Apple's press conference took place in the early morning of today (//10) Taiwan time, bringing to the world the iPhone 16 series redesigned with Apple Intelligence (AI). Not only did it have a huge change in appearance, it also added new camera controls, and The entire series is equipped with the A18 processor, but foreign media tested the actual application of Apple Intelligence and found that there was some paint loss.
Highlights of the new machine/Taiwan price
The entire iPhone 16 series maintains the naming method of 16 / 16Plus / 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max, and there is no rumored new product positioning model (Ultra). Among them, 16 / 16Plus is equipped with an A18 chip , compared to the A16 bionic chip of the iPhone 15 , the CPU is 50% faster, the GPU is 40% faster, and the memory bandwidth is further increased.
The new action buttons of the iPhone 15 Pro are added to the hardware, and a camera control button is added below the power button, which can sense light touch, deep pressure, left and right sliding and other operations to achieve one-click switching of camera parameters. The previous square camera module has been changed to a straight-line one . One of the dual lenses provides a 48-megapixel Fusion camera with double optical zoom, and the other is a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens that supports macro mode.
Unfortunately, the 16/16Plus screen refresh rate remains at 60 hz, and the transmission speed remains at USB 2.0.
The 16 Pro / 16 Pro Max series are equipped with the A18 Pro Bionic chip. Compared with the A17 Pro of the iPhone 15, the CPU and GPU are 20% faster, which further increases energy efficiency and memory bandwidth. At the same time, Apple also emphasizes that the middle A heat-dissipating aluminum frame has been added , battery performance has been greatly enhanced, and the screen size of the flagship model 16 Pro Max has increased to 6.9 inches.
The camera section adds 4K/120fps Dolby Vision and ProRes shooting for the first time , bringing a 48-megapixel Fusion camera, a 48-megapixel wide-angle lens as the main lens, and maintaining five times optical zoom. This is also the first time that the iPhone 16 Pro has five 1x optical zoom instead of 3x. The microphone part is also equipped with four microphones for the first time. When recording videos and sounds, the AI function can be used to adjust the real-time mixing and preview effects.
The following is the price announced in Taiwan, which will be available for pre-order on 9/13 and will start shipping on 9/20:
iPhone 16/16Plus
128GB NT$29,990/ NT$32,900
256GB NT$33,400/NT$36,400
512GB NT$40,400/NT$43,400
iPhone 16 Pro/Pro Max
128GB NT$36,900/-
256GB NT$40,400/NT$44,900
512GB NT$47,400/NT$51,900
1TB NT$54,400/NT$58,900
Apple Intelligence function/actual test
At the same time, Apple also announced a new Apple Intelligence function. In iOS18, you can use the new writing assistant, quick photo search, SMS notification summary, Emoji automatic AI generation, automatic search for restaurant reviews when taking photos, search for pet information, etc., and also It is emphasized that these functions remain open to third parties. In addition to Apple's native options, you can also explore other options including Google, ChatGPT, etc.
The video also gives an example of taking a picture of a bicycle on the roadside, and using Google API to search for the same model on the Internet and purchase it. When taking notes on complex college textbooks, you can choose ChatGPT to help you learn and understand concepts, etc. But it must be said that these features will not be directly available when the iPhone 16 is launched. The English version of Apple Intelligence will be scheduled to be updated in December 2024, while the Chinese version and other languages will not be available until after 2025 .
But is Apple Intelligence easy to use? According to tests by Washington Post reporter Geoffrey A. Fowler, he believes that Apple Intelligence is still not very complete and often makes mistakes, which makes him think it is sometimes helpful, but more often it is laughable, because he said that AI is very Good at making up stories:
One time he told me directly that Trump supported Harris' deputy Tim Walz to run for president. Another time, it edited my selfie and made me look bald (why?)
Geoffrey A. Fowler also said that this may not be Apple's problem, but a common problem of "illusion" encountered in all AI language model technologies. He also emphasized that this is a problem encountered when generative AI is used as a selling point, except for language models. In addition to the problems, he also encountered some ridiculous errors on the Apple Intelligence preview version, such as when using the text assistant, he summarized scam messages and so on.
However, his efforts on Apple are slow. Compared with the cultures of different countries, it will take a very long time to customize it and mature it to the point where everyone can easily use it, which will inevitably delay Apple's launch of various products. Time for Apple Intelligence.
