Here’s What to Expect from Apple’s Sept. 12 iPhone Event

Apple’s upcoming event on September 12 is undoubtedly going to be one of the company’s most anticipated events to date. Much like the notable keynotes in the past like the iPhone’s and iPad’s announcement, this keynote will reveal what is most likely to be one of the biggest updates to the iPhone and Apple Watch yet.

As always, everything is just speculation until September 12, but here’s what to expect from the event:

iPhone 8 / iPhone X / iPhone Edition / whatever the hell it’s called

This brand new iPhone will undoubtedly be the star of the show. Even though we won’t know the official name until it is announced, this iPhone will be the company’s 10th iteration and there has been a lot of rumors of what new fancy features it will include.

Some of the more notable ones include Apple removing the Home button altogether leading to thinner bezels and an all screen front, an OLED display, facial recognition to unlock your iPhone, and wireless charging (finally!). The New York Times also reports that it will sell for a whopping $999.

iPhone 7s and 7s Plus

Photo by Sonny Dickson

In addition to the brand new iPhone 8, Apple may revamp the current iteration of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. Again, the names are a bit in the air at this point with some reports saying that the standard iPhones could actually be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus with the other being called the iPhone 8 Edition. Regardless of what it’s called, the updated standard iPhones will be getting better specs like a sharper, OLED display and a faster processor. We don’t know exactly what features will separate the standard iPhones from the new premium iPhone, but there will definitely be something significant to account for the price point.

A leaked design also suggests that there will be a curved glass back and even a fingerprint scanner on the back. This is great for people who would like to upgrade from an older generation iPhone but do not want to pay the absorbent prices of the iPhone 8.

4K Apple TV

While speculation of Apple releasing a TV is unlikely, the company is looking to refreshing their Apple TV line to include the ability to play 4K content. Apple brought out the 4th generation of the product back in 2015, but after sales have been underwhelming compared to more affordable options on the market, Apple needs something that will really differentiate itself.

In terms of content, Apple has been working on slowly launching its own original shows, which hasn’t exactly caught on yet. There are also rumors of Apple working with movie studios to release 4K content on the iTunes Store.

Apple Watch Series 3

Photo by Anna Hoychuk / Shutterstock

One of the biggest changes rumored to be coming to the new Apple Watch is LTE connectivity. This means you won’t have to pair it with an iPhone to be able to get messages, emails, download apps, songs, etc. but it won’t be able to make calls on its own. An LTE Apple Watch makes sense for people that don’t have an iPhone because they wouldn’t need it paired with the device in order to use it.

Another rumor is that Apple will be releasing a variety of “Smart Bands” that will have a specific uses, such as one that can function as a glucose monitor.

Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality

According to patent filings, Apple has been working on VR and AR for the past decade. At their WWDC keynote this past June, Apple unveiled ARkit, which will allow developers to create augmented reality apps that can be used on their devices like the new iPad Pros. An example of a company taking advantage of this feature is how IKEA is letting consumers place items in their home to see how it looks before they buy them.

With VR support coming to macOS High Sierra and the newest iMacs, the company is definitely trying to make a splash in the virtual reality realm. The company has long been rumored to be their own hardware but there hasn’t been anything concrete as of late. One of those is “Smart Glasses” much similar to the now defunct Google Glasses, which would work with AR-related apps to display images and information to the user.