Apple’s Glowtime event was less interesting than the rumors predicted: We thought we’d see a completely redesigned Apple Watch Ultra or Apple Watch FE, but instead the 2024 refresh on iPhones, wearables, and AirPods was a somewhat subdued affair. The big headline was the promise of Apple Intelligence AI features, which still fall into the “coming soon” category. If there was one phrase uttered more often today than “our most ___ ever,” it was “coming later this year.”

Still, there’s something exciting in store for Apple fans. The new, slimmed-down Apple Watch Series 10 is supposed to be lighter, but with more screen real estate. If you like big phones, the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max are bigger than ever. And if you were hoping to use your iPhone like a DSLR with a half-cock shutter button, you… will eventually. That feature, and more, are coming later this year.

iPhone 16 series adds a button dedicated to your camera

The plain old iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus The iPhone 16s and iPhone 16s Plus look a lot like the iPhone 15, but with a redesigned camera bump and two new buttons that protrude from the sides. The base model gets the programmable action button from the iPhone 15 Pro, but the big addition is a “tactical” button for camera controls. The new control button on the iPhone 16s can open the camera app and take a photo; it can also swipe through some simplified photo controls without requiring the user to touch the screen.

All new iPhone 16 models use a version of the A18 Bionic CPU. The A18 Pro in the Pro and Pro Max phones has a better GPU and NPU, plus it brings support for ProMotion displays and an always-on display. The Pro models also come with a few more camera tweaks. The promised AI features won’t arrive until iOS 18, which launches alongside the iPhone 16 on September 20.

Apple Watch Series 10 is thinner with a larger display

Sorry, this isn’t the rumored “Apple Watch Series X,” even with the first major Apple Watch redesign in years. Apple Watch Series 10 has 30% more screen real estate thanks to reduced bezels and a beveled watch face design. It’s thinner and lighter than previous models, and you can finally get it in anodized black, aluminum, or titanium.

The new watch charges faster than before, with a promised 0% to 80% charge in 30 minutes. Additionally, a new sleep apnea detection mode will monitor your movement and breathing for signs of stress while you sleep. The new Apple Watch is expected to be available on September 20, with pre-orders starting today.

Apple Watch Ultra 2 now available in black

Everything here in Apple-land is black. There’s no Apple Watch Ultra 3 this year, but instead, anyone who didn’t like the silver look of the original can get their hands on a scratch-resistant black version. There’s a new titanium Milanese loop for sports stars who want to look stylish, but the coolest feature for nerds like me is the Tides app. It lets you know when the tide is coming in and out, and you can even see the tide height with a simple graph.

The AirPods 4 include options for ANC or without

Apple offers a few extra options if you don’t want to pay for the AirPods Pro just to get ANC with your Apple-branded earbuds. The much-touted new features of the new AirPods 4 models are a new acoustic architecture, drivers, and a built-in M2 chip. But beyond that, there are actually two separate versions, and the one with better noise cancellation is the one you really want. The open-ear design, which retails for $180, comes with active noise cancellation and a “premium charging case.” The cheaper versions come without ANC, but both are said to have nod-based gestures for responding to Siri announcements like incoming calls.

The $130, low-end versions also don’t have access to the Qi-certified wireless charger, while the $180 version does. All in all, it seems like the more expensive version is a much better investment unless you can’t stand ANC for some reason.

The AirPods Max are back, sort of

It’s been four years since Apple last updated its AirPods Max headphones. Well, they’ve finally given them an update. Unfortunately, it’s mostly an attempt to transition the headphones from Lightning to USB-C chargers. That’s all fine and dandy, but it’s not nearly as dramatic as we were hoping. They’re still $550 and come in a few new color options, like a light purple. They’ll retail for $550 and will be available on September 20.

Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 can now function as pseudo hearing aids

The tech giant finally showed off its long-awaited work to turn its earbuds into hearing technology. Apple’s Health app now has a hearing section that can run a simple hearing test, in case you’re worried that all that loud jamming is damaging your hearing.

More importantly, the hearing support included in the AirPods Pro 2. Apple calls this an “over-the-counter hearing aid feature” that turns its earbuds into “clinical-grade hearing aids.” Simply put, with the AirPods in, users should be able to get sounds like speech or music amplified, all of which can be adjusted in the settings.

Apple says it will soon receive approval from global health authorities and that the device should be available in the US and elsewhere later this year.