an additional button for the photo, while waiting for features around AI unavailable in Europe

This summer, Samsung and Google introduced their new generation of AI-centric phones. On Monday night, Apple had to respond with the iPhone 16. While we have to wait for a real revolution, some new features are appreciable.

The new iPhone 16 was released on Monday, September 9. It is obviously faster with a better quality screen. But everyone was expecting something new around artificial intelligence. However, the changes mainly concern photos and videos.

The main new feature is the arrival of a button dedicated solely to photography. It is used to trigger as on a traditional camera but also to change the zoom and settings, by pressing lightly or sliding your finger.

The button is still accompanied by artificial intelligence. It can obtain information about what passes in front of the lens, and even classify photos according to the theme. A business card? It adds it to the address book. A concert poster? It puts it in the diary. An object? It finds all its information on the internet. This is already what an application like Google Lens does. But here, it will be directly integrated into the system. Apple has a gift for dictating trends, so it should not be surprising to find this button in other manufacturers.

As for a more advanced use of AI, the iPhone 16 was supposed to be the first Apple phone to make its revolution. But the company has fallen far behind Google and Samsung. Most of the functions will not arrive until 2025: the smarter assistant, the integration of ChatGPT or the ability to ask your phone: “Send the photos of yesterday’s exhibition to my mother via WhatsApp.”

These functions grouped under the name “Apple Intelligence” will be launched as a test – in English only – in the United States and the United Kingdom. The European Union is excluded for the moment, because the European rules are stricter, which annoys the firm considerably. Apple mentions a possible availability next year in French but not necessarily in France.

Actually, the hardware is ready. It’s the software that’s waiting, which is new for Apple. It usually avoids announcing something before it’s ready. But with AI, we’re in a technological battle as much as a communication battle.

AirPods will soon be able to turn into hearing aids. That is, they will analyze our hearing and adjust sounds coming from outside according to the frequencies that we have difficulty hearing. This will work on the current AirPods Pro 2 after a simple update. It is worth knowing that in the United States, hearing aids can now be purchased without a prescription, which boosts innovation and lowers prices.