In recent years, Apple has consistently maintained its incremental innovation, and this is no different in the AI space.

At 1 AM Beijing time, the iPhone 16 series was officially unveiled at Apple headquarters. The event was prerecorded, essentially having all viewers accompany Tim Cook in watching a meticulously produced 100-minute commercial; prices remained unchanged from the previous generation, with the standard model starting at 5,999 yuan and the Pro model starting at 7,999 yuan.

However, this time around, the iPhone focuses heavily on AI, introducing many new features. Unfortunately, these AI applications cannot be immediately experienced on the iPhone 16, especially for domestic users who will have to wait until next year at the earliest.

Apart from the much-anticipated AI, the phone itself has undergone some changes, such as a larger screen size, narrower bezels, and more color options. The most significant change is the addition of a physical camera control button on the side, allowing for quick photography and zoom, similar to the shutter button on a DSLR camera.

The iPhone 16 is considered a transitional product by foreign media. In recent years, Apple has consistently maintained its incremental innovation, and this remains true in the AI space.

Interestingly, Huawei chose to launch a new model on the same day, this time aiming to compete with Apple with its first tri-fold phone, which has already attracted over a million reservations. While it's debatable whether tri-fold phones have any real technical challenges or practical applications, and sales are not expected to be significant, the moves by domestic manufacturers like Huawei further underscore Apple's hesitance in product innovation.

When viewers anticipated Tim Cook to say "One More Thing" at the end of the event, he instead chose to say "Thank you for watching."

01

The Biggest Surprise: A Physical Button

The recent generations of iPhones have seen little change in their appearance. Some netizens joked that if you placed the iPhone 12 through iPhone 15 back-to-back, even Tim Cook himself might struggle to tell them apart at a glance.

However, the iPhone 16 standard model has undergone a camera change, transitioning from a diagonal to a vertical arrangement, reminiscent of the iPhone X era. Apple did this to facilitate spatial video recording, keeping the cameras on the same horizontal plane. The iPhone 16 Pro, on the other hand, retains the classic camera bump design.

In terms of imaging capabilities, this update brings significant upgrades, with Apple dedicating considerable time to highlighting the advancements in photography and videography on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro.

The iPhone 16 standard model features a 48MP Fusion camera, supporting 12MP 2x zoom and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle lens. The Pro series boasts a 48MP main camera and a quad-element telephoto lens with 5x zoom capabilities. While Apple's camera performance has been average, its video recording capabilities have consistently impressed professionals.

In addition to the camera upgrades, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max also sport larger screens, increased by 0.2 inches, with bezels reduced by about a third. This results in a substantial increase in display area without significantly altering the phone's dimensions.

Moreover, the iPhone 16 standard model now comes with 8GB of RAM and the latest A18 chip, skipping two generations of processors. While this may seem like a generous move, it's likely aimed at enhancing the phone's AI capabilities, which require more processing power and storage to run smoothly on-device.

But the feature that garnered the most praise from netizens is the camera control button introduced on the iPhone 16. Known for its minimalist design, Apple has traditionally minimized physical buttons. However, this new side button allows for focusing by tapping and zooming by sliding, akin to a shutter button on a DSLR camera.

Apple showcased various camera tricks centered around this button. However, since the button is flush with the frame and relies on capacitive sensing, it can be challenging to access when using a phone case. To address this, Apple offers official cases with touch sensitivity, which means users must shell out extra for an expensive accessory.

Interestingly, to demonstrate the power of the A18 chip, Apple used Tencent's "Honor of Kings: World" in a 3A game demo. Some netizens speculated that Tencent might have secretly sponsored the showcase.

Recently, rumors circulated that the iPhone would no longer support WeChat. Now, it's clear that neither company can do without the other. In fact, WeChat's increasing storage demands have inadvertently driven sales of high-capacity iPhones by compelling users to upgrade their devices.

02

AI Takes Center Stage

Since this year's WWDC, it was widely known that the iPhone 16 would focus on generative AI. At the iPhone 16 launch event, Tim Cook explicitly stated that this generation of iPhones is designed for Apple Intelligence.

Apple Intelligence broadly encompasses three categories: writing, vision, and Siri, covering text, image recognition, and speech recognition.

For instance, AI can assist with text proofreading, email phrasing, and meeting summary generation – functions commonly found in AI apps. Apple's advantage lies in integrating these features natively within its system, eliminating the need to switch to external apps.

Vision AI uses the camera to recognize surroundings. For example, capturing a promotional poster with your phone can automatically add its details (including date, time, and location) to your calendar.

Snapping a photo of a street restaurant can reveal its information and allow for reservations on your phone, though the actual experience remains to be seen and may not be available for all establishments.

Moreover, users can generate custom emojis by typing keywords on the keyboard and find relevant photos and videos to create vlogs by inputting natural language in the Photos app. The AI removal feature popularized by Huawei and OPPO will also be available on iPhones.

Siri, Apple's voice assistant, has undergone significant upgrades, enabling more natural conversations and supporting text input in addition to voice commands.

Overall, Apple emphasizes system-level intelligence to reshape the user experience, rather than isolated smart features. However, current AI capabilities primarily enhance Apple's own apps and have yet to integrate widely with third-party apps.

These system-native AI abilities rely on generative models trained by Apple rather than sourced from large model vendors like OpenAI, though OpenAI services are available as cloud options.

03

Can AI Quench Apple's Thirst in the Short Term?

When Apple announced its Apple Intelligence initiative at WWDC in June, the industry eagerly anticipated its potential, given the phone's status as an ideal AI platform. Some even predicted that AI would spur a wave of phone upgrades, much like 5G did in the past.

Yet, reality has been less optimistic.

The AI applications unveiled with the iPhone 16 lack a wow factor. Similar features are available on phones from Samsung, OPPO, and others. Moreover, these AI capabilities have yet to drive significant sales growth.

Apple itself is not fully prepared. The announced AI features are not immediately available on the iPhone 16; North American users can try them in the iOS 18.1 Beta in October, while domestic users will likely have to wait until next year. Furthermore, these AI capabilities will roll out in stages, with ChatGPT integration delayed until later this year.

This delay will have a ripple effect, as Apple had planned to overhaul Siri based on this AI model, introducing more personalized and contextual chat modes. These key features will now be postponed until next year.

Foreign media views the iPhone 16 as a transitional product, with a more comprehensive AI experience expected on the iPhone 17, anticipated to bring significant upgrades. By then, Apple may usher in a super upgrade cycle.

Yet, such rhetoric struggles to convince consumers. Few believe Apple will deliver groundbreaking upgrades in the next iPhone generation. From Dynamic Island to USB-C, recent changes fall short of revolutionary.

Objectively, this aligns with AI's evolutionary path. Following ChatGPT's popularity, the application of large models has not progressed smoothly, and AI advancements unlikely to occur overnight.

Apple's incremental innovation strategy has long been criticized, impacting iPhone sales, particularly in China.

Upon the iPhone 15 series' launch, prices dropped below retail on the first day, reflecting consumer uncertainty. While overall sales did not plummet, this was largely due to aggressive discounts rather than product innovation driving demand.

The iPhone increasingly relies on marketing strategies to mask strategic shortcomings. To differentiate models, some upgrades are withheld, encouraging consumers to opt for pricier variants.

Over time, smartphones have iterated incrementally, with core components approaching maturity. iPhone updates resemble car models, maintaining a consistent overall look while refining details and internal performance.

Apple titled the event "Moment of Truth," but a true product highlight has been long overdue.