What to Look Forward to at Apple’s Upcoming Event
Apple has made an official announcement regarding its upcoming event, scheduled to take place on September 12 at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, known as Apple Park.
Online chatter is mainly focused on the release of the next generation iPhone, the iPhone 15, but that’s not the only big announcement Apple fans can expect.
Let’s take a look at some of the potential announcements rumored to take place at the Apple event, including updates to the Apple Watch series and the possible launch of the iPad Mini 7.
iPhone 15: Complete Refurbishment
The next generation of the iPhone inspired a lot of discussion online. This year, everything points to a slight change in the design of Apple’s new smartphones, but as usual, the new features depend on each model.
One big change is Apple’s decision to replace its proprietary Lightning port power connector with USB Type-C. The decision was due to a new European Union regulation coming into effect in 2024 that requires manufacturers of portable electronic devices, including smartphones, tablets and laptops, to use the same standard for chargers.
The move to USB Type-C could increase the charging speed to at least 35 watts, but there is reason to believe that Apple could limit the charging capacity in the new iPhone series.
Other iPhone changes likely vary by model. Starting with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, there’s a good chance they’ll inherit a number of features from the iPhone 14 Pro, including a 48-megapixel camera and the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped display at the top of the screen that provides notifications and allows users to interact with applications.
On the other hand, this year’s more advanced “Pro” versions may have some striking changes. First, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are expected to arrive with a wider screen thanks to the reduction in bezels.
Inside these versions, it is expected to have a new powerful processor called A17 Bionic, which would be much more powerful and efficient compared to the previous generations of A15 and A16 chips. Additionally, the A17 would be the first large-scale consumer chip made using Taiwanese chipmaking giant TSMC’s new 3nm process, according to Macworld’s Jason Cross.
Consumers can also benefit from an increase in RAM to 8GB, as well as improvements in camera performance, especially on the Pro Max, which is rumored to have advanced telephoto capabilities.
These Pro versions are also expected to shed some serious weight. According to reports, the new titanium construction of the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max could weigh 191g and 221g. It is 15g lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro and 19g lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Finally, one thing Apple fans can’t seem to decide on is whether the high-end iPhone will keep its name, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, or rebrand to match its Apple Watch. Ultra cousin like iPhone 15 Pro Ultra. We won’t know that for sure until the version is released next week.
Apple Watch Series 9
In recent years, updating Apple’s smartwatch has become an almost annual habit. Therefore, it is almost set in stone that the company has everything ready to announce the new Apple Watch Series 9 series.
Consumers can probably expect a gradual update with interesting new features, but the new Series 9 is expected to inherit many of the best features of the Series 8.
Changes may include an upgrade to the new S9 chip, which is faster and more efficient than previous chipsets and offers longer battery life.
Also in a recent report, analyst Mark Gurman expected Apple to work on new blood glucose and blood pressure sensors to be attached to the Apple Watch. According to the report, the company has been working on this technology for over 12 years (while Steve Jobs was alive), but there is still no word on when this technology might be included in the company’s smartwatches.
iPad Mini 7
Expectations for the release of the new iPad Mini 7 are high.
While Apple has held separate events in the fall announcing tablet updates, the September 12 event could be the ideal date to update the iPad Mini 6, which was announced alongside the iPhone 13 two years ago.
The new iPad Mini 7 is expected to arrive with a Smart Connector that can be connected to a physical keyboard.
It could also have a 120Hz ProMotion display, an updated color gamut similar to the 10th generation iPad, and an M1 chip.
Other new features
The upcoming Apple event may also be used to showcase some changes to the tech giant’s personal entertainment and home listening devices.
While we probably won’t see the launch of Apple’s latest AirPods — the AirPods Pro 3 and AirPods Max 2 — until at least the second half of 2024, according to tech analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, we could see Apple announce a USB-C charging port on both models.
We could also see Apple introduce a new display for its HomePod, the company’s home listening device equipped with its digital assistant Siri. The long-rumored device could feature a 7-inch screen, which could facilitate integration with other Apple devices. However, this would be a leap ahead of the release schedule expected by analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who predicted that Apple could unveil the device early next year.
Sergio Ramos Montoya is the editor of Social Geek.
