Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ product event is all set to take place on Tuesday, 12 September at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Here’s a look at what all Apple could unveil this time at its annual event.
It is widely expected that Apple will debut the iPhone 15 series on Tuesday. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple could debut four models: the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and what will be called the 15 Pro Max (and reportedly not Ultra). The regular iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will be the base models, featuring aluminum sides and a glass back like the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus. The two high-end iPhones, meanwhile, will feature a new design that switches the side material from stainless steel to titanium. The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will continue to use 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, but the screens on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will appear ever so slightly larger, the Bloomberg report adds.
One big change expected this year with the phones is the charging and data port. Apple is switching to USB-C standard, replacing the company’s lightning connector, in accordance with EU regulations. As the Bloomberg report explains, this is only the second time the iPhone’s port will change. The last switch came in 2012 when Apple moved from the 30-pin iPod connector to Lightning on the iPhone 5. All of the new iPhones will get a “U2” ultrawide-band semiconductor, the report adds.
The company is expected to release two new updates to its Apple Watch lineup: the Apple Watch Series 9 and a second-generation Ultra model, both of which are expected to get the U2 ultrawide-band chip. While the Watch Series 9 might not look too different to the current Watch Series 8, the company is reportedly working on new materials, color options, etc. Bloomberg had also reported late last month that Apple is testing a shift to 3D-printed device cases, starting with the stainless steel models of the Series 9.
The USB-C adoption could also reflect in the Apple AirPods. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working to move all of its Lightning-based accessories over to the new standard and one of the first products on that list is the AirPods Pro.
Customers could see various software updates on the AirPods this time out: improved automatic device switching, the ability to mute and unmute from the AirPods themselves, and a new feature called Conversation Awareness, which automatically silences media when people begin speaking to the wearer, the Bloomberg report said.
This could be a crucial period for the Tim Cook-led company. According to an Associated Press report last week, Apple had lost around $200 billion in market capitalization over several days as tensions between the US and China rise, with several media outlets reporting this week that the iPhone maker is being singled out by Beijing and a reported iPhone ban for Chinese state employees.
In another development, Qualcomm on Monday said it had signed a new deal with Apple to supply 5G chips to the iPhone maker until at least 2026, a Reuters report said.
(With inputs from news agencies)
Also read: Apple iPhone 14 series: Your biggest questions answered