Key Points:
- Apple focuses on AI-driven features for the iPhone 16 series.
- Unusual pre-launch meeting scheduled for retail employees.
- Apple Intelligence features to roll out in stages starting October 2024.
Apple is gearing up for the launch of the iPhone 16 series, with most sources pointing to a September 10, 2024, announcement. This release could be one of the most significant in recent years, primarily due to the phone’s advanced AI capabilities, known as Apple Intelligence. Apple is taking extra steps to ensure a smooth launch, highlighting the importance of these new features.
Following the anticipated September 10 announcement, which falls on a Tuesday, the new iPhones are expected to hit stores on September 20. While the iPhone 16 won’t drastically differ in hardware from the iPhone 15, the marketing will strongly emphasize Apple Intelligence—Apple’s innovative suite of AI-driven features.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman recently reported that Apple Intelligence will play a central role in the iPhone 16’s in-store promotion. To prepare for this, Apple has already begun training its retail employees on these features.
In a surprising move, Apple has scheduled an unusual meeting for its retail staff on the evening of September 12 or the morning of September 13, with mandatory attendance. This is noteworthy because such meetings are typically held on Sundays, not during the week. Although Gurman didn’t elaborate on the reason behind this change, Apple likely wants to give its employees ample time to familiarize themselves with Apple Intelligence before the launch.
The iPhone 16 won’t come with Apple Intelligence fully integrated at launch. Instead, the company is targeting October 2024 for the first batch of features, with the full rollout expected to be completed by mid-2025.
Currently, some Apple Intelligence features are available in beta, including an improved Siri with better contextual understanding, prioritized notifications, summaries of web pages and voice notes, phone call transcriptions, and new writing tools. While these features may not seem groundbreaking at the moment, they are expected to evolve and become more impactful as updates continue.
