It’s finally official: Apple will hold a special media event on Wednesday, September 7, at 10 a.m. (Pacific) in the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. Dubbed “Far out,” the shindig will almost certainly see the premiere of the iPhone 14 line-up, the Apple Watch Series 8, and the AirPods Pro 2.
About the iPhone 14
Here’s what the rumor mill has to say about the iPhone 14 line-up:
° Apple will use different grades of OLED panels (made by Samsung Display) between the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro.
° The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will both pack 6GB of RAM and a newer and faster type of memory.
° Some models may cost US$100 more than their iPhone 13 counterparts.
Apple make its latest A16 processor exclusive to the Pro models in the iPhone 14 lineup.
° At least some of the models will be eSIM-only.
° The iPhone 14 Pro will contain 8GB of RAM.
° Some will sport 120GHz displays.
° The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models will have a hole + pill design.
° The top two models have also have OLED screens.
° They will support the Wi-Fi 6E standard.
° Black, white, blue, red and purple will be the color options for the iPhone 14, while graphite, gold, silver and purple will be available on the iPhone 14 Pro.
° There will be a new purple colorway for both iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro that shifts in tone depending on the lighting.
About the Apple Watch Series 8
Here’s what to expect with the Apple Watch Series 8:
The 41mm and 45mm models of the Apple Watch Series 8 are expected to sport the same design as the Apple Watch Series 7. All models may add a body temperature to detect if the wearer has a fever.
Other than the body-temperature reader, other hardware changes will probably be minor. In fact, most models of the Apple Watch Series 8 may offer the same processing power as the Series 6.
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman has said that Apple is working on a “Pro” version of the Apple Watch Series 8 with a larger display, longer battery life (perhaps multiple days on one charge via the new low-power mode), and the body-temperature sensor.
He writes: I’m told that the high-end model is going to be a good bit bigger than the standard Apple Watch—big enough that it might only appeal to a subset of customers. The screen will be about 7% larger, and the device will have a fresh look—the first time the company has introduced a new Apple Watch design since 2018. It will be an evolution of the current rectangular shape, and not circular. It also won’t have those rumored flat sides (for those who will undoubtedly ask). In terms of materials, the watch will have a more durable formulation of titanium to make it extra rugged.
However, he doesn’t think it will be circular, as some have predicted, Also, Gurman adds that, contrary to reports of a squared-off design, “it also won’t have those rumored flat sides” but will be “an evolution of the current rectangular shape.”
About the AirPods Pro 2
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo thinks the second generation of the AirPods Pro will feature an entirely new design that does away with the short stem that comes out of the bottom for a design similar to the Beats Fit Pro.
They’re also expected to sport even better audio quality and perhaps some health care features thanks to new sensors.
And what’s more
To celebrate the “Far out” event, Apple is offering a little something fun for iPhone and iPad users. Go to the Apple Events website on one of those devices and click on the Apple logo. Now you can scan the area around you to see the logo in real time. Or you can view it in “Object” mode to get a better picture of what it looks like without having to navigate through your “real world” environment. The logo loops through the animation and can be viewed in 360-degrees. (On macOS, users can download the file and view the animation in Quick Look.)
Also, Apple has launched a YouTube live stream where viewers can sign up to get a reminder when the event begins.
Telescope lens?