The September Apple hardware event this year didn’t feature many notable changes to hardware, with more of a focus on Apple Intelligence.

Despite that, here are all the things Apple announced on the hardware front.

iPhone 16 & Plus

The iPhone 16 received several hardware upgrades, a major one being a jump from the A16 to the…

A18 Chip

This Chip brings the ability to handle Ray-Tracing to the base iPhone.

  • CPU: Runs up to 30% faster
    • Uses 30% less power
  • GPU: Runs up to 40% faster
    • Uses 35% less power
  • Neural Engine: Up to 2x faster
  • Memory Bandwidth: 17% more

These stats are based on the A16 Bionic chip

Camera Control Button

This was another hard-to-miss upgrade. Resting below the power button, it has a low profile, allowing it to remain flush with the frame. It happens to be pressure-sensitive, allowing it to detect swipes and light presses.

  • When pressed in the Camera app, a picture will be taken.
  • Pressing and holding it will bring up the Visual Intelligence UI, or take a video within the camera app.
  • A light press will bring up a new overlay, allowing you to control camera functions via swiping.
  • Lightly pressing and holding will hide other UI elements to improve your ability to focus on the shot.
  • A double light press allows you to select which function to control.

Developers can leverage this button to enhance the functionality of their applications

Other Upgrades

  • The glass shielding the display has been upgraded to the latest generation of Ceramic Shield, which is now 50% tougher than the initial version.
  • Battery capacity has been increased from the 3349 mAh of the iPhone 15.
  • The Action Button has also been added.
  • The camera now features sensor-shift optical image stabilization.
  • Supports Wi-Fi 7

iPhone 16 Pro & Max

Display Size

  • Pro: Has increased from 6.1″ to 6.3”.
  • Max: Has increased from 6.7″ to 6.9”.

A18 Pro Chip

  • CPU: Runs up to 15% faster
    • Uses 20% less power
  • GPU: Runs up to 20% faster
    • Ray-Tracing: Up to 2x faster
  • Neural Engine: Up to 15% faster
  • Video Encoding: Up to 2x faster
  • Memory Bandwidth: 17% more

These stats are based on the A17 Pro chip

Camera Control Button

Information on this upgrade can be found in the iPhone 16 & Plus section of this article

Other Upgrades

  • The glass shielding the display has been upgraded to the latest generation of Ceramic Shield, which is now 50% tougher than the initial version.
  • Battery capacity has been increased from the 3274 mAh of the iPhone 15 Pro, boasting the highest battery capacity ever.
  • Improved MagSafe Charging Speeds.
  • Supports Wi-Fi 7
  • Has 4 studio quality mics.

Apple Watch 10

Wide Angle Display

It can be viewed clearly from a wider range of angles.

Other Upgrades

  • Can charge to 80% in under 30 minutes
  • Water Temperature & Depth sensors.

If I understood Apple’s announcement correctly, it seems to be more geared towards snorkeling than diving

AirPods 4

Force Touch

Force controls from the AirPods Pro have finally been added.

This doesn’t include volume swipe controls.

Charging Case

  • Now it has a USB-C power port.
  • Size has been reduced to the smallest it’s ever been.

Active Noise Cancelling*

  • All sound modes featured in the Pro series have been added.
  • Conversational Awareness has also been added.

*These features are an optional, paid upgrade available when purchasing the AirPods 4

Other Upgrades

  • The pod has been refined to comfortably fit a wider range of ear shapes.

AirPods Max

  • The only upgrade was switching the power port to USB-C.

Conclusion

Other than the Camera Control button, the Apple hardware event didn’t reveal any game-changing hardware upgrades this year. But I personally think the changes were well thought out, along with being useful.

If I missed anything, feel free to let us know in the comments. This article is focusing on hardware rather than software, so please keep that in mind.

Credits

  • Apple – Most tech specs, and all images.
  • MacTracker – All other specs.