Not all who surprise are lust. A few of us can be forming an orderly queue within the holding room at One Apple Park Method on Tuesday morning. At 10 AM PT on September 12, Tim Prepare dinner and co. can be again at it, showcasing the newest gear forward of the large vacation push.
There are two issues we are able to confidently inform you can be on show on the large Apple occasion: the iPhone 15 and Apple Watch Collection 9. There are some issues on this world you’ll be able to actually set your smartwatch to. There have been rumors galore, in fact. For one factor, just a few members of the AirPods household are beginning to get lengthy within the tooth.
Macs are a perpetual risk as effectively. I believe I additionally converse for many of us once I say that it will be good to get a little bit extra face time with the Imaginative and prescient Professional headset that stole the present at WWDC, again in June.
What follows is a mixture of what we all know, what we expect we all know and what we’re straight up wildly speculating about.
iPhone 15
The clear marquee announcement this trip. What’s maybe most attention-grabbing concerning the iPhone 15 is that Apple had its hand compelled right here. It’s not like anybody within the large glass spaceship was champing on the bit to undertake USB-C (or Thunderbolt 3 or no matter you wish to name it). You may thank EU regulators for that one. Final yr, the European Parliament voted to standardize ports throughout units.
Now, technically, these regulators gave producers till the top of 2024 to implement the tech throughout units, however all indicators level to Apple pulling off the Band-Support for the iPhone 15. Amongst different issues, extra regional governing our bodies are poised to observe the EU’s lead right here for shopper advocacy and e-waste associated causes.
Final September marked the tenth anniversary of Apple forcing the Lightning connector to be a factor. The factor about Lightning, nevertheless, is that it’s dangerous and I hate it. My colleagues hate it. Family and friends hate it. My rabbit likes it, however she’ll fortunately chew by way of any cable, no matter what’s on both finish. Level is, it’s dangerous and has all the time been dangerous.
An attention-grabbing caveat right here is the report that the upper USB 3.2 information pace can be reserved for the professional fashions, with the usual iPhone 15 caught at USB 2.0 (nonetheless a typical spec in Android land).
Wi-fi charging, in the meantime, is alleged to be bumped as much as 35W throughout the board. It appears the iPhone can be one of many first telephones to undertake the Qi2 customary, which mixes wi-fi charging with magnets — one thing Apple has been doing for a minute. On condition that Apple is among the 344 firms within the Wi-fi Energy Consortium (and all the Qi2 iPhone equipment introduced at IFA), this appears like a secure guess.
In the meantime, the Dynamic Island — launched on the iPhone 14 Professional and Professional Max — must be trickling all the way down to the cheaper fashions as effectively.
One other attention-grabbing addition is the rumored iPhone 15 Extremely, which might exchange the Professional Max and undertake Apple’s current naming conference. That handset is alleged to sport a 6.7-inch show with a 120 Hz refresh charge, slimmed down bezels and the brand new “Motion” button, which replaces the lengthy customary Mute. The brand new button — which is adopted from the Apple Watch Extremely — would additionally grace the iPhone 15 Professional. It’s mentioned to supply plenty of totally different customizable shortcuts to issues just like the digital camera, accessibility choices, flashlight and the precise Shortcuts app (if you wish to get inventive).
Apple Watch Collection 9
Talking of the Apple Watch. The rumor mill has truly been fairly silent right here. That might effectively be a sign that this can be a relative down yr for the wearable. It may be on account of the truth that subsequent yr is the large 1-0, so Apple might wait till subsequent yr to drag out all of the stops. It’s additionally doubtless ready for subsequent yr for a brand new Apple Watch SE.
That mentioned, a brand new Apple Watch Extremely does look like within the playing cards for subsequent week. Each the Extremely 2 and Collection 9 are more likely to get new processors and colours. There’s additionally been speak of Apple eyeing 3D printing for case design, after adopting the method for components of the Imaginative and prescient Professional. I do suppose there’s nonetheless a giant query of scale when involves one thing as mass market because the Apple Watch, nevertheless.
AirPods
The time feels proper for some new AirPods. That mentioned, 2024 appears a likelier timeline for the headphones to get the H2 chip remedy. Nonetheless, promoting a stand-alone USB-C charging case could also be within the playing cards. And hey, talking of overdue, it’s been slightly below three years since we received the AirPods Max. Whereas we’re at it, I wouldn’t be mad at a brand new HomePod mini.
All the things else
A greater take a look at the Imaginative and prescient Professional appears virtually sure. Content material stays a giant query mark, so this could possibly be a yr of demos, seeing as how the “spatial computing” headset hits the market early subsequent yr. We received just about nothing in the best way of video games. Now that the SDK and Unity’s growth platform have been out on this planet for a minute, that looks as if a definite risk.
Extra specifics on the iOS/macOS/iPadOS/watchOS launch dates would make sense. Macs, nevertheless, appear like a bit extra of a protracted shot this trip, and the M3 is way extra more likely to arrive in 2024.
The Apple Occasion kicks off at 10 AM PT on September 12. We’ll be there bringing it to you reside.