I already love the new hand gesture interface, and 3D photo conversions are amazing, too. But I want more, especially for connecting to the iPhone.

Apple’s iPhone 16 line hits store shelves on Sept. 20, and while the new phones get some impressive hardware upgrades, their biggest selling point isn’t the Pros’ larger displays or the lineup’s Camera Control button. It’s the generative AI-powered Apple Intelligence software platform.

Apple announced the feature as it unveiled its latest iPhones, the iPhone 16, which feature a dedicated camera button for taking photos and include artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as finding reviews and menus when pointing the camera at a restaurant, or identifying animals and plants.

Spatial photos are now on both phones, with the iPhone 16 Pro offering new 3D spatial audio recording.

Apple's newest iPhone models launch Friday, but starting Monday iPhone owners with compatible devices can update to the latest operating system, iOS 18. The big picture: The new version of the software that powers the iPhone will allow greater customization but users will have to wait for a future update to use "Apple Intelligence,

The new iPhone 16 lineup will get its first batch of generative AI features next month through a software update. It appears that the company will be gradually introducing AI tools from its Apple Intelligence suite of generative AI features as it looks to make a dent in an emerging smartphone niche that's expected to take off big-time in the long run.

The iPhone 15 Pro already supports spatial video capture, but not photos. The iPhone 16 and 16 Pro can do both. The camera orientation now puts both cameras on the same plane, meaning they're evenly spaced for landscape shots. (Much like the iPhone 15 Pro, spatial photos and videos can't be recorded vertically.)