Apple has released a sleeker and more expensive version of its lowest-priced iPhone in an attempt to widen the audience for a bundle of artificial intelligence technology that the company has been hoping will revive demand for its most profitable product lineup. The iPhone 16e unveiled Wednesday is the fourth generation of a model that's sold at a dramatically lower price than the iPhone's standard and premium models. The previous bargain-bin models were called the iPhone SE, with the last version coming out in 2022. Like the higher-priced iPhone 16 lineup unveiled last September, the iPhone 16e includes the souped-up computer chip needed to process an array of AI features that automatically summarise text and audio and create on-the-fly emojis while smartening up the device's virtual assistant, Siri. It will also have a more powerful battery and camera.

Apple has finally pulled back the curtain on its latest'budget' smartphone – the iPhone 16e. Released February 28, the device runs Apple Intelligence features, including a ChatGPT integration with smart assistant Siri. It also has a 6.1-inch display, a two-in-one camera system, an'extraordinary' battery life, and sees the return of the'notch' at the top of the display. 'iPhone 16e packs in the features our users love about the iPhone 16 lineup, including breakthrough battery life, fast performance powered by the latest-generation A18 chip, an innovative 2-in-1 camera system, and Apple Intelligence,' said Kaiann Drance, Apple's vice president of worldwide iPhone product marketing. 'We're so excited for iPhone 16e to complete the lineup as a powerful, more affordable option to bring the iPhone experience to even more people.'

The follow-up to Apple's $300 HomePod has finally arrived, with the smaller, spherical HomePod mini, complete with onboard Siri and a new "intercom" feature. The new smart speaker is slated to arrive next month. Unveiled alongside the iPhone 12 during Apple's "Hi, Speed" event on Tuesday, the $99 HomePod mini (pre-orders begin November 6 for shipping on November 16) takes a page from Amazon's revamped Echo speakers (or is it the other way around?) with a ball-shaped, fabric-covered industrial design. Set to arrive in white and space gray flavors, the HomePod mini has a backlit touchpad on top with integrated volume and playback controls. The new HomePod mini comes equipped with a full-range driver and dual passive radiators, while the speaker itself is powered by Apple's S5 chip. Inside the 3.3-inch shell is a full-range, neodymium magnet-powered dynamic driver, a pair of force-cancelling passive radiators, and an acoustic wave guide at the bottom that's designed to deliver 360-degree sound.

Apple has inadvertently shared plans for its hotly anticipated new iPad – and it could be coming as soon as next month. Software developers combing through the latest beta code – early versions of the operating system shared with app creators to check for compatibility issues and bugs – have uncovered references to an unannounced device labelled'iPad2018fall'. This suggests Apple will release its next-generation iPad this autumn, adding weight to widespread rumours the firm is planning to unveil a new iPad Pro in October. Numerous reports suggest the Cupertino company is poised to release an iPad Pro with no Home button, slim bezels, and Face ID facial recognition next month. Apple has declined to comment on the rumours, but the company has historically held standalone iPad launch events in October.

Apple has unveiled an update to animoji that will allow users to create their own personalized characters called'memojis' that can be used in a new version of FaceTime Apple first introduced Animoji with the iPhone X, the only device it works for due to the front-facing True Depth camera. Originally limited to few character options such as a cat, unicorn, or a poop, the company has now expanded the feature in iOS 12. The new'memoji' was allows people to make animated versions of themselves from within the Messages app. An animoji Tim Cook takes part in a FaceTime Group chat at Apple's WWDC event. The firm has added groups chat and a new'memoji' feature for the first time.

Apple wants to make it easier for you to control apps using Siri. That's the gist of a new app, called'Shortcuts,' that the iPhone maker unveiled on Monday at its Worldwide Developers Conference in San Jose, California. With a single voice command, users can build their own multi-step routines for Siri to run across a variety of apps. Apple unveiled a new'Shortcuts' app at the annual Worldwide Developers Conference that lets users create custom commands for the digital assistant. 'We want to make Siri do much more for you and we're doing that by taking advantage of the power of apps,' said Craig Federighi, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering.

Looks like Liam, Apple's phone-dismembering robot, now has a little sister. Just ahead of Earth Day, the Cupertino-based company revealed the newest member of its robo-recycling team: Daisy. Like her predecessor, Daisy was developed by Apple's in-house R&D team and even leverages some of the same components that were initially created for Liam. The new robot is tasked with disassembling iphones, stripping them of their reusable parts and sorting out the refuse. Daisy is reportedly capable of dismantling nine different iPhone variants and stripping up to 200 handsets an hour, all without damaging any of the salvageable parts.

Apple has broken the $1,000 barrier with its latest, and most expensive, phone, the iPhone X. With a price starting at $999 and a host of new features, the phone will be a big test for both Apple and consumers. Will people be willing to shell out really big bucks for a relatively fragile device that's become an essential part of daily life? On Tuesday, CEO Tim Cook called the iPhone X "the biggest leap forward" since the first iPhone. It loses the home button, which revolutionized smartphones when it launched; offers an edge-to-edge screen; and will use facial recognition to unlock the phone.

Apple will compete with Google Home and Amazon Echo later this year with a new speaker called HomePod. Apple says its looking to "reinvent" the way we listen to music in the home. Apple said the same chip used in the iPhone will power the speaker. "It's the biggest brains ever in a speaker," said Apple senior vice president Phil Schiller. The HomePod speaker will sell for $349, twice as much as the Amazon Echo.

Look out Alexa and Echo, here comes the HomePod. Apple is stuffing its beloved Siri into an Internet-connected speaker in what is the digital giant's first new product in more than two years. The HomePod speaker was unveiled at a conference for software programmers on Monday, and will go head-to-head-to-head with Amazon and Google's popular digital home assistants. But of course Apple says its siri-based system tops them all because it's giving more emphasis to sound quality, not just smarts. Besides playing music, HomePod will help people to manage their lives and homes.