Happy iPhone 16 launch day! That’s right, we are just hours away from Apple’s annual announcement where it unleashes a whole raft of new products.

In the build-up to this year’s ‘Glowtime’ event, the internet has been awash with rumours, not just about its new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Max.

This year, all signs also point to a big night for Apple’s AirPods with a refresh of two key models and the possible launch of a brand new budget model.

The action kicks off at 6PM here in the UK, 10AM PT / 1PM PT for those in the United States, or 3AM ACT for those tuning in from Australia. We’ve written a guide on how to watch Apple’s September event online but we’ll be bringing you all the big announcements and dissecting them here on our live blog as they happen.

Apple iPhone event: key announcements expected

• iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro: the new iPhones could include new screen sizes, a more powerful processor and a refreshed design
• AirPods 4: a tweaked design and USB-C charging case could be the key changes here and, potentially the addition of ANC
• AirPods Max 2: new features that could be introduced include USB-C charging, a more powerful processor and upgraded noise-cancelling
• AirPods Lite: a new entry-level pair of wireless earbuds resembling the AirPods 3 but lacking all the features of more premium AirPods
• iPad Mini 7: the petite tablet could get a new chipset, a bump in storage (and maybe price), and potentially, OLED screen technology

2024-09-09T12:53:12.477Z

AirPods Max 2 looking more likely?

While the much-rumoured AirPods 4 seem almost certain to be unveiled at today’s Apple event, in the past 24 hours, the odds of the AirPods Max 2 appearing have shortened considerably.

Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who many consider to be an authority on Apple, claims they will be on the agenda with “better noise cancellation, adaptive audio & USB-C”. Given the original AirPods Max went on sale back in December 2020, this won’t come as a surprise to many. The market has moved on a long way and despite still being excellent wireless headphones, Apple now has several key rivals to contend with from the likes of Bose, Bowers & Wilkins and Focal.

We’d expect a new chip would be needed to boost the ANC of the headphones but whether Apple would tinker with the physical appearance of the headphones? We’re not so sure. Head over to our AirPods Max review to see just how highly we rate these five-star headphones.

2024-09-09T12:27:08.017Z

Greetings! Andy Madden here, kick-starting What Hi-Fi’s coverage of today’s Apple ‘Glowtime’ event. It looks set to be a busy day dominated by iPhone announcements, but I’m expecting big news on the AirPods front too, with the potential for a refresh of its entire line! Also, there’s always the potential for Apple to throw an AV curveball, which we’ll be keeping an eye on. So, without further ado…