Apple's annual new product launch, in addition to more powerful functions and the first artificial intelligence service, the new iPhone 16 series models have 20% reduced energy consumption and the proportion of recycled materials used has been increased to 30%. At the same time, it is predicted that by 2025, 100% of the packaging materials will be recycled, continuing to move towards Apple's 2030 carbon neutrality goal.
Apple today unveiled iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max, featuring larger displays, new Camera Controls for quick access to the advanced camera system, and innovative pro-level camera features for new creative capabilities, all powered by the A18 Pro chip. The new Pro models feature a new 48-megapixel Fusion camera with a faster four-in-one pixel sensor, capable of recording 4K video at 120fps in Dolby Vision mode, the highest resolution and frame rate combination ever on iPhone.
Other feature upgrades include a 48-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera for higher-resolution photos and macro photography, a 5x telephoto camera on both Pro models, and studio-quality microphones for more vivid audio. The iPhone 16 Pro Max features a durable titanium design with a larger display, the thinnest bezels of any Apple product, and a significant leap in battery life, the best ever in an iPhone.
Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system, is now available for pre-order on September 13th.
The series is built for Apple Intelligence, an easy-to-use personal intelligence system that provides practical and relevant smart features tailored to individual circumstances while protecting user privacy. Pre-orders for both models begin Friday, September 13th, with availability beginning September 20th.
Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing, said the new mechanical architecture improves heat dissipation and efficiency, resulting in a 20% increase in performance and battery life. Combined with a brand new internal design and iOS 18's advanced power management, the battery is larger and optimized, significantly improving battery life.
Camera Control will unlock visual intelligence features, helping users understand objects and places faster than ever before. Available in countries and regions supporting Apple Intelligence in 2025, users will be able to tap and hold Camera Control to view hours and reviews for restaurants they pass by, add event flyers to their calendars, and quickly identify dog breeds.
Camera Control will also be used to open third-party tools that provide domain-specific knowledge. For example, when a user wants to find out where to buy an item through Google or wants to use ChatGPT's problem-solving capabilities, Camera Control will connect the user to the required tool. Users can control when to use third-party tools and what information is shared.
Both Pro models are equipped with four new studio-quality microphones to preserve realistic recorded sound, and videos can now be shot with "spatial audio", allowing users to enjoy an immersive listening experience with AirPods, Apple Vision Pro or a surround sound system. The iPhone 16 Pro series also introduces "Sound Mix", which is driven by advanced intelligence and machine learning (ML), providing new and creative ways to edit video sound. "Sound Mix" allows users to adjust the sound after shooting, focusing on the voices of people in the shot, and creating a video effect that looks like it was completed in a professional studio. This feature can also bring the voice track to the front and put the ambient noise in the background. The powerful machine learning algorithm has the function of reducing wind noise, which can reduce annoying noise and improve audio quality.
6-core CPU can reduce power consumption by 20%
The all-new A18 Pro chip drives graphics-intensive games, computational photography, and Apple Intelligence, ushering in a new era of pro-grade performance. Built on second-generation 3nm technology, the A18 Pro features a new architecture with smaller, faster transistors for unprecedented efficiency. A new 16-core neural network engine is faster and more efficient than the previous generation, delivering exceptional device performance. Total system memory bandwidth has increased by 17%, the highest ever in an iPhone.
The new six-core CPU is the fastest in a smartphone, featuring two high-performance cores and four energy-efficient cores. Compared to the previous generation, it runs the same workload 15% faster while consuming 20% less power. The next-generation machine learning accelerator, optimized for Apple Intelligence, handles high-efficiency, high-throughput, low-latency computations on the CPU without requiring the Neural Engine, saving power.
Apple announces data centers are powered by 100% renewable electricity
Apple has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire carbon footprint by 2030. To this end, Apple prioritizes renewable electricity for its manufacturing and invests in wind and solar projects around the world to help power all Apple products, including the iPhone 16 series. Currently, all Apple facilities operate on 100% renewable electricity, including the data centers that power Apple Intelligence.
To achieve Apple's 2030 goals, the company is also designing its products with recycled and regenerated materials. The iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are made from over 25% recycled materials, including 100% recycled aluminum for the internal structural frame and over 80% recycled steel in multiple components. The battery is made from 100% recycled cobalt. Furthermore, iPhone also uses over 95% recycled lithium for the first time. The iPhone 16 Pro series meets Apple's high standards for energy efficiency and is mercury- and PVC-free. The packaging is entirely fiber-based, bringing Apple closer to its goal of being completely plastic-free next year.
Apple cuts greenhouse gas emissions in half
In its 2024 Environmental Progress Report, Apple noted that its total greenhouse gas emissions have decreased by more than 55% since 2015. This milestone represents significant progress toward Apple 2030.
Apple has set an ambitious goal to achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2030. The core of this goal is to reduce emissions by 75% from a 2015 baseline.
Lisa Jackson, Apple's vice president of Environment, Policy and Social Initiatives, said the progress demonstrates Apple's commitment to climate action: "We've cut our emissions by more than half while serving more customers than ever before. There's more hard work ahead, and we're focused on using the power of innovation and collaboration to maximize our impact."
Teams across Apple and its global supply chain are committed to Apple 2030 goals and environmental efforts, driving innovation in clean energy and energy efficiency, materials, carbon removal, water stewardship, zero waste, and recycling.
Paving the way for recycling key materials
Apple is committed to using only recycled and regenerated materials in its products, driving innovation in sourcing and design, while significantly reducing Apple’s carbon footprint, including materials that are critical to the clean energy transition.
In 2023, a total of 56% of the cobalt used in Apple batteries will come from recycled sources, more than double the previous year. This includes the MacBook Air, equipped with the M3 chip, which is the first Apple product to be made with 50% recycled materials. In 2023, 24% of the lithium in Apple batteries will come from certified recycled sources, which is also a first. For both lithium and cobalt, Apple obtains them from post-process waste and post-consumer waste from end-of-life batteries. The company has also made great progress in copper, using 100% recycled copper in key cooling applications in the iPhone 15 and 16-inch MacBook Pro in 2023, as well as in the haptic engine and printed circuit boards of many product lines. Such progress shows the real potential of recycling and will help meet the growing demand for critical materials in the future.
Working with suppliers to reduce emissions from manufacturing
Apple's ongoing transition to clean electricity across its supply chain has driven the majority of emissions reductions to date. Apple's Supplier Clean Energy Program currently supports over 16.5GW of renewable energy globally. Over 100 suppliers prioritized energy efficiency in their collaborations with Apple, saving over 2 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2023. Combined with additional energy savings (primarily related to heat), these facilities avoided nearly 1.7 million metric tons of carbon emissions, a 25% reduction compared to 2022 levels.
Apple also works to address the direct climate impacts of its manufacturing processes. For example, the manufacture of flat-panel displays emits potent fluorinated greenhouse gases (F-GHGs). Each display supplier is committed to high standards for F-GHG emission reductions, and Apple is working with them to track emissions and deploy state-of-the-art emission reduction equipment at its manufacturing sites.
Designed to remove plastic
Apple's journey to eliminate plastic packaging is driven by innovation, using fiber-based alternatives while still providing customers with an unparalleled unboxing experience. In 2023, Apple reached a milestone by debuting 100% fiber packaging for the new Apple Watch line and Apple Vision Pro. Last year, only 3% of all product packaging was made of plastic.
Apple also partnered with the University of British Columbia's Bioproducts Institute to publish a new white paper analyzing current challenges facing consumer product packaging and exploring solutions using advanced fiber materials for a more sustainable future. Separately, Apple, in collaboration with Sweden's RISE Research Institutes, announced the development of a fiber-based alternative to the protective foam widely used in a variety of packaging.
Partnering with communities to drive change
As Apple accelerates its work to combat climate change, it’s focusing on supporting initiatives led by communities disproportionately impacted. Through its Strengthen Local Communities program, Apple is offering a series of new grants to organizations around the world taking action to protect the health and well-being of their communities.
In the United States, Apple supports Justice Outside's Network for Network Leaders program, which promotes outdoor activities, environmental education, and environmental justice. In partnership with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya, Apple is supporting water harvesting and climate-smart agriculture by funding a rainwater catchment system for the Lewa School in Mutunyi and irrigation kits for farmers who are encouraging their communities to adopt more sustainable agricultural practices. In 2024, Apple will build on this success with new support for Lewa's community water program.
In Australia, Apple will expand its funding to the Karrkad Kanjdji Trust (KKT), an organization led by the traditional owners of the Warddeken and Djelk Aboriginal Reserves. Apple’s grant will support KKT’s Indigenous women ranger program and conservation activities across the reserve.
Driving industry-wide change with reusable filters
As part of its zero waste commitment, Apple will install reusable air filters in every data center around the world by 2023. This change prevents 25 tons of dirty filters from going to landfill each year (enough to fill an entire football field) and reduces fan energy consumption by 35%.
Beginning in 2019, Apple partnered with automotive filtration and technology company K&N at Apple's Reno Data Center to prototype and test 20 versions of a new reusable filter design to meet high standards for performance and efficiency. Today, reusable filters are rapidly becoming the standard, not only for Apple but also for the industry. Such innovations have helped drive significant progress: over the past five years, Apple has increased its data center waste recycling rate from 64% to 90%.
Innovating for the future of recycling
Apple has designed new technologies to advance electronics recycling, including the disassembly robot Daisy, which can now disassemble 29 iPhone models into 15 separate components; and recycling machines Dave and Taz, which are currently being deployed in collaboration with recycling partners in China.
In 2024, Apple introduced a new product sorting machine at its asset recovery center in California, aiming to automate processes and improve efficiency and productivity. Apple is committed to sharing this technology with recycling partners around the world as a low-cost, time-saving solution. To further enhance efficiency, the asset recovery center now employs autonomous mobile robots to help transport products and components around the facility. The company is also collaborating with academic partners such as Carnegie Mellon University to further leverage the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and automation in recycling.
Create a green future together
Apple's commitment to environmentally friendly design extends beyond its products to its buildings. Currently, more than 100 Apple retail stores, corporate offices, and data centers worldwide are certified to two internationally recognized sustainable building certifications: Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and Building Research and Development Environmental Assessment Tool (BREEAM). Apple is also developing over 18 million square feet of green building space globally.
In 2023, a building at Apple's Culver City, California, campus achieved LEED Platinum certification, the highest level, for its energy and water conservation, renewable energy, and waste recycling efforts. The new Apple Battersea campus and retail store, located at London's historic Battersea Power Station, diverts 99% of construction waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill and incorporates sustainable design elements and low-carbon materials.
Investing in nature with high-quality carbon removal projects
In its path to achieving its 2030 climate goals, Apple prioritizes direct emissions reductions across all operations and its supply chain. For residual emissions that are difficult to avoid with currently available solutions, Apple invests in high-quality, nature-based carbon projects, including through its innovative Restore Fund. Building on its strong portfolio of sustainable forestry projects, Apple partnered with Goldman Sachs and Conservation International to launch a new phase of the Restore Fund with Climate Asset Management. The fund focuses on building a portfolio that combines regenerative agriculture projects with ecosystem conservation and restoration projects. In 2024, Apple suppliers TSMC and Murata joined the second phase of the fund and made their own investment commitments.
Apple also announced the fund's first investments in regenerative agriculture projects, including olive and almond farms in Portugal, an almond farm in Spain, and a farm in Australia transitioning from sugarcane to macadamia nuts. These projects adhere to strict protocols to ensure water security and efficiency, and employ proven practices to improve soil quality and promote biodiversity.
Engage customers and employees in global recycling
In 2023, nearly 12.8 million devices and accessories were delivered to new owners through programs like AppleCare and Apple Trade In—more than ever before. As of today, an iPhone 7 still has Trade In value. Apple takes back products that no longer have monetary value and recycles the valuable materials inside, giving them new life in future products. From repackaging your old device back to Apple, to hosting collection events, to passing down your old iPhone to a family member, there are many ways customers can contribute to Apple's environmental goals. Customers can return their used Apple devices at any Apple retail store or at apple.com/recycle.
In 2024, Apple will once again partner with social justice advocate and founder of the Dolores Huerta Foundation, Dolores Huerta, on the Challenge for Change learning series. Learners of all ages can participate in the Create a Better World Through Environmental Justice challenge, which includes a thought-provoking discussion guide.
This article is reprinted with permission from CSR@天下. The original title is "iPhone 16 series uses 20% less energy and uses up to 30% recycled materials; Apple's first AI service, Apple Intelligence Data Center, uses 100% renewable electricity." CC licenses are not applicable.
Sources: Environmental Information Center
