher-tier $159 model that brings active noise cancellation to this open-style design. We’ve seen this attempted by other brands before — most recently Samsung with the Galaxy Buds 3 — and I’m very curious about how well Apple’s implementation will be able to combat city streets and airplane noise without the help of an in-ear seal from silicone tips.

I just checked out the AirPods 4 here at Apple’s event, and the earbuds themselves look and feel quite similar to their predecessors, though Apple’s website says the contours have been refined for a more secure fit. The charging case is now smaller and lighter than ever, and if you spring for the ANC version, the case supports wireless charging and includes a speaker for Find My location tracking.

The internal acoustic architecture has been redesigned yet again for improved sound, and the AirPods 4 pick up a lot of software tricks from the AirPods Pro, including adaptive audio, transparency mode, and conversation awareness. Much of this is possible because they include Apple’s H2 chip.

Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

The AirPods 4 go up for preorder on Friday, along with the new iPhone 16 lineup, and will be available in stores on September 20th. Stay tuned for our full review in the coming days. I’m eager to see how the ANC fares. Will it actually be useful? Can it possibly compare to the AirPods Pro and their traditional in-ear fit? We’ll find out soon enough.

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Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

It seems like Apple is already moving on from FineWoven. After introducing the FineWoven brand with a series of very bad cases and accessories last year, it appears as though Apple opted not to release new cases featuring the material for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Apple has stopped offering FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 lineup on its website, too.
Apple launched FineWoven, which had a microtwill material, as a replacement for its leather cases. But the cases quickly accumulated visible wear and tear and picked up bits of lint, which could make them look dirty relatively quickly.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

While Apple released FineWoven products for the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch, and even AirTags last year, as I write this, the only FineWoven products that I can find on Apple’s online store are the iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe, which it currently sells in four colors for $59, and a $35 AirTag key ring. While FineWoven isn’t completely gone, it seems like it might not be around for too much longer. But at least there are Beats cases now.
Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
Update, September 9th: Added that Apple still sells an AirTag key ring.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

It seems like Apple is already moving on from FineWoven. After introducing the FineWoven brand with a series of very bad cases and accessories last year, it appears as though Apple opted not to release new cases featuring the material for the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. Apple has stopped offering FineWoven cases for the iPhone 15 lineup on its website, too.

Apple launched FineWoven, which had a microtwill material, as a replacement for its leather cases. But the cases quickly accumulated visible wear and tear and picked up bits of lint, which could make them look dirty relatively quickly.

Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

While Apple released FineWoven products for the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch, and even AirTags last year, as I write this, the only FineWoven products that I can find on Apple’s online store are the iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe, which it currently sells in four colors for $59, and a $35 AirTag key ring. While FineWoven isn’t completely gone, it seems like it might not be around for too much longer. But at least there are Beats cases now.

Apple didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.

Update, September 9th: Added that Apple still sells an AirTag key ring.

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The iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I just spent a few minutes with the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which feature bigger displays with thinner bezels, revamped cameras, and Apple’s new Camera Control button, which is pretty fascinating.
Let’s start with Camera Control, which is a physical button — it depresses into the case ever so slightly, with additional haptic feedback from Apple’s Taptic Engine to make it feel like a chunkier click. It’s not just a shutter button, although you can use it like one and click away to fire off photos from the 48MP main camera with zero shutter lag. I was not able to slow it down in my short demo time, but we’ll see how that goes in real life.

The new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The reason it’s not just a shutter button is that it’s also a multifunctional capacitive control surface. The physical button itself is ultrasensitive, so pressing it ever so lightly brings up swipe-to-zoom controls, and double-pressing it lightly brings up additional controls you can swipe between, like lens selection, exposure, and the new photo styles available on the Pro. It took me a second to determine how hard to press, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. Apple says that as part of a software update later this year, the button will get a two-stage shutter function that will allow you to lock focus and exposure.
It was pretty seamless to switch between the various photo styles with swipes, but it was hard to see how much they were actually doing in the perfect lighting conditions of Apple’s demo area. But I am very curious about them.

I ran into Apple’s Phil Schiller, and we chatted briefly about the Camera Control button. I wanted to know about the balance of using the button as a classic camera control versus the beginning of the camera itself becoming an input method for Apple Intelligence, and he told me that it was really both, which is fascinating.

The iPhone 16 Pro has a 48MP “Fusion camera,” a new 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera — which, on the regular iPhone 16 Pro, has the tetraprism design that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro will also be able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and you can adjust playback speed after capture in the Photos app.
Apple is also touting improved audio hardware on the iPhone 16 Pro, including four “studio quality” mics, which, of course, were impossible to try out in the busy hands-on area.
The phones themselves are slightly taller and wider than the 15 Pro models, making room for larger screens: a 6.3-inch panel on the 16 Pro and a massive 6.9-inch display on the 16 Pro Max, emphasis on Max. It’s made possible partly by new thinner bezels, too. They don’t feel all that much bigger in the hand without a case, but again, it’s hard to gauge in a quick hands-on.

The photo styles under the Camera Control. You can switch between them with a swipe.

Inside, both feature the A18 Pro chip, with a 16-core neural engine that Apple claims has 15 percent faster performance than the iPhone 15 Pro. It also has improved graphics performance thanks to a six-core GPU that’s 20 percent faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro. We’re still waiting to hear exactly which Apple Intelligence features will arrive with these phones at launch, but expect familiar things like notification summaries and writing assistance to start.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 with 256GB of storage. You can preorder the new Pro phones on Friday, September 13th, and they’ll be available on September 20th. If you were hoping for some more vibrant colors on the Pro phones, well, you’ll have to keep waiting. The best Apple has done this year is a darker gold called “desert titanium.” The other color options are familiar restrained neutrals.
We’re trying to learn all we can about these phones while we’re here; let me know what you want to know in the comments, and we’ll dig up as much info as we can.
Photography by Nilay Patel / The Verge

The iPhone 16 Pro Max.

I just spent a few minutes with the new iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, which feature bigger displays with thinner bezels, revamped cameras, and Apple’s new Camera Control button, which is pretty fascinating.

Let’s start with Camera Control, which is a physical button — it depresses into the case ever so slightly, with additional haptic feedback from Apple’s Taptic Engine to make it feel like a chunkier click. It’s not just a shutter button, although you can use it like one and click away to fire off photos from the 48MP main camera with zero shutter lag. I was not able to slow it down in my short demo time, but we’ll see how that goes in real life.

The new Camera Control button on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The reason it’s not just a shutter button is that it’s also a multifunctional capacitive control surface. The physical button itself is ultrasensitive, so pressing it ever so lightly brings up swipe-to-zoom controls, and double-pressing it lightly brings up additional controls you can swipe between, like lens selection, exposure, and the new photo styles available on the Pro. It took me a second to determine how hard to press, but it wasn’t hard to figure out. Apple says that as part of a software update later this year, the button will get a two-stage shutter function that will allow you to lock focus and exposure.

It was pretty seamless to switch between the various photo styles with swipes, but it was hard to see how much they were actually doing in the perfect lighting conditions of Apple’s demo area. But I am very curious about them.

I ran into Apple’s Phil Schiller, and we chatted briefly about the Camera Control button. I wanted to know about the balance of using the button as a classic camera control versus the beginning of the camera itself becoming an input method for Apple Intelligence, and he told me that it was really both, which is fascinating.

The iPhone 16 Pro has a 48MP “Fusion camera,” a new 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera — which, on the regular iPhone 16 Pro, has the tetraprism design that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 Pro will also be able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and you can adjust playback speed after capture in the Photos app.

Apple is also touting improved audio hardware on the iPhone 16 Pro, including four “studio quality” mics, which, of course, were impossible to try out in the busy hands-on area.

The phones themselves are slightly taller and wider than the 15 Pro models, making room for larger screens: a 6.3-inch panel on the 16 Pro and a massive 6.9-inch display on the 16 Pro Max, emphasis on Max. It’s made possible partly by new thinner bezels, too. They don’t feel all that much bigger in the hand without a case, but again, it’s hard to gauge in a quick hands-on.

The photo styles under the Camera Control. You can switch between them with a swipe.

Inside, both feature the A18 Pro chip, with a 16-core neural engine that Apple claims has 15 percent faster performance than the iPhone 15 Pro. It also has improved graphics performance thanks to a six-core GPU that’s 20 percent faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro. We’re still waiting to hear exactly which Apple Intelligence features will arrive with these phones at launch, but expect familiar things like notification summaries and writing assistance to start.

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 with 256GB of storage. You can preorder the new Pro phones on Friday, September 13th, and they’ll be available on September 20th. If you were hoping for some more vibrant colors on the Pro phones, well, you’ll have to keep waiting. The best Apple has done this year is a darker gold called “desert titanium.” The other color options are familiar restrained neutrals.

We’re trying to learn all we can about these phones while we’re here; let me know what you want to know in the comments, and we’ll dig up as much info as we can.

Photography by Nilay Patel / The Verge

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Screenshot: The Verge

Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event has just come to a close. While the iPhone 16 was the headliner of today’s showcase, Apple had several other announcements to share, including some exciting new additions to its smartwatch and AirPods lineups.
Here are all the biggest announcements from the event.
The iPhone 16 adds two new buttons

Screenshot: Apple

In addition to inheriting the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus now come equipped with a handy new DSLR-like button that you can use to take pictures and videos as well as adjust settings. They also have rear cameras stacked atop one another that support spatial video recording for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro.
The iPhone 16 has a faster A18 processor to handle new AI features coming to the device. The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 starts at $799 and $899 for the 6.7-inch Plus version. They are available in white, black, green, pink, and blue and start shipping on September 20th.
The iPhone 16 Pro has bigger displays and better cameras

Screenshot: Apple

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max come with slightly bigger displays, with the base Pro model featuring a 6.3-inch display (instead of 6.1 inches), while the Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display (instead of 6.7 inches). Just like the base iPhone 16, the Pro lineup also comes with the new capture button. They also have an upgraded A18 Pro chip, with the Pro Max version possessing the “best iPhone battery life ever,” according to Apple.
As opposed to last year’s model, both phones — not just the Pro Max — are getting the same 5x telephoto camera with a “tetraprism” design, along with an upgraded 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 48MP “Fusion camera.” The Pro-level iPhones come in gold, black, white, and “natural” titanium (gray). The iPhone 16 Pro costs $999, while the Pro Max costs $1,199. They’ll be available for preorder on Friday and in stores on September 20th.
The iPhone 16 gains Visual Intelligence

Screenshot: Apple

All of the iPhone 16 models are ready for Apple Intelligence — the new AI features Apple is launching in beta next month starting in English. These features include the ability to search for images in your library by describing them and creating custom emoji.
Yet Apple is also outfitting the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button with a new feature, called Visual Intelligence, which will automatically search for things you take photos of. You can also use it to perform actions, such as snapping a photo of a concert poster and easily adding it to your calendar.
The Watch Series 10 comes with a bigger display and thinner profile

Image: Apple
The Watch Series 10 in the new jet black finish.

The Apple Watch Series 10 has the thinnest profile yet, along with a larger wide-angle OLED display that Apple says is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle. It’s also capable of detecting signs of sleep apnea by measuring breathing disturbances while you’re asleep. The new watch also has a built-in depth and water temperature sensor.
The new device comes in a polished aluminum finish in black, with matte options for rose gold and silver or a polished titanium finish that Apple says is 20 percent lighter than the Series 9. The Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and will become available on September 20th.
The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a new satin black finish

Screenshot: Apple

The Watch Ultra didn’t get any major updates during this event, but Apple announced a sleek satin black finish as well as a titanium Milanese Loop band that Apple says is “made from corrosion-resistant titanium and designed for scuba.”
The next-gen AirPods add better audio and ANC

Screenshot: Apple

Apple has finally taken the wraps off the AirPods 4, which come with a new H4 chip that allows for better audio quality. With an open-ear design, Apple says the new buds are the “most comfortable AirPods” ever. They also come with helpful features like voice isolation and transparency mode.
They feature a smaller USB-C-compatible charging case with a speaker, allowing them to make a noise if you’re trying to locate them with the Find My app. Apple is also bringing active noise cancellation to the next-gen AirPods, but they’re more expensive. The cheaper AirPods model costs $129, while the version with ANC costs $179. They both start shipping on September 20th.
The AirPods Pro 2 will soon become a hearing aid

Screenshot: Apple

Later this year, Apple will make the AirPods Pro 2 available as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Apple is launching a couple of other hearing-focused features on the AirPods Pro 2, including a feature designed to protect hearing and a clinical-grade hearing test. These features become available in a free software update in more than 100 countries and regions this fall.
The AirPods Max have USB-C charging, too

Photo: The Verge

Apple also had a small update to its over-the-ear AirPods Max. It’s offering the device in some new colors and switched out the Lightning charging port for USB-C.

Screenshot: The Verge

Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event has just come to a close. While the iPhone 16 was the headliner of today’s showcase, Apple had several other announcements to share, including some exciting new additions to its smartwatch and AirPods lineups.

Here are all the biggest announcements from the event.

The iPhone 16 adds two new buttons

Screenshot: Apple

In addition to inheriting the iPhone 15 Pro’s Action Button, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus now come equipped with a handy new DSLR-like button that you can use to take pictures and videos as well as adjust settings. They also have rear cameras stacked atop one another that support spatial video recording for viewing on the Apple Vision Pro.

The iPhone 16 has a faster A18 processor to handle new AI features coming to the device. The 6.1-inch iPhone 16 starts at $799 and $899 for the 6.7-inch Plus version. They are available in white, black, green, pink, and blue and start shipping on September 20th.

The iPhone 16 Pro has bigger displays and better cameras

Screenshot: Apple

The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max come with slightly bigger displays, with the base Pro model featuring a 6.3-inch display (instead of 6.1 inches), while the Pro Max has a 6.9-inch display (instead of 6.7 inches). Just like the base iPhone 16, the Pro lineup also comes with the new capture button. They also have an upgraded A18 Pro chip, with the Pro Max version possessing the “best iPhone battery life ever,” according to Apple.

As opposed to last year’s model, both phones — not just the Pro Max — are getting the same 5x telephoto camera with a “tetraprism” design, along with an upgraded 48-megapixel ultrawide sensor and 48MP “Fusion camera.” The Pro-level iPhones come in gold, black, white, and “natural” titanium (gray). The iPhone 16 Pro costs $999, while the Pro Max costs $1,199. They’ll be available for preorder on Friday and in stores on September 20th.

The iPhone 16 gains Visual Intelligence

Screenshot: Apple

All of the iPhone 16 models are ready for Apple Intelligence — the new AI features Apple is launching in beta next month starting in English. These features include the ability to search for images in your library by describing them and creating custom emoji.

Yet Apple is also outfitting the iPhone 16’s Camera Control button with a new feature, called Visual Intelligence, which will automatically search for things you take photos of. You can also use it to perform actions, such as snapping a photo of a concert poster and easily adding it to your calendar.

The Watch Series 10 comes with a bigger display and thinner profile

Image: Apple
The Watch Series 10 in the new jet black finish.

The Apple Watch Series 10 has the thinnest profile yet, along with a larger wide-angle OLED display that Apple says is up to 40 percent brighter when viewed at an angle. It’s also capable of detecting signs of sleep apnea by measuring breathing disturbances while you’re asleep. The new watch also has a built-in depth and water temperature sensor.

The new device comes in a polished aluminum finish in black, with matte options for rose gold and silver or a polished titanium finish that Apple says is 20 percent lighter than the Series 9. The Watch Series 10 starts at $399 and will become available on September 20th.

The Apple Watch Ultra comes in a new satin black finish

Screenshot: Apple

The Watch Ultra didn’t get any major updates during this event, but Apple announced a sleek satin black finish as well as a titanium Milanese Loop band that Apple says is “made from corrosion-resistant titanium and designed for scuba.”

The next-gen AirPods add better audio and ANC

Screenshot: Apple

Apple has finally taken the wraps off the AirPods 4, which come with a new H4 chip that allows for better audio quality. With an open-ear design, Apple says the new buds are the “most comfortable AirPods” ever. They also come with helpful features like voice isolation and transparency mode.

They feature a smaller USB-C-compatible charging case with a speaker, allowing them to make a noise if you’re trying to locate them with the Find My app. Apple is also bringing active noise cancellation to the next-gen AirPods, but they’re more expensive. The cheaper AirPods model costs $129, while the version with ANC costs $179. They both start shipping on September 20th.

The AirPods Pro 2 will soon become a hearing aid

Screenshot: Apple

Later this year, Apple will make the AirPods Pro 2 available as an over-the-counter hearing aid. Apple is launching a couple of other hearing-focused features on the AirPods Pro 2, including a feature designed to protect hearing and a clinical-grade hearing test. These features become available in a free software update in more than 100 countries and regions this fall.

The AirPods Max have USB-C charging, too

Photo: The Verge

Apple also had a small update to its over-the-ear AirPods Max. It’s offering the device in some new colors and switched out the Lightning charging port for USB-C.

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Image: Team Asobi

Astro Bot cannot stop winning — whether it be the hearts of fans and critics or racking up some of the highest review scores of a game this year. Now the game will continue its well-earned victory lap with the news that it’s getting DLC…for free…this year. Astro Bot director and Team Asobi studio head Nicolas Doucet confirmed the news in an interview with Australian outlet Quest Daily.

The DLC update will add new maps geared toward speedrunning challenges, leaderboards, and of course, new PlayStation-themed bots to rescue. However, don’t expect something the size of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree — Doucet says the DLC “isn’t going to be that huge.”
The DLC’s additional challenge levels should definitely appeal to players who enjoyed Astro Bot but needed something more demanding. Though the majority of Astro Bot isn’t that difficult, its challenge levels definitely required quite a bit more skill, with both gauntlets that require constant movement and puzzle-style levels that need a more cerebral approach. I’m already excited by the prospect of speedrunners getting their hands on this game, and additional levels specifically tailored to that community should help.

My attempt at one of the easier Astro Bot challenge levels.
Keen-eyed players already noticed that some games like Rayman, Stellar Blade, and Croc were alled out in Astro Bot’s credits even though they weren’t directly referenced in the game. So expect to see characters from those games as the DLC’s new bots. I’m also pulling for a Final Fantasy-themed bot because it just feels right, y’know.
The Astro Bot DLC doesn’t have a firm release date, but Doucet says it’ll come sometime this year. I cannot wait.

Image: Team Asobi

Astro Bot cannot stop winning — whether it be the hearts of fans and critics or racking up some of the highest review scores of a game this year. Now the game will continue its well-earned victory lap with the news that it’s getting DLC…for free…this year. Astro Bot director and Team Asobi studio head Nicolas Doucet confirmed the news in an interview with Australian outlet Quest Daily.

The DLC update will add new maps geared toward speedrunning challenges, leaderboards, and of course, new PlayStation-themed bots to rescue. However, don’t expect something the size of Elden Ring’s Shadow of the Erdtree — Doucet says the DLC “isn’t going to be that huge.”

The DLC’s additional challenge levels should definitely appeal to players who enjoyed Astro Bot but needed something more demanding. Though the majority of Astro Bot isn’t that difficult, its challenge levels definitely required quite a bit more skill, with both gauntlets that require constant movement and puzzle-style levels that need a more cerebral approach. I’m already excited by the prospect of speedrunners getting their hands on this game, and additional levels specifically tailored to that community should help.

My attempt at one of the easier Astro Bot challenge levels.

Keen-eyed players already noticed that some games like Rayman, Stellar Blade, and Croc were alled out in Astro Bot’s credits even though they weren’t directly referenced in the game. So expect to see characters from those games as the DLC’s new bots. I’m also pulling for a Final Fantasy-themed bot because it just feels right, y’know.

The Astro Bot DLC doesn’t have a firm release date, but Doucet says it’ll come sometime this year. I cannot wait.

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Finding out what kind of dog this is with Visual Intelligence. | Screenshot: Apple

Apple has announced a new feature called Visual Intelligence that will be part of iOS 18’s Apple Intelligence suite of AI features “later this year.” The feature works much like similar features offered by other multimodal AI systems from Google or OpenAI.
Visual Intelligence lets you “instantly learn about everything you see,” Apple’s Craig Federighi said during the company’s September event today. Federighi said the feature is “enabled by Camera Control,” which is the company’s name for a new capacitive camera button that’s now on the side of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro phones. To trigger it, users will need to click and hold the button, then point the phone’s camera at whatever they’re curious about.
iPhones use a “combination of on-device intelligence and Apple services that never store your images” to power Visual Intelligence and let you take a picture of a restaurant to get info about its hours. Point your camera at a flyer, and “details like title, date, and location are automatically recorded,” he said. Federighi added that the feature is “also your gateway to third-party” models, which suggests using Visual Intelligence to search Google for a bike that you find out in the wild or take a picture of study notes to get help with a concept.
Apple didn’t announce when the feature would debut beyond that it’s “coming to Camera Control later this year.”

Finding out what kind of dog this is with Visual Intelligence. | Screenshot: Apple

Apple has announced a new feature called Visual Intelligence that will be part of iOS 18’s Apple Intelligence suite of AI features “later this year.” The feature works much like similar features offered by other multimodal AI systems from Google or OpenAI.

Visual Intelligence lets you “instantly learn about everything you see,” Apple’s Craig Federighi said during the company’s September event today. Federighi said the feature is “enabled by Camera Control,” which is the company’s name for a new capacitive camera button that’s now on the side of the iPhone 16 and 16 Pro phones. To trigger it, users will need to click and hold the button, then point the phone’s camera at whatever they’re curious about.

iPhones use a “combination of on-device intelligence and Apple services that never store your images” to power Visual Intelligence and let you take a picture of a restaurant to get info about its hours. Point your camera at a flyer, and “details like title, date, and location are automatically recorded,” he said. Federighi added that the feature is “also your gateway to third-party” models, which suggests using Visual Intelligence to search Google for a bike that you find out in the wild or take a picture of study notes to get help with a concept.

Apple didn’t announce when the feature would debut beyond that it’s “coming to Camera Control later this year.”

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The AirPods Pro 2 are also getting a five-minute hearing test feature. | Image: Apple

Apple has announced a batch of hearing health updates coming to the AirPods Pro 2, including a new “clinical grade” hearing aid feature. The iPhone maker says the hearing aid functionality is still awaiting FDA clearance, but it expects the agency’s approval alongside other regulatory bodies “soon.”
When enabled, the hearing aid feature will boost specific sounds in real time, such as speech and other environmental noises. A new clinically validated hearing test feature will also be included in this update that can help to detect hearing loss. Apple says the test requires both the AirPods Pro and a connected iPhone and can be taken in under five minutes.

Image: Apple
Here are all the new hearing health features coming to the AirPods Pro 2 this fall.

The test will ask users to listen to noises at a variety of frequencies and then tap their iPhone screen accordingly. The results can be viewed within the iPhone Health app and will create a custom hearing profile that’s then automatically applied when users listen to audio like music, podcasts, and calls.
Apple is also launching a passive hearing protection mode that will automatically reduce noise in loud environments like concerts. The feature is always enabled, with Apple noting that 1 in 3 people are regularly exposed to noisy environments that could damage their hearing.
The AirPods Pro 2’s new hearing aid and hearing test features are expected to launch this fall in over 100 countries and regions and will be released as a free software update for iOS 18.
Developing… check out our live blog for the latest details.

The AirPods Pro 2 are also getting a five-minute hearing test feature. | Image: Apple

Apple has announced a batch of hearing health updates coming to the AirPods Pro 2, including a new “clinical grade” hearing aid feature. The iPhone maker says the hearing aid functionality is still awaiting FDA clearance, but it expects the agency’s approval alongside other regulatory bodies “soon.”

When enabled, the hearing aid feature will boost specific sounds in real time, such as speech and other environmental noises. A new clinically validated hearing test feature will also be included in this update that can help to detect hearing loss. Apple says the test requires both the AirPods Pro and a connected iPhone and can be taken in under five minutes.

Image: Apple
Here are all the new hearing health features coming to the AirPods Pro 2 this fall.

The test will ask users to listen to noises at a variety of frequencies and then tap their iPhone screen accordingly. The results can be viewed within the iPhone Health app and will create a custom hearing profile that’s then automatically applied when users listen to audio like music, podcasts, and calls.

Apple is also launching a passive hearing protection mode that will automatically reduce noise in loud environments like concerts. The feature is always enabled, with Apple noting that 1 in 3 people are regularly exposed to noisy environments that could damage their hearing.

The AirPods Pro 2’s new hearing aid and hearing test features are expected to launch this fall in over 100 countries and regions and will be released as a free software update for iOS 18.

Developing… check out our live blog for the latest details.

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Image: Apple

Apple announced the iPhone 16 Pro lineup at Monday’s product event.
The company’s new flagship smartphones have slightly bigger screens across both models: 6.3 inches on the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on the iPhone 16 Pro Max (up from 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max). The bodies of the phones are once again made from titanium. It comes in four colors: black, white, natural, and a new “desert titanium.” Apple also claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has “the best iPhone battery life ever.”
The iPhone 16 Pro lineup comes with the A18 Pro chip, with a 16-core Neural Engine that it says will offer “amazing performance” for Apple Intelligence features, including 15 percent faster performance than the iPhone 15 Pro. It also has improved graphics performance thanks to a 6-core GPU that’s 20 percent faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro.

Image: Apple

The iPhone 16 Pro has a 48MP “fusion camera,” a new 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera — which, on the regular iPhone 16 Pro, has the tetraprism design that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 lineup also has the new Camera Control button to the iPhone 16 lineup, and Apple says that as part of a software update later this year, the button will get a two-stage shutter. Apple is introducing new photo styles, and you can change the styles in your photos after you take the picture. The iPhone 16 Pro will also be able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and you can adjust playback speed after capture in the Photos app.
Apple is also touting improved audio hardware on the iPhone 16 Pro, including four “studio quality” mics. You’ll also be able to capture spatial audio when recording spatial video. And in an update coming to Voice Memos later this year, you’ll be able to layer a track over a recording, which could be useful if you’re recording music.
The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1199 with 256GB of storage. You can preorder the new Pro phones on Friday, September 13th, and they’ll be available on September 20th.
Apple is launching these new phones as it makes a push into AI with its Apple Intelligence features, some of which are set to be available in beta in October. (The company claims that all of its new iPhones this year have been designed “for the ground up” for Apple Intelligence.) Like other tech companies, AI is a big focus for Apple this year, and the company already showed off several AI-powered tools at its most recent Worldwide Developers Conference, including an upgraded Siri and integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
The big features for the iPhone 15 Pro lineup were the titanium bodies and the Action Button. Apple also switched from Lightning to USB-C with the iPhone 15 Pro, but USB-C also came to the standard iPhone 15 models, too.
Developing… check out our live blog for the latest details.

Image: Apple

Apple announced the iPhone 16 Pro lineup at Monday’s product event.

The company’s new flagship smartphones have slightly bigger screens across both models: 6.3 inches on the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches on the iPhone 16 Pro Max (up from 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max). The bodies of the phones are once again made from titanium. It comes in four colors: black, white, natural, and a new “desert titanium.” Apple also claims that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has “the best iPhone battery life ever.”

The iPhone 16 Pro lineup comes with the A18 Pro chip, with a 16-core Neural Engine that it says will offer “amazing performance” for Apple Intelligence features, including 15 percent faster performance than the iPhone 15 Pro. It also has improved graphics performance thanks to a 6-core GPU that’s 20 percent faster than the iPhone 15 Pro’s A17 Pro.

Image: Apple

The iPhone 16 Pro has a 48MP “fusion camera,” a new 48MP ultrawide camera, and a 12MP 5x telephoto camera — which, on the regular iPhone 16 Pro, has the tetraprism design that was exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The iPhone 16 lineup also has the new Camera Control button to the iPhone 16 lineup, and Apple says that as part of a software update later this year, the button will get a two-stage shutter. Apple is introducing new photo styles, and you can change the styles in your photos after you take the picture. The iPhone 16 Pro will also be able to capture 4K video at 120fps, and you can adjust playback speed after capture in the Photos app.

Apple is also touting improved audio hardware on the iPhone 16 Pro, including four “studio quality” mics. You’ll also be able to capture spatial audio when recording spatial video. And in an update coming to Voice Memos later this year, you’ll be able to layer a track over a recording, which could be useful if you’re recording music.

The iPhone 16 Pro starts at $999 with 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1199 with 256GB of storage. You can preorder the new Pro phones on Friday, September 13th, and they’ll be available on September 20th.

Apple is launching these new phones as it makes a push into AI with its Apple Intelligence features, some of which are set to be available in beta in October. (The company claims that all of its new iPhones this year have been designed “for the ground up” for Apple Intelligence.) Like other tech companies, AI is a big focus for Apple this year, and the company already showed off several AI-powered tools at its most recent Worldwide Developers Conference, including an upgraded Siri and integration with OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

The big features for the iPhone 15 Pro lineup were the titanium bodies and the Action Button. Apple also switched from Lightning to USB-C with the iPhone 15 Pro, but USB-C also came to the standard iPhone 15 models, too.

Developing… check out our live blog for the latest details.

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Image: Apple

Apple has announced the iPhone 16, the latest edition of its mainline smartphone. The iPhone 16 comes in a variety of slightly refreshed colors that are more vivid compared to previous years. Also refreshed is the updated dual-camera arrangement on its rear, once again set up vertically, as last seen on the iPhone 12 from 2020.
The iPhone 16 has a variety of new hardware refinements and features, like a new A18 chip with 3nm process, increased battery life, water and dust resistance, an Action Button that debuted on last year’s Pro models, satellite messaging (starting in the US and Canada), improved thermal design for gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a new physical Camera Control button below the power button that sits flush with the case allowing swipe and tap gestures for camera app control.

Image: Apple
The iPhone 16 gets the Action Button from last year’s Pros and a new Camera Control button.

The new A18 chip has six performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s 30 percent faster than the iPhone 15’s CPU and can use 30 percent less power, while its GPU is 40 percent faster while using 35 percent less power — likely helping to afford Apple its claim that the iPhone 16 offers a big boost to battery life. The A18 also features improved gaming performance, allowing the iPhone 16 to be compatible with AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil 4 that have so far been exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro.

The iPhone 16 will be Apple’s first mainstream phone to utilize Apple Intelligence in beta after an update coming in October. The company first previewed the AI software at WWDC, where it was initially gated to Pro-level iPhone 15 models only. While Apple spent time reviewing many of Apple Intelligence’s upcoming features already shown at WWDC (like custom emoji and the ability to summarize text or emails), it previewed a new Google Lens-like search feature called Visual Intelligence, allowing an iPhone 16 user to search out information based on what the camera sees.
Speaking of cameras, the iPhone 16’s dual setup of a 48-megapixel main camera and new autofocusing ultra-wide camera offers the “equivalent” of four lenses by way of a 2x crop mode and macro mode (more trickle-downs from recent Pro iPhone models).

Image: Apple
The iPhone 16 comes in five color options, with more saturated tones for the pink, teal, and blue options than seen on prior models.

Once again, the standard iPhone will come with a 6.1-inch screen while the larger iPhone 16 Plus gets a 6.7-inch display — the same sizes as the iPhone 15 generation. But the screens for the iPhone 16 pair can reach 2,000 nits of peak brightness and go as dim as 1 nit.
The 16 follows the same general design as the 15, with a squared-off frame, rear glass allowing for MagSafe wireless charging, Apple’s Dynamic Island top cutout for housing its front-facing camera and Face ID sensors, and USB-C charging / data port at its base. While the move back to vertically aligned rear lenses may seem like a strange retread to a design element Apple moved on from, the backtrack makes sense for spatial photo and video support on the Apple Vision Pro.
The iPhone 16 starts at $799 with 128GB of storage and the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 with the same storage configuration. Both phones are set to land on September 20th, with pre-orders opening on September 13th.

Image: Apple

Apple has announced the iPhone 16, the latest edition of its mainline smartphone. The iPhone 16 comes in a variety of slightly refreshed colors that are more vivid compared to previous years. Also refreshed is the updated dual-camera arrangement on its rear, once again set up vertically, as last seen on the iPhone 12 from 2020.

The iPhone 16 has a variety of new hardware refinements and features, like a new A18 chip with 3nm process, increased battery life, water and dust resistance, an Action Button that debuted on last year’s Pro models, satellite messaging (starting in the US and Canada), improved thermal design for gaming with hardware-accelerated ray tracing, and a new physical Camera Control button below the power button that sits flush with the case allowing swipe and tap gestures for camera app control.

Image: Apple
The iPhone 16 gets the Action Button from last year’s Pros and a new Camera Control button.

The new A18 chip has six performance cores and four efficiency cores. It’s 30 percent faster than the iPhone 15’s CPU and can use 30 percent less power, while its GPU is 40 percent faster while using 35 percent less power — likely helping to afford Apple its claim that the iPhone 16 offers a big boost to battery life. The A18 also features improved gaming performance, allowing the iPhone 16 to be compatible with AAA games like Assassin’s Creed Mirage and Resident Evil 4 that have so far been exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro.

The iPhone 16 will be Apple’s first mainstream phone to utilize Apple Intelligence in beta after an update coming in October. The company first previewed the AI software at WWDC, where it was initially gated to Pro-level iPhone 15 models only. While Apple spent time reviewing many of Apple Intelligence’s upcoming features already shown at WWDC (like custom emoji and the ability to summarize text or emails), it previewed a new Google Lens-like search feature called Visual Intelligence, allowing an iPhone 16 user to search out information based on what the camera sees.

Speaking of cameras, the iPhone 16’s dual setup of a 48-megapixel main camera and new autofocusing ultra-wide camera offers the “equivalent” of four lenses by way of a 2x crop mode and macro mode (more trickle-downs from recent Pro iPhone models).

Image: Apple
The iPhone 16 comes in five color options, with more saturated tones for the pink, teal, and blue options than seen on prior models.

Once again, the standard iPhone will come with a 6.1-inch screen while the larger iPhone 16 Plus gets a 6.7-inch display — the same sizes as the iPhone 15 generation. But the screens for the iPhone 16 pair can reach 2,000 nits of peak brightness and go as dim as 1 nit.

The 16 follows the same general design as the 15, with a squared-off frame, rear glass allowing for MagSafe wireless charging, Apple’s Dynamic Island top cutout for housing its front-facing camera and Face ID sensors, and USB-C charging / data port at its base. While the move back to vertically aligned rear lenses may seem like a strange retread to a design element Apple moved on from, the backtrack makes sense for spatial photo and video support on the Apple Vision Pro.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799 with 128GB of storage and the iPhone 16 Plus starts at $899 with the same storage configuration. Both phones are set to land on September 20th, with pre-orders opening on September 13th.

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