Apple’s next product launch event for iPhone 14 will happen on September 7th; the company announced in an invitation mailed out to journalists today. At the show, Apple is predicted to share details on upcoming iPhones and Apple Watches.
The invite, which has the catchphrase “Far out,” is for an in-person event at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s Cupertino campus, which would be the company’s first big product launch event to seize a place in the theater since the beginning of the pandemic. The business will also be streaming the September 7th event online.
Apple’s logo is outlined in glowing lights on a black background, with details about the upcoming Apple event.
The iPhone 14 lineup will probably be the main attraction. Apple is whispering to introduce four models: a new 6.7-inch iPhone 14 (possibly with the “Plus” or “Max” tag); a 6.1-inch iPhone 14; a 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro; and a 6.7 iPhone 14 Pro Max. Unfortunately, that means Apple likely won’t be releasing a new Mini phone, much to the dismay of the dozens of us in the iPhone Mini fan bunch.
The most significant upgrades could come from the Pro line. Perhaps the most meaningful change is the rumored axing of the shady notch in vogue of a hole-punch selfie camera and a pill-shaped cutout for Face ID. Apple is also predicted to be adding an always-on mode for the display that will be premier to the Pro phones — perhaps it will allow you to see iOS 16’s new lock screen widgets even when you tap the screen off.
And for the first time, Apple might drive its next A-series chip a Pro-only option. As a result, the primary camera on the Pros as for cameras is anticipated to boost to a 48-megapixel sensor significantly. In addition, all four iPhone 14 models are rumored to include an autofocus-enabled front-facing camera.
The mesmerizing “Far out” tagline could knock a few other improvements. Maybe revamps to the telephoto camera on its iPhones? Or the long-rumored satellite connectivity of some sort? And a short video peeped by Apple’s SVP of marketing, Greg Joswiak, leans into the stars motif, indicating the addition of an astrophotography feature.
Three new Apple Watches may start at the event as well. The Apple Watch Series 8 is gossiped to look like the Series 7 but adds a body temperature sensor. A revised Apple Watch SE is reportedly in the works with a faster chip but the same body as the current model. And the new high-end watch is reportedly targeted toward extreme sports athletes and may have a bigger screen and longer battery life.
The company is also rumored to work on new AirPods Pro and iPads. Apple has already said that a new Mac Pro is in the hopper, too. Hence, there’s always the possibility those could be revealed at this upcoming event.
Apple will, of course, reveal the brand new iPhone 14 in September, but the standard model likely won’t be the megastar of the show. Instead, the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are expected to carry the newest and exciting features.
There are three significant features expected in the 14 Pro and Pro Max:
- An always-on display (a part Android phones have had for years).
- A 48-megapixel rear camera with a larger sensor.
- A screen that obtains the notch favors smaller camera cutouts.
The phone should also obtain an upgraded A16 processing chip. It’s an impressive list of features that Apple may use to explain a rumored price hike.
Apple’s gearing up to undertake three new Apple Watch models: the Watch Series 8, a refreshed SE, and a new rugged “Pro” model developed for athletes in extreme sports.
The next-gen watch will come fitted with a new S8 chip, but it won’t deliver a notable performance uprise over the S7 and S6 chips. In addition, while Apple isn’t expected to include a way to monitor your blood pressure, it may come with a temperature detector that will detect if you have a fever.
Meanwhile, the latest Apple Watch SE is expected to substitute the budget Watch Series 3. In addition, it will likely come with the same S8 chip, an upgrade over the S5 chip the 2020 SE model utilizes. Other than that, it doesn’t look like any other massive changes are in store — it’s expected to keep the exact display size as the current SE.
As for the rumored rugged Apple Watch “Pro,” Gurman believes it could come with a larger “nearly 2-inch display” that’s “more shatter-resistant.” It may also sport a “strong metal” case instead of a rubberized exterior hinted at previously. But don’t expect this watch to be cheap — Gurman expects it to cost anywhere from $900 to $999.
The AirPods Pro hasn’t received an update since its initial launch in 2019. Now, nearly three years later, we may finally see the release of the AirPods Pro 2.
First off, expect them to look different. The new AirPods Pro may resemble the Beats Fit Pro, potentially with an in-ear wing tip design that drops the stem. They could also focus on fitness tracking thanks to the potential for upgraded motion sensors.
Kuo also indicated the possibility of the AirPods Pro supporting lossless audio, permitting higher-quality sound. It would also create the AirPods Pro 2, the first model to use the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC) — even the high-end AirPods Max doesn’t support it. Suppose the AirPods Pro 2 supports the Apple Lossless Audio Codec. In that case, it’ll be interesting to see how Apple manages to get around the limitations of Bluetooth, which generally requires compressing audio quality.
The AirPods Charging Case Pro 2 may also obtain an upgrade. It may arrive with a small speaker that produces a sound when you attempt to locate it thru the Find My app. Only the AirPods themselves make a sound right now, and adding the capability to the case could come in handy if it ever gets separated from your AirPods.
We first attended about iOS 16 when Apple reported it in June, and we have a pretty good idea of what to predict based on what we’ve noticed from the public beta. Gurman says Apple wrapped up development last week, and the company is likely to launch a finalized version of iOS 16 within about a week of its iPhone 14 event.
iOS 16 brings several new features, including the ability to edit and unsend messages and a customizable lock screen. It also introduces repositioned notifications at the bottom of your lock screen, and a Live Activities lock screen widget that updates real-time events, such as sports scores or food delivery progress. The battery percentage is back, but not as you might expect (or like).
In addition to iOS 16, Apple could launch watchOS 9 alongside its three latest smartwatches. The watchOS 9 beta includes a couple of months, and it’s set to bring quite a few improvements to the Apple Watch. It includes new running metrics, passive AFib monitoring, medication reminders, sleep stage tracking, and enhanced watch face customization.
It looks like this is it for this particular Apple event, but luckily, we shouldn’t have to wait much longer for another round of new Apple products. Apple’s expected to return to its old pre-pandemic schedule of holding an iPhone event in September and then a separate event in October to showcase its new iPads and Macs.
That’s when we can expect a new M2-equipped iPad Pro and an entry-level iPad with the A14 chip. Apple’s also rumored to release three new Macs, including a Mac Pro, Mac Mini, and MacBook Pro, all with Apple’s M2 chip. iPadOS and macOS Ventura will likely arrive around this time as well.
We’re still waiting for Apple’s long-rumored mixed reality headset, too, and it would be kind of a long shot to expect the company to show it off this year.