iPhone 16: all you need to know

The inventor of the frisbee literally became a frisbee: Walter Morrison, the guy who gave us endless beach days and park hangouts, had his ashes turned into a frisbee after he passed. If that’s not the ultimate “full circle,” I don’t know what is.

What’s in store:

• The iPhone 16 is here - is it good enough?

• Seoul summit was held, and they spoke about setting boundaries on AI.

• Around the web: James Earl Jones, the iconic voice of Darth Vader, has died at 93.

• Substrata could be the AI tool you’ve been looking for.

Read Time: 6 minutes

APPLE

A new AI chapter for iPhone

Apple has announced its iPhone 16 lineup, focusing on new AI-powered features rather than significant hardware upgrades across the board.

The event at Apple Park followed their June conference, where they showcased “Apple Intelligence,” their AI feature set that can generate text, images, and more on demand.

Crucially Siri has also (finally!) been upgraded with ChatGPT integration, giving it much more contextual power. You can also type to engage Siri - no more talking to yourself in public!

The iPhone 16 Pro models are also slightly larger, coming in at 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max.

Both the base and pro models feature a new Camera Control button, designed to make shooting photos more simple, while also integrating some AI features.

For example, you can point your phone at a restaurant, press the camera button, and get contextual information and reviews for the place.

In addition to the larger displays, Apple’s new A18 Pro chip offers improved performance and efficiency, leading to better battery life (we could have copied and pasted that from last year).

The general sentiment was that the unveil was underwhelming, and it remains to be seen if AI promises will drive people to upgrade.

The battle for AI dominance

Apple faces strong competition from Huawei in China, where demand for AI features is high.

However, the rollout of Apple Intelligence in China requires government approval, and with ChatGPT currently blocked there, Siri’s AI capabilities may be limited.

Despite slowing iPhone sales, Apple is counting on these AI features to encourage upgrades.

The iPhone 16 is the first device designed around AI, according to Tim Cook anyway. Most features will also be available on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.

The new Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4 were also unveiled.

The key players:

• iPhone 16 introduces AI features and ChatGPT integration for Apple.

• Apple faces tough competition from Huawei, especially in China.

• Google is also ramping up AI features in its Pixel smartphones, adding to the rivalry.

The race for the ultimate AI

Google is also advancing its AI tools.

It recently introduced features like "Gemini Live," allowing real-time voice interactions with its digital assistant, and rolled these out to Android devices.

Google traditionally launches its Pixel smartphones in the autumn but pushed the event forward to August this year, ahead of Apple.

Both companies are competing to deliver the best AI assistants.

So, are you in or out? Maybe it’s time for me to upgrade…

Vote for live results and see results + opinions from yesterday at the bottom of the email.

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On This Day

September 10th 2008 - The Large Hadron Collider at CERN, described as the biggest scientific experiment in history, is powered up in Geneva, Switzerland. It was followed by sensationalist reports that it would create a black hole and destroy the universe.

Weird AI

That time Alexa laughed at us

Back in 2018, Alexa users reported hearing random, creepy laughter from their devices. Amazon quickly responded by changing the command from “Alexa, laugh” to “Alexa, can you laugh?” to avoid accidental triggers. They also made Alexa say, “Sure, I can laugh” before actually laughing.

The strange glitch scared people, with many thinking someone was laughing nearby and unplugging their devices. The incident reminded people of sci-fi moments like 2001: A Space Odyssey, leading to jokes about robots taking over. How long until Siri refuses to unlock my front door?

AI POLICY

Navigating the future of military tech

South Korea recently hosted an international summit on the responsible use of AI in the military.

Over 90 countries, including the U.S. and China, participated in the two-day Seoul event.

This is the second summit, following last year’s gathering in Amsterdam, where a non-binding “call to action” on military AI was endorsed.

South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun highlighted Ukraine’s use of AI-enabled drones in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, showing AI’s potential to boost military capabilities while also warning of the risks.

The summit aired to create guidelines for responsible AI use in defence, though no legally binding commitments are expected.

Here’s what you should know:

• AI can enhance military operations but also poses risks if misused.

• There’s a push for human oversight in autonomous weapons systems to comply with international law.

• Talks continue on setting guidelines for AI use, though no legal framework is in place yet.

Big idea, bigger questions

South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul added that the summit discussions covered how AI can be regulated to ensure compliance with international laws, focusing on keeping autonomous weapons under human control.

The summit, co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, and the UK supports broader global conversations on AI in the military.

While it’s unclear how many nations will endorse the final document, similar talks are happening through the United Nations and the U.S. government.

Around 2,000 participants, including experts from international organisations, academia, and the private sector, attended the event, covering issues such as civilian protection and AI’s role in nuclear weapons control.

It’s like an AI group project, but with very serious consequences.

Mindstream Picks

Space: Singapore startup Eartheye Space raised $1.5 million in pre-seed funding to expand its platform, which combines data from over 475 satellites for Earth observation.

Crypto: Coinbase had its worst week of the year, while Marathon Digital dropped 20%, and crypto stocks hit their lowest since February.

Games: The PS5 Pro is set to be announced today, with a technical stream from lead system architect Mark Cerny taking place at 16:00 BST.

Sports: Ibi Akhtar from west London is running seven marathons in seven countries in seven days, starting in Crete, in memory of his late friend Archie Lloyd.

Don’t Miss - James Earl Jones, renowned for voicing Darth Vader, has passed away at 93. With a career spanning Broadway, film, and TV, his iconic roles included Mufasa in The Lion King and appearances in Coming to America and Field of Dreams. He was also one of the few EGOT winners.

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Yesterday’s Poll

“Take my money or who cares?”

Who cares - it won't be that significant. - 54% ✅

Take my money - I want that AI iPhone! - 46%

Your Views:

“Apple has consistently lost my interest as their upgrades are more cosmetic than real advances. Their new features and models do not justify their pricing. ” - boligomas

“Not enough hype or previews to get my attention. Still paying for pro Max, needs to be great incentives to move.” - dannybismark

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