What to expect from Apple's September 9 iPhone 16 'Glowtime' event

As regular as clockwork, Apple will be holding a special event on September 9. The event will introduce the iPhone 16, and will also feature other upcoming products in Apple's catalog.

Here's what hardware Apple is expected to debut, during what will be its most-watched event of the year.

The Glowtime event

Invitations were sent out to the media on August 26, inviting them to an in-person gathering at Apple Park. It will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater on the campus at 10 am P.T. on September 9.

The invite was headlined "It's Glowtime" along with a similarly-themed Apple logo. This is likely to be in reference to the multi-colored glowing effect on the edge of the iPhone display when Apple Intelligence is invoked.

The event will be live-streamed by Apple from its website and from its official YouTube account.

The date is unusual for Apple, since it's earlier than anyone expected. Rumors, analysis, and leakers claimed the event would happen on September 10, a Tuesday, but it's actually one day earlier.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro

The jewel in Apple's crown is the iPhone, and for 2024, that will be the iPhone 16 generation. As usual, four models are expected, made up of the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max.

The iPhone 16 is anticipated to have similar-sized screens to the iPhone 15 for the non-Pro models, measuring 6.1 inches or 6.7 inches for the Plus version. The iPhone 16 Pro may gain around 0.2 inches apiece, becoming 6.3 inches and 6.9 inches.

The chips will also get a boost, with the A18 Pro adding more processing capability to the Pro models. The chip the standard iPhone 16 models will get should be effectively identical to the A17 Pro in the current-gen iPhones, with possibly a few tweaks.

This will make the iPhone 16 range entirely capable of performing the various AI functions that will arrive with Apple Intelligence in the future.

Apple is expected to change the camera arrangement on the non-Pro models to a vertical arrangement, slimming down the camera bump overall. We may see other changes, such as more sensors getting an upgrade to 48MP, or an expansion of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's Tetraprism lens to all Pro models.

One late-running rumor is that Apple will up the video capabilities of the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max's cameras. This will apparently include recording 4K video at 120fps instead of 60fps as a maximum, a ProRes 4K 120fps for external recordings, and even a QuickTake upgrade from 1080p to 4K.

There may be more changes on the outside, including the expansion of the Action button to all models, and even the long-rumored Capture button. Due to the capacitive nature of the Capture button, rumors also say it will work even if there's no cut-out in the case.

One non-visible change could be price. There have been some expectations of a price increase for the 2024 models, due to costs relating to Apple Intelligence.

iPad and iPad mini

While not necessarily at the same strict cadence as the iPhone, the iPad could get its usual refresh at the same event. The last time it was updated was in the fall of 2022, making it due to get an update.

Few rumors have circulated about the iPad, but it is likely to get a chip bump to a newer A-series processor at the very least.

As the sixth-gen iPad mini was introduced in September 2021, that three-year gap could be enough for the compact model to get a similar spec bump.

Apple could end up shifting the front-facing camera to match other models in the range. On the back, while likely to stay with a 12MP sensor, Apple could upgrade the iPad mini to use the same 48MP version as its current-gen iPhones.

While the mini won't get an OLED screen this year, Apple will certainly make sure to avoid its jelly scrolling issue from last time.

With updates made to the iPad Air and iPad Pro line earlier in 2024, don't expect much from those two lines during the event.

Apple Watch Series 10

The subject of quite a few rumors, the Apple Watch Series 10 could be known as the Series X, and undergo a potentially major set of updates befitting a milestone number.

This includes making the Apple Watch thinner and larger than ever before, possibly resulting in 45mm and 49mm sizes. The display could even be a bit bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra, at 50.8mm.

The changes may not necessarily be useful for users of older models, though. There have been rumors that the connectors for bands to attach to the Apple Watch itself could change for the next version, making older bands obsolete.

On the health functions side, the new feature is anticipated to be sleep apnea detection. Built on top of existing sleep tracking functions, the new mode will determine whether the user has sleep apnea, and will notify them to get checked out by a medical professional.

What probably won't be turning up is any form of blood oxygen detection features, prompted by Apple's legal fight with Masimo over patents.

Another thing that will probably fail to arrive is the rumored hypertension detection. While it has been worked on for quite some time, there is the belief it has been delayed yet again.

AirPods, AirPods Max

Apple has laid out a number of inbound changes for how AirPods will function in iOS 18. It seems apt that new models could make an appearance during the September event.

For a start, AirPods 4 could expand the range with two variants, including a lower-cost model with an updated design and USB-C for the case. The second could be a mid-tier offering, with active noise cancellation and Find My built into the case.

In September, it was reported that the case could also have a speaker to aid with finding it when lost. The same report added that there will be better audio quality all round for the AirPods 4.

After being released in December 2020, the AirPods Max have failed to be updated at all over this time. An update is long overdue, and price drops and rumors have promoted the idea that one is on the way.

So far, rumors have said there will be a shift to USB-C to join other Apple hardware, as well as a switch to the H2 chip. This could bring better noise cancellation and improve battery life.

But what about Macs?

Apple does launch many products in the fall, but not necessarily in just one event. It frequently holds two special events in the fall, with an October event holding the overflow products.

Of Apple's product lines that get pushed into the later event, the Mac category is typically the first to do so.

Therefore, while we do include Mac-based product rumors below, they are more likely to be in an October showcase instead of the September event.

Mac mini

Apple last updated the Mac mini in January 2023, so an update to the M4 this fall is a good prospect. The rumor mill has also offered claims that an update is inbound for the model sooner rather than later.

Current rumors for the M4 Mac mini include a long-awaited change in form factor, making it smaller. This will make it an even more compact Mac for the desktop, and possibly a visually striking departure from the well-worn current aluminum puck design.

It is also probable that the M4 Mac mini will be joined by an M4 Pro edition. Based on the previous release, it should look the same as the M4 version, but have a better chip driving the experience.

iMac

The 24-inch iMac was last updated in November 2023, bringing it to M3. While it did skip over the M2, it is thought that it won't miss out on the M4 update, despite the short sub-year gap between updates.

However, the desktop Mac may not be only offered in a single size. Rumors have proposed that a larger iMac is on the way, potentially as large as 32 inches versus 24 inches for the current model.

MacBook Pro

Frequently mentioned in rumors to arrive in late 2024, updates to the 14-inch MacBook Pro and 16-inch MacBook Pro stand a good chance of making an appearance.

With a one-year cadence for the M3 introduction in fall 2023, Apple can easily do the same again with the M4 editions in the coming weeks.

However, rumors have yet to offer any other major changes that could be on the way for the MacBook Pro range. It may end up being a simple spec bump upgrade this time around.

What probably won't appear this fall

Some products are highly unlikely to be updated during the presentation, simply because they have received an update relatively recently.

For example, the iPad Pro models were updated to M4 earlier in 2024, alongside new models of iPad Air. It's been too little time between updates for that to occur.

In other cases, it's because rumors and analyst forecasts say that changes are further off into the future.

For example, the MacBook Air is expected to get another update in the spring of 2025. The Mac Studio and Mac Pro, while certainly in the timeframe for an update, are both anticipated to wait until 2025, with some estimates expecting a late 2025 update.

AirPods Pro was last updated in September 2022 with improvements to ANC and Transparency thanks to using H2, though it was later updated to include a USB-C charging case instead of Lightning. However, rumors indicate that a third-gen release may occur in 2025, not 2024.