This year's Apple autumn event is likely to be a watershed moment.

On the late night of August 26, Apple sent invitations to users worldwide, officially announcing the date of the 2024 autumn event: 1 AM Beijing time on September 10. Judging from the invitation content, Apple AI and screen upgrades (highlight moment) should be the core themes of this event, with updates coming to Apple's iPhone, MacBook, AirPods, Apple Watch, and other product lines.

It is worth mentioning that the content of this event will be prerecorded and broadcasted from Apple Park, rather than a live stream, which has been the norm for Apple autumn events led by Tim Cook in recent years. Lei Tech will broadcast this major event in the tech industry live and send professional, comprehensive, and in-depth analysis promptly with a luxurious lineup. Please stay tuned.

Among the many new products at this year's Apple autumn event, the most anticipated is the iPhone 16 series. However, information about the iPhone 16 series has already been leaked extensively, and Lei Tech has been continuously reporting on it for over a year. Overall, Apple fans should not expect too much as the new iPhone still exhibits incremental upgrades, a rigid hierarchy, and Cook's "knife cuts." Compared to the iPhone 15 series, there are almost no changes in appearance, and the camera hardware is underwhelming. The overall configuration has not been significantly upgraded. The biggest selling point is the standard 8GB of RAM across all models and the addition of a dedicated camera button.

Due to mediocre hardware, the iPhone 16 has to rely on "Apple Intelligent." However, due to a lack of core AI technology and heavy reliance on third-party AI, the results may not be ideal, especially in the Chinese market, where it remains uncertain how Apple AI will be implemented.

This year's Apple autumn event is likely to be a watershed moment: The iPhone will further lose market share, and uncertainty increases about whether Apple can maintain its top position in the AI era. On a brand level, Apple will officially step down from its pedestal.

The iPhone 16 series offers minimal upgrades, the smallest in history

Previously, many overseas professional bloggers have also warned about this new product, stating that this generation of iPhone is merely a transitional product and will not bring significant updates. Since the iPhone 14 series, Apple's progress has been very slow. If this generation of iPhone does not consider a major update, it may lose many users.

(Image source: 9to5mac)

The much-anticipated iPhone 15 series also failed to escape the fate of breaking even on its first day of sale, ultimately due to Apple's "shell-changing magic" no longer working. When consumers are no longer attracted by so-called new materials and processes, the iPhone 15 series naturally loses its inherent advantage.

Judging from the latest leaked information, the iPhone 16 series has not rectified past mistakes but is instead Apple's laziest generation.

In terms of hardware, the standard iPhone 16/Plus merely upgrades the SoC to A18 and the rear camera to dual 48MP lenses, arranging them vertically instead of diagonally, with most other aspects remaining unchanged from the previous generation. The iPhone 16 Pro replaces the 3X telephoto lens with a 5X periscope lens, matching the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and the size increases slightly with a slight increase in battery capacity.

(Image source: 9to5Mac)

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg's lead tech reporter, believes that Apple's promotional focus for the iPhone 16 series this year is the dedicated camera button, which enables quick camera launch and serves as a shutter button and start/stop button for video recording. In essence, this camera button is already an abandoned hardware solution in the Android camp.

The Android camp gears up to actively erode Apple's market share

Competitors in the Android camp are also gearing up, preparing to steal iPhone users while Apple is still holding back its big moves. Digital Chat Station revealed on social media that OPPO will add support for more magnetic accessories to its next-generation Find series flagship phones, including magnetic chargers, phone cases, card holders, etc. Combined with previous leaks that ColorOS 15 will add features reminiscent of iOS, such as AirDrop and Live Photos, is OPPO determined to steal iPhone users?

Previously, the Xiaomi 15 and Xiaomi 15 Pro models stole a significant number of iPhone users due to their exclusive positioning in the "small screen flagship" segment, especially the standard version of the Xiaomi digital series, which has reportedly sold over 2 million units according to official data. In the second half of this year, OPPO Find X8 and vivo X200 series will enter the market with a "small screen flagship" positioning, at which point the iPhone's small screen advantage will also cease to exist.

(Image source: Weibo)

As a "small screen flagship," although the iPhone 16 Pro uses a periscope telephoto lens for the first time, its sensor area is smaller, and the pixel count is lower, falling far short of current large-sensor, high-pixel periscope solutions. Of course, Apple's approach to the "Pro" series is to make it a more professional imaging tool, but distancing itself from the needs of mass consumers will only push it away from the mainstream market.

Ming-Chi Kuo, a highly regarded analyst who closely follows Apple, revealed that Apple intends to promote Apple Intelligent as the core selling point of the iPhone 16 series. However, Apple's AI policies remain unclear in countries/regions outside the US, especially in mainland China. Consequently, the promotional focus of the iPhone 16 series in the Chinese market seems to be solely on the mediocre camera button.

(Image source: MacRumors)

It is evident that Apple's slowdown in innovation is reflected not only in conservative hardware updates but also in lagging feature development. For instance, the only changes in the iPhone 16 series are the addition of a camera button and increased sizes for the Pro models, which can be considered counter-trend designs. Can Apple still drive new design trends today? It seems challenging.

Objectively speaking, the severe loss of iPhone users is more closely related to Apple's inaction. As consumers, users naturally choose products that better suit their needs and support them financially. In the past, Apple used its unique system features and ecosystem to bind users, but now that Android brands are adding new features to compete with iOS, Apple's advantage in the next flagship battle may no longer exist.

Apple's "ecosystem binding" is no longer effective?

As a long-time user of the Apple ecosystem, I have been impressed by its comprehensive workflow, such as AirDrop and cloud synchronization, which are classic examples of multi-device collaboration within the Apple ecosystem.

At the 2023 vivo Developer Conference, vivo launched the "vivo Office Suite," a cross-platform synchronization application. This suite supports installation on mobile devices, Windows, and Mac platforms, enabling file transfer, end-to-end control, and even cross-platform search.

(Image source: vivo)

The launch of this suite marks a historic moment in breaking Apple's "ecosystem binding" by replacing the cross-device advantages that existed solely between Mac and iOS with a single application. Vivo's approach is smart, recognizing that many iPhone users choose to stick with iOS because they don't want to lose the interconnectivity with MacBook. Indeed, MacBook is often the only choice for most office workers. Therefore, vivo took the initiative to break the ecosystem dilemma, helping users with such concerns "escape their misery."

This approach has also led vivo to rank first in the domestic market for 19 consecutive weeks in the first half of 2024, attracting many new users who switched from iPhone.

Apart from vivo, OPPO has also set its sights on iPhone's unique feature – Live Photos.

Live Photos, launched by Apple alongside the iPhone 6S in 2015, captures a 45fps, 3-second video clip when taking a photo. When users view the photo in their gallery, the related video clip plays automatically. This type of photo is also known as a "dynamic photo" or "live photo."

(Image source: OPPO)

Dynamic photos were actually a standard feature in early Android devices, such as those from HTC, Samsung, and Xiaomi. However, iPhone not only captures but also shares and publishes these photos, giving it an advantage. OPPO has pioneered support for sharing dynamic photos on the Xiaohongshu platform on the Reno 12 series, and with the arrival of ColorOS 15, this feature will be available on most models.

Apart from dynamic photos, OPPO also plans to support AirDrop, magnetic charging, Dynamic Island, and Always-On Display (AOD) features in ColorOS 15, with the clear goal of making the transition from iPhone to OPPO's ecosystem smoother for users.

(Image source: Weibo)

In reality, these exclusive features may not be iPhone's core functions but are undoubtedly among its most well-received. It is not difficult for the Android camp to implement these features, but practical factors such as patents and platform compatibility hinder their development. Now that manufacturers are working with social platforms to facilitate feature adaptation, iPhone's advantages become less apparent.

The decisive moment between Apple and Android, has the outcome been decided?

Following past trends, the iPhone 16 series should be announced in mid-September and officially go on sale at the end of the month. Unfortunately, the rollout of new Android flagships is also accelerating this year, with leaks suggesting that some manufacturers will launch new flagship series as early as October. No one expected the weakest generation of iPhone to face off against the strongest generation of Android.

This year's first batch of Android flagships is likely to include the Xiaomi 15 series, iQOO 13, OnePlus 13, OPPO Find X8 series, and vivo X200 series. Standard models from vivo and OPPO equipped with MediaTek Dimensity 9400 will hit the market earlier, while those with Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 4, aimed at the premium segment, are expected to go on sale in November.

This year's situation is quite dramatic, with Apple's "weakest generation" of iPhone 16 series facing off against the "strongest generation" of Android flagships. For consumers, this rivalry undoubtedly increases choice complexity and diversity but also highlights the pressure on Apple to innovate.

(Image source: MacRumors)

Looking at the overall market landscape, Apple seems to be facing an unprecedented challenge. If Apple fails to bring significant improvements to the iPhone 16 series, this year's rivalry may drive more premium users to the Android camp. For Android manufacturers, this is an excellent opportunity to further expand their share of the premium market and potentially even change Apple's long-standing dominance, thanks to their technological lead and faster product iteration.

Apple also faces challenges from significant "invasions" of its own ecosystem. For example, Xiaomi has captured part of the small screen enthusiast market with its small screen flagship positioning, while vivo and OPPO have launched software offensives to reassure Mac users that they can confidently choose Android phones other than iPhone. Honor and Huawei, on the other hand, offer a more comfortable user experience with smoother performance and impressive system-level AI that surpasses iOS.

Regardless, the iPhone remains the top-selling smartphone in the market. However, its lagging hardware and compromised software ecosystem pose significant risks for Apple. Will the iPhone 16 series still have any surprises left unrevealed? Can Apple stage a comeback? We'll have to wait for the Apple autumn event to find out.

Source: Lei Tech