Logo

It’s Glowtime: Everything You Missed from the 2024 September Apple Event

By Emily Atchison|

September 09, 2024

As Greg Joswiak said - “We’re glowing with excitement!”



Apple’s recent ‘It’s Glowtime’ September 2024 event introduced several new improvements to some of our favorite Apple products, including well-anticipated iPhone 16.



Leaning into the theme of ‘Glowtime’, Tim Cook announced that Apple Intelligence be integrated even further with the introduction of the iPhone 16 series. At WWDC 2024, Apple announced Apple Intelligence which paved the way for future updates for to their products, including Mac and iPhone.



Tim Cook announced that Apple Intelligence would be released next month (October), so developers can get excited for the upcoming beta.



Miss the event or want the main highlights? We’ve rounded up a few of the most noteworthy announcements from this ‘glowing’ Apple Event.

iPhone 16 series

The latest and greatest iPhone is here. The iPhone 16 series integrates Apple Intelligence features into iPhone, allowing for innovative Siri capabilities and more. Additionally, the powerful A18 chip will be included in all iPhone 16 series. As a result, these iPhones will be able to support the Apple Intelligence features debuting in ‌iOS 18‌.



Here’s a closer look at the specific features for each new iPhone:

iPhone 16

Noteworthy iPhone 16 features and updates:
  • Customizable Action button
  • Camera Control
  • 3 new bright colors
  • 50% tougher than first-generation Ceramic Shield
  • New sizes: 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch for iPhone 16 Plus
  • 5-core GPU, up to 40% faster than iPhone 15
  • A18 chip is 30% faster than A16 bionic in iPhone 15


iPhone 16 Pro and Max

Noteworthy iPhone 16 Pro and Max features and updates:

  • Largest iPhone display ever - going from 6.1 and 6.7 inches to 6.3 and 6.9 inches
  • Both iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max have 5x telephoto lenses
  • New Desert Titanium color
  • A18 Pro chip with 17% more memory bandwidth
  • 4K120 capture can be used in slo-mo or video mode
  • New 48MP ultra-wide camera



Apple Watch Series

Apple Watch series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 have fantastic new and improved health features, as well as updates adventure/outdoor enthusiasts will love.

Apple Watch 10

Noteworthy Apple Watch 10 features and updates:

  • The biggest display and thinnest design ever, 10% thinner than Series 9
  • Up to 30% more screen area
  • 2 new aluminum colors: Jet Black and Rose Gold
  • 2 new titanium colors: Natural, Gold and dark Slate Gray
  • Sleep Apnea detection alerts
  • Tides and Depth apps for snorkeling

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Noteworthy Apple Watch Ultra 2 features and updates:

  • New Black Titanium color
  • 36 hours of battery life
  • Advanced satellite and signal models
  • Switch actions at any time by pressing and holding the Action button during multi-workout mode
  • The best watch for athletes and adventurers

AirPods

With extensive research done to make this round of AirPods the most comfortable ones yet. AirPods 4 have new Siri improvements as well as better fitting AirPods. New hearing safety features were also announced for AirPods Pro 2. AirPods Max recieved an update in colors, but no new notable features.

AirPods 4

Noteworthy AirPods 4 features and updates:

  • USB-C charging has arrived
  • New machine learning supports nods and shaking heads when answering questions with Siri Interactions
  • Wireless charging using Qi and MagSafe

AirPods Pro 2

Noteworthy AirPods Pro 2 features and updates:

  • AirPods Pro 2 includes several hearing safety improvements, including Hearing Protection, Hearing Test, and Hearing Aid
  • Personalized hearing profile
  • USB-C and wireless charging

TL;DR ‘It’s Glowtime’ Apple Event Recap

While we patiently wait for M4 Mac minis and Studios, we gathered a few main takeaways from Apple's “It’s Glowtime” event:



  • Mobile gaming is still a huge focus for Apple - With the improvements of CPU and GPU in iPhone 16 and iOS 18, gaming on iPhone is becoming a more seamless experience.
  • Health features are top of mind - With Hearing Test on AirPods Pro and Sleep Apnea Detection on Apple Watch, users are getting more benefits than ever before on Apple devices.
  • Apple's Project 2030 - All of the releases at this Apple Event focused on Apple's mission to bring their net emissions to zero across their entire carbon footprint.



Whatever is next in the world on Apple, MacStadium's Mac cloud infrastructure + virtualization solutions can help you enable iOS and macOS application development at scale. Check out our current Bare Metal Mac machines, or chat with a Mac expert about a custom solution today.

Share this article

Logo

Orka, Orka Workspace and Orka Pulse are trademarks of MacStadium, Inc. Apple, Mac, Mac mini, Mac Pro, Mac Studio, and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. The names and logos of third-party products and companies shown on the website are the property of their respective owners and may also be trademarked.

©2024 MacStadium, Inc. is a U.S. corporation headquartered at 3340 Peachtree Rd NE, Suite 2330, Atlanta, GA 30326. MacStadium, Ltd. is registered in Ireland, company no. 562354.