Apple’s 2024 fall event officially took place earlier, highlighting the launch of the new iPhone 16 series, along with other products like the Apple Watch Series 10 and AirPods 4. According to CEO Tim Cook, the next generation of iPhone has been designed for Apple Intelligence, marking the beginning of an exciting new era.

Apple and global tech companies are in a race to integrate AI into their products, with smartphones anticipated to be one of the key competitive arenas.

Apple’s AI software, Apple Intelligence, is set to enhance Siri and improve functionalities like object recognition and identification through the phone’s camera, per sources cited in a report from Reuters.

A test version of Apple Intelligence will launch next month for U.S. English users, with other localized English versions set to follow in December. Additional language versions, including Chinese, French, Japanese, and Spanish, are anticipated for next year. It is worth noting that Apple has not yet announced an AI partner in China for the iPhone 16 series.

Apple stated that improvements, including enhancements to Siri, will be phased in over time but did not provide a timeline for moving beyond the test phase.

Notably, Apple’s event occurred just hours before Huawei’s launch of a tri-fold phone, highlighting the competitive challenge Apple faces.

In contrast, Huawei’s website revealed on Monday that it had already received over 3 million pre-orders for its Z-shaped tri-fold phone before its official release.

This underscores Huawei’s ability to withstand U.S. sanctions and bolsters its competitive position against Apple in China, where consumers are enthusiastic about AI features and willing to pay a premium for them, according to a Reuters report.

• iPhone16

The iPhone 16 features a 6.1-inch display, while the iPhone 16 Plus has a 6.7-inch screen. Both models are equipped with the A18 chip built on TSMC’s advanced 3nm process, which reportedly offers a 30% boost in CPU performance compared to the A16 chip used in iPhone 15. Additionally, they come with increased battery capacity and enhanced cooling capabilities.

Moreover, the latest iPhone chips are based on the newest Arm architecture, which includes specialized features aimed at accelerating AI applications.

Notably, Apple has introduced an “Action Button” on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, which supports various functions like camera, flashlight, Focus mode, translation, magnifier, and voice memos.

The higher-end iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max are crafted from titanium and come with enhanced AI features, including suggestions for optimizing photo shoots and advanced audio-editing tools designed for professional video production.

Still, a previous report from Bloomberg has also addressed concerns over the slow rollout with its AI platform, which may put iPhone 16 “Supercycle” in doubt.

• New Apple Watches and Airpods

Apple also unveiled new Watches and AirPods with health-focused capabilities, as well as hardware-design improvements.

Apple highlighted the Watch’s ability to discover longer-term health conditions such as sleep apnea as well as detecting and responding to emergencies such as a fall.

For the new AirPods, there are two versions: a standard model and a version with active noise cancellation. As part of the AirPods update, Apple’s introduced hearing-aid features are under review by U.S. regulators.

Read more

• [News] iPhone 16 “Supercycle” in Doubt? Concerns Rise Over Slow Rollout with its AI Platform
• [News] Fuelled by AI Features, Apple’s iPhone 16 Shipments Reportedly to Increase by 10%

(Photo credit: Apple)

According to TechNews’ report, ever since the introduction of Apple’s AirPods, there’s been a surge in demand for true wireless earphones, resulting in a proliferation of knockoffs attempting to mimic the success of AirPods.

While these counterfeits may resemble AirPods in appearance and claim to match their functionality, can they truly serve as a substitute for the genuine article?

To explore this, the startup company Lumafield turned to CT scanning technology, originally used in medical diagnostics, now finding new applications in combating counterfeit electronics.

After examining the internal structure of genuine and counterfeit AirPods, Lumafield concluded that the intricate and precise design of the authentic AirPods is unmatched by counterfeit products. They elaborated on three aspects: batteries, circuitry, and build quality.

Batteries

Lumafield highlighted that batteries are crucial to the wireless convenience and flexibility of AirPods. Authentic AirPods feature meticulously designed button cell batteries in each earbud, aimed at snugly fitting the compact design and providing optimal power.

In contrast, counterfeit AirPods use lithium-ion pouch cell batteries, structurally simpler and potentially less safe than the genuine ones. The counterfeit AirPods simply cram rectangular batteries into circular spaces, lacking the tailored fit of the authentic design.

Circuitry

Regarding internal circuitry, Lumafield deemed the genuine AirPods a marvel of miniaturization and precision engineering.

Apple uses a combination of rigid and flexible printed circuit boards to densely pack components, ensuring effective utilization of every millimeter of internal space in AirPods. Counterfeits, on the other hand, are much simpler, composed of off-the-shelf components, compromising functionality with fewer microphones and control circuitry, thus affecting sound quality.

Build Quality

The stark contrast in overall build quality between authentic AirPods and counterfeits is evident. In one of the tested counterfeit AirPods, wireless charging is entirely absent (as no coils are visible in the scans), while the other counterfeit model lacks the magnets that snap the real AirPods case onto Apple’s Watch charger, despite having wireless charging coils.

Counterfeit AirPods even resort to using internal weights solely to mimic the weight of the genuine product. While these counterfeits may replicate the appearance of the original, the use of inferior materials not only impacts the tactile experience but also compromises the structural integrity and overall lifespan of the product.

Authentic vs. Counterfeit

Lumafield highlighted that the differences between these products and their counterfeits might seem subtle at first, but industrial CT scans revealed significant implications for performance and safety. Ultimately, choosing between authentic and counterfeit may not merely be a matter of cost but rather a decision about investing in reliability and peace of mind.

(Photo credit: Lumafield)

On the eve of Apple’s upcoming new product launch conference, the global market research organization, TrendForce, provides the following reference data for your articles and reporting.

Reference data as follows:

Apple’s latest AirPods 3 still feature an optical in-ear detection mechanism, according to TrendForce’s 2021 Infrared Sensing Market Trend – 3D Sensing, LiDAR, SWIR LED report. Through the integration of PPG (photoplethysmography) technology, the AirPods 3 contain an improved in-ear detection mechanism based on skin-detect sensors that are equipped with four SWIR (short-wave infrared) LED chips that have two different wavelengths, as well as two InGaAs photodiodes. Industry insiders indicate that the AirPods 3’s skin-detect sensors may potentially detect the water content in the wearer’s skin, giving them the ability to differentiate between human skin and other surfaces. TrendForce expects annual AirPods shipment for 2022 to reach 85 million sets, a 3.7% YoY increase.

While the demand for these end-products rises, the relevant suppliers will stand to benefit as a result. Such companies include SWIR LED chip suppliers Epistar and DOWA; InGaAs photodiode suppliers DOWA and II-VI/Finisar; and module assembler USI.

SWIR wavelengths range from 1,050-2,500 nm, which encompasses the optical properties of compounds such as water, sugar, and alcohol. While SWIR technologies gradually mature, and prices begin to reach feasible levels, wearables manufacturers are expected to officially integrate SWIR technologies into their products in 2H21. With improvements in their algorithm, wearables are increasingly likely to feature PPG-based biosensing functions, which can measure not only heart rate and blood oxygen levels, but also other variables including body hydration as well as blood glucose, blood lipid, and blood alcohol levels in the future.

For more information on reports and market data from TrendForce’s Department of Optoelectronics Research, please click here, or email Ms. Grace Li from the Sales Department at graceli@trendforce.com

Apple is set to unveil the successors to its current device lineups at this year’s fall product launch on September 14. Please see below for some of TrendForce‘s latest data pertaining to the global consumer electronics market:

1. Although the tight supply of certain components due to complications resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic remains Apple’s primary production-related challenge, iPhone production will unlikely be drastically affected. Total iPhone production for 2021 is expected to reach 229.5 million units, a 15.6% YoY increase, with the upcoming iPhone 13 models accounting for about 37%-39% of Apple’s annual iPhone production. In addition, iPhones are also expected to account for about 77% of total annual production of 5G smartphones in 2021, making them the market leader in this segment and representing a drastic increase from 39% in 2020.
2. Regarding technical specifications, the Pro model of iPhone 13 is expected to include 1TB storage capacity as an optional upgrade. Other improvements over previous models include the adoption of A15 processors manufactured with TSMC’s 5nm+ process technology. All four iPhone 13 models will feature flexible AMOLED + On-cell designs for their display panels, while the Pro series will also feature a 120Hz refresh rate as well as LTPO technology for reduced power consumption. Furthermore, all four models’ primary cameras will be equipped with sensor shift image stabilization. The Pro model, in particular, will have its ultra-wide camera upgraded to a 6P lens, with the addition of autofocus capability as well. Much like the iPhone 12, LiDAR functionality is available only for the Pro model of the iPhone 13 lineup.
3. In view of the lackluster sales performances of the iPhone 12 mini, which reached EOL ahead of time, the iPhone 13 mini is expected to account for less than 10% of total iPhone 13 production, since Apple will focus its sales efforts on the other three models. TrendForce indicates that the global economy, markets, and personal incomes are all still experiencing the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also led to price hikes for electronic components and transportation services, thereby compounding Apple’s difficulties in setting retail prices for the new iPhone models. TrendForce expects Apple to continue the aggressive pricing strategy that it adopted for last year’s models in order to attract smartphone buyers, raise its revenue from services via increased handset sales, and make up for the aggressive prices via increased service revenue.

（Cover image source: Apple official website）