Like clockwork, Apple has announced the next September Apple Event “By Innovation Only.” Every September, Apple brings us the next generation of iPhones and it looks like this year is no different.
So let’s get down to it – here is what I’m expecting to be announced this week:
iPhone 11
The low hanging fruit is the iPhone.
I don’t think there will be too many surprises when it comes to the iPhone. There will be new processors that will likely blow the last generation away. The cameras will improve (more on that in a bit) and we might get some new colors in the XR line.
I think Apple might surprise some new phone buyers with a new naming scheme. All the rumors seem to be pointing towards an iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro. What will probably happen is the base more iPhone XR will become the iPhone 11. The XS and XS Max will become the iPhone 11 Pros models in different screensizes.
This should streamline the iPhone line so that people know what they are getting more easily. If you want the basic version, get the 11. If you want something better get the Pro. With the iPad and MacBook line, Pro means a more powerful processor, better screen, and more features (FaceID on iPad and TouchBar on Mac).
If that’s the case, what does a Pro iPhone look like? OLED screen? More cameras? Fewer color options? I think Apple needs to really establish what a Pro model will be.
Cameras
The rumors are saying that all the iPhones will receive an additional camera this year. That will bring the base model iPhone 11 (assuming the above is true) to two cameras and the Pros to three.
We are assuming on the base model that you will have the normal camera and the telephoto lens for zooming and Portrait mode. The third camera on the Pro model might be a wide-angle lens, so says the rumors.
The renders aren’t the most flattering I’ve seen before. I’m also not really sure what adding more cameras is really going to do to the phone besides make the camera bump bigger. I think it goes against physics to find other ways to bring these features to the phone, but continuing to add cameras isn’t the way either. I don’t want the entire back of my device taken up by cameras.
I think Apple needs to really beef up its nighttime mode photos. Google seems to really be running away with their Night Shot mode. Apple will likely to bring something similar to the iPhone this year to compete. Maybe that third lens on the pro will help gather light in the dark, who knows.
That additional lens might be something else though. Could it be a time-of-flight laser? Maybe Apple will really be pushing the AR stuff on stage this year. I would be pleasantly surprised if something was happening other than adding in another lens.
Colors
If you like the coral color of the iPhone XR but haven’t pulled the trigger just yet on buying one, you might do that. Rumors are saying that purple and green are due for the iPhone 11 but that might mean getting rid of a couple of colors as well. Apple’s invite, while not a guarantee, could be an indicator of what colors we can expect. You can see the green and purple colors in the logo while the coral is missing.
I’d expect the Pro line to maintain the standard black/space grey, silver, and gold line-up without much change. There is a rumor that Apple will introduce frosted glass, but the colors will remain the same.
Depending on the specs and the price range, the iPhone 11 could tempt me more than the Pro models. The colors are vibrant and fun, and I’ve had a black or silver phone since I’ve started owning iPhones. However, once I get a phone, I usually slap a case on it. What I get this year will come down to if Apple can wow me with price and features. I would love to save some money on my iPhone this year.
Charging
For a couple of years now, the iPhone gained the ability to charge wirelessly on a Qi charging pad. The rumor I’m really excited about is for the iPhone to have two-way (bi-lateral) wireless charging.
With two-way wireless charging, you could place your Apple Watch or the wireless charging case for AirPods on the back of the iPhone -probably on the Apple Logo -and it will charge that device. I don’t see me using this every day, but when traveling, if I could plug in my iPhone to charge and also use it to charge my Apple Watch or AirPods that would be a a Godsend.
There’s also a rumor that the iPhone will come with the same charging brick that the new iPad Pro comes with. It will feature a Lightning connector on one end and a USB-C on the other. This will allow the phone to charge faster and hopefully provide enough charge to charge the phone and watch at the same time.
Price
I wouldn’t expect anything surprising when it comes to price. I don’t see Apple cutting the price on the high-end models. If anything, I bet they jump higher this year.
I’d expect the iPhone XR successor to maintain that price point. Really, the iPhone XR was the phone I recommend to most people. It came with such great features for a better price than the XS or XS Max. There’s also a rumor that Apple might release a new iPhone SE model as well which could occupy the lower end of the price spectrum.
What I wouldn’t expect this year is for the XS or XR models to last much longer. I don’t see Apple replacing all these phones and pushing the older ones down to a lower price point as they’ve done in the past
iPhone SE
Late in the game rumors are claiming that Apple could reveal a new iPhone SE soon. This wouldn’t be the 4-inch version in the iPhone 5 style, but a revamped iPhone 8.
Apple already had the machine set up to make this phone, so it would be pretty cheap
But releasing something cheap like this light interfere with that low cost iPhone 11. Apple might hold off on this model for now and save it for a spring event.
Apple Watch
Rumors of what to expect for the next Apple Watch have been slim until recently. Within a week of the media announcement, 9to5mac broke the news about Apple’s planned Apple Watch Series 5 which will bring sleep tracking to the device.
The only other rumors are centered around materials that the casing might be made out of. When the Series 4 watch came out, Apple dropped the edition series of watches. It seems that it will be coming back in Series 5 with ceramic and titanium Editions.
Everything else has been very quiet. I wouldn’t expect major changes to the device overall like the last couple of years. I would imagine this year being very quiet, offering more battery life to accommodate the sleep tracking and a faster device overall.
You can probably expect bands in new colors this year as well.
Services
Back in March, Apple went on a spree releasing devices leading up to their media event that was focused on their new Services. I would expect a new update to Apple News+ to be mentioned, but the major focus will more likely be on Apple TV+ and Apple’s gaming service Apple Arcade.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ will be Apple’s attempt at a streaming television service, like Netflix. The company has started to promote a few of their shows that will launch, but there is still much we don’t know about the service.
Apple will need to really come out strong with Apple TV+ on the heels of Disney’s streaming service coming soon. If Apple were to announce that the service will cost $10 a month, I think they will really struggle. There just don’t have enough content to really charge that much money. Unless they have something hidden away, they need to either come in very cheap (hopefully free on Apple devices) or bundle it with something else. Sadly, I don’t see this happening.
I have no doubt that Apple’s shows will be great quality, but right now, they are only promoting three or four of them. We don’t know if they will be releasing episodes weekly or dropping entire seasons at once. The price and the content will be what makes or break the service.
As it stands right now, I’m not sold on the service yet. If they announce that it’s free or comes with an Apple Music subscription then I will likely check out what’s there. But subscription fatigue is real. I already have 3 services that I subscribe to just for television (although one gets paid for through my T-mobile family plan). I’m also planning (and super excited) for the Disney + service as well. Apple doesn’t actually have me planning yet.
But I’m waiting for more details before I completely write it off.
Apple Arcade
Apple Arcade, Apple’s gaming service is the service that actually has the most excitement generating. You’ll pay a certain amount each month which will provide you access to all the games within the service. There won’t be any in-app-purchases or banner ads. It will just be games!
Right now, the rumors point to the service costing a simple $5 a month. That sounds like a pretty good deal but the games that will be in the service haven’t been announced yet. Just like the video service, the amount of quality content will dictate. Right now, there are still some questions about what will come to the service.
If Apple manages to get some great games in the service from the start, this thing will probably take off and start to change the system. If not, it’s going to be a struggle no matter how cheap it is.
Apple TV
There are some fresh rumors that Apple will update the Apple TV this week. It has been a couple of years since the device was updated, but Apple also opened up the ecosystem to others. You can now find the TV app on Samsung televisions and more systems will be getting the app soon.
The rumored upgrade sees the Apple TV getting at least an A12 processor compared to the A10 that powers it now. The change wouldn’t bring a better image to the machine. This rumors seems pegged just for the Apple Arcade service. A faster chip means that games will run on it smoother.
If gaming is the main goal here, could Apple include a gaming controller in the box as well? I doubt it, but it would make the gaming message stronger if they did.
I’m curious to see what happens to the Apple TV line up if this happens. As I mentioned, the TV app where the new Apple TV+ service will integrate has been unlocked from behind Apple devices. Would it make sense to continue to sell the Apple TV at such a premium price now? Hopefully, they could bring a price drop to the line. The current 4th generation Apple TV (The one without 4K) still cost $150. That’s much more than Amazon’s streaming stick with 4K that also has access to Apple’s TV app.
iOS 13 and iPadOS
We should get a launch date for iOS 13 and iPadOS on Tuesday. I would imagine that we’ll get a date for macOS 10.15 Catalina, but it usually is a few weeks after the iOS update.
I’ve been testing iPadOS all summer. I think it’s shaping up to be a great update, but I’m still running into some bugs. I expect them to release the updates the following Tuesday or maybe the Tuesday after that and the new phones the following Friday.
The betas are showing progress, but I wouldn’t say that they are ready for release just yet. Maybe by the next beta update, I’ll feel a little more confident in them, but I am still hitting some minor bugs.
Apple’s Tracker
One of the new features of iOS 13, iPadOS, and Catalina is the Find My app. While not new in anyway, Apple is bringing some new technology and help to the system. Now if you are search for a device, Apple will leverage the mass of Apple devices out there to help you find it.
Currently, if you lose a device it will show up only if it is connected to the internet or another Apple device. For example, your iPhone will show it’s location will it is powered on and has a signal. AirPods will show up if they are currently connected to a device. If they aren’t you will be shown the last known location of them.
Now though, Apple will use Wifi and Bluetooth to connect to other Apple devices (securely I might add) so that you can leverage all of Apple’s ecosystem to find your stuff. So now, if you lose your iPad but that iPad is close to someone else with an iPhone, it will ping off that iPhone to give the iPad owner a location.
That could be really handy.
Based on the code of the iOS beta, Apple will be making a tracker that you could place in your bag, wallet, or keychain. It will use the same system and help you your stuff. This will compete with Tile trackers, but it is the same basic idea.
It could be cool, but not something that will blow me away. I’m sure the tracker will be pricy but those that lose things often will probably love having it.
Augmented Reality
There’s a rumor that we could be getting a “One more thing…” moment at this event. If true, I hope the one more thing isn’t just the tracker.
There are rumors that Apple is ready to unveil their new Augmented Reality glasses. If so, I could see this being a game changer like the iPhone (although probably not as grand).
Apple has been pushing AR for a while now, and it is obviously where they think the future is going to go. Up to this point, AR hasn’t really blown me away, however, I think it could be amazing.
Right now, I hate having to hold up my phone or iPad to view things that could look cool in my living room. If Apple has actually found a way to make AR work without holding up their phone it will advance much faster.
Imagine having your driving direction drawing an arrow on the actual road. Or not need a screen to work on a computer anymore. The glasses could put the window up in front of your eye. I feel like the possibilities are endless and exciting.
Of course, right now, everything would probably tie back into your iPhone, which is why I can see this being unveiled at this event if it’s ready. If so, I’d be pretty excited.
iPad and Mac
I wouldn’t expect anything about the iPad or Mac to be revealed this week. There are rumors of updates to both systems. The iPad could be getting an improved camera and maybe a more.
The Mac is rumored to be getting a redesign and hopefully getting away from the butterfly Keyboard. The screen is also rumored to go edge to edge on the new Macs. Could they be working in a FaceID sensor finally too? That’
But really, it seems like this event could already be pretty packed. I would expect an October event to be announced not long after this one.
Wrap up
I’m excited for this event. It seems pretty packed to the brim with stuff to be announced. Of course, I’m going to bring you all the news you want after the event although it might be the day after unlike the past few events. I have work scheduled for the entire day on Tuesday.
But I will be back with all the details you might have missed. I’ll try to update the iPhone buyers guide to help you pick the right phone for you.
