Apple introduces iPhone 16 with groundbreaking AI capabilities, enhanced cameras, and faster A18 chip for improved performance.
Apple’s Senior Vice President of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi, introduced the company’s latest artificial intelligence advancements. Several of these features were previewed at Apple’s developer conference in June, with the first batch set to roll out in a free software update next month.
Apple Intelligence is compatible with the new iPhone 16 models, as well as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Federighi explained that Apple Intelligence integrates language, images, actions, and personal context. He emphasized that data remains private, never stored or shared with Apple, and external experts are invited to verify the company’s privacy assurances.
One of the standout features Federighi introduced is a new generative emoji tool, allowing users to create custom emojis simply by typing a few words. Users can also search for specific photos and videos by entering related words.
Federighi highlighted that Apple Intelligence also represents a significant milestone for Siri. Users will now be able to interact with Siri via text prompts, voice commands—even if they stumble while speaking—and retrieve specific details from text conversations, among other tasks.
Other features, like generating emojis and a new Visual Intelligence feature, will launch later. Visual Intelligence enables tasks like identifying dog breeds from photos. Apple also revealed that the iPhone 16 has been specifically designed with Apple Intelligence in mind.
The iPhone 16 offers:
- Aerospace-grade aluminum construction
- 85% recycled materials in the enclosure
- Two size options: 6.1 inches for iPhone 16 and 6.7 inches for iPhone 16 Plus
- Customizable action buttons (e.g., flashlight at night, calendar during the day)
- An all-new “camera control” button for instant camera access and adjustments by sliding a finger
- A new A18 chip, engineered for iPhone 16, optimized for large generative models and featuring a neural engine twice as fast
- A 48-megapixel camera, offering 4x the resolution of the iPhone 14
- A new ultra-wide camera with automatic focus and enhanced low-light performance
- Spatial photos
- Customizable, pinnable photo collections in iOS 18’s photo gallery
Apple stated that the A18 chip in the iPhone 16 features 3-nanometer technology and four efficiency cores, supporting nearly every iPhone experience, including Apple Intelligence. It boasts up to 60% faster CPU performance compared to the iPhone 12, rivaling the speed of high-end desktop PCs. Additionally, the iPhone 16's GPU is up to 40% faster than that of the iPhone 15.