Apple has announced that it will hold an event on September 7, 2022. All signs point to this being the iPhone 14 event. The rumor mill is a buzz with the idea that Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 8, and maybe more. So what do we know about all of these devices?
Read On.
Apple Watch Series 8
I imagine Apple will start the iPhone 14 event by introducing the Apple Watch Series 8.
For the most part, I wouldn’t expect much change with the 8th generation Apple Watch. Rumors say that the Series 8 will retain the Series 7 style with the same screen sizes and no redesign from last year. There will likely be Apple Watches in different colors than the Series 7, but not many rumors have subsided about that yet.
Inside, the Apple Watch is expected to retain the same processor specs as the S7 system-on-a-chip, which Apple put in the Series 7 Apple Watch. The S7 was a repackaged S6, so speed-wise, there isn’t much of a change from the S6 to whatever comes out this year. If the rumor turns out to be accurate, that’s not a terrible thing. My Apple Watch Series 6 still feels plenty fast. But I am a sucker for newer technology.
There are rumors that the Apple Watch Series 8 will have a body temperature sensor to help monitor fertility and wellness checks. I think this could be a welcomed feature but not a must-have for more people to upgrade. It seems like a basic upgrade to the watch, but I’m hoping for some surprises.
Of course, one of those surprises could be a new rugged Apple Watch Series 8 model or Apple Watch Pro. Rumors have floated around for a while about this model, but not much is known. One of the rumors has mentioned a larger screen and a bigger battery, but we will have to see. Will this continue using the same types of watch bands, or will users be required to update those as well?
iPhone 14 – same as the iPhone 13?
The iPhone is a little all over the place this year, according to the rumors.
I wouldn’t expect an iPhone 14 to offer a mini version this year. Apple hasn’t released any numbers yet, but all signs point to the iPhone 13 mini being the last one for a while. I’m not sure what to make of this rumor yet. I’m not an iPhone mini user, but I know they are out there. I hope that Apple hasn’t put the Mini form factor out to rest for those that do like the design, but I wouldn’t expect an iPhone 14 mini this year.
That said, one of the major rumors right now says that the iPhone 14 will have the same A15 processor inside that the iPhone 13 had. For the past few years, the iPhone and the iPhone Pro have only been distinguished by cameras, screen, and finish. It looks like Apple might use this year to push the boundaries a little further. But even if it still has the A15 chip inside, I think that Apple will improve or add something to it so that it’s not the same phone as the iPhone 13.
I would also expect some new colors.
iPhone 14 Max
But the thing that will get most people to upgrade will be a new iPhone 14 Max or Plus size. Currently, the only way to get the biggest iPhone screen is to buy the Pro model, which is also the most expensive model. If Apple can bring the price down and make a larger version of the base model iPhone and sell it for cheaper than the Pro Max, they will for sure increase their sales. That seems to be the play Apple is making this year.
Look for the iPhone 14 Max to have the same 6.7-inch screen as the Pro Max but without Pro Motion – the super smooth high refresh rate screen. I suspect it will only have two cameras, skipping the telephoto lens altogether. But it will feel like an iPhone 13 Pro Max.
It feels like this year will be an odd year for the iPhone 14 if all the rumors hold true at the September Apple Event 2022. Unless there are some secrets (hopefully there are), the iPhone 14 is going to be very similar to the iPhone 13 since might have the same processor inside it. Hopefully, Apple brings the price of the iPhone 14 down since it will be using more recycled parts than usual, but that’s hard to gauge in this current economy.
iPhone 14 Pro
While there isn’t a redesign expected with the newest iPhone 14 Pro, we should see some cosmetic updates.
No Notch iPhone 14 Pro
The rumor making the most noise right now seems to be that the iPhone 14 Pro will lose the notch! Instead of the notch peaking out from the top of the screen, there will now be a pill-shaped cutout and dot. Hopefully, Apple has found a good way to utilize the space at the top of the screen that it is getting back. Maybe we can get more information along the top as well, otherwise, it just seems like a waste of space. Some rumors have also said that the bezels will shrink this year, making the screen size fractionally bigger.
Always-On-Screen
Another upgrade that might strike the Pro models this year, is an always-on-screen. I feel like this rumor is pretty strong since the major feature of iOS 16 is a lock screen with widgets on it. Since Apple added a variable refresh rate screen like the Apple Watch, it felt like this would be in the cards soon. So, I would expect that when your phone is locked, you will still be able to see the new lock screen widgets and time. I would imagine that the rest of the screen will be off or dimmed. It will be interesting to see what Apple comes up with.
Personally, I’m not really sure I would like an always-on-screen. Using the iOS 16 beta, I do like having a weather widget on my lock screen, but I don’t really linger on said screen. I usually just glance at it and then open my phone to get more detail. Some of the widgets I have on my lock screen don’t even show data until the phone has been unlocked.
48-megapixel camera
Finally, the megapixel count on the iPhone is reported to change. This is pretty huge as the camera on the iPhone has been stuck at 12 megapixels since the 6S. While the quality of a picture doesn’t come down to megapixels, more megapixels can mean more details inside the photos.
And the rumors are pointing to a large upgrade this year. Reportedly, the camera will go from 12 megapixels up to 48! The more pixels there are the more data about a shot the camera can hold. The upgrade should allow for 8k video capture and even better-quality pictures. Although, photos will take up more space on the storage since there is four times the data captured. It will be interesting to see how Apple balances this.
Price and Storage
All of these rumors are great, but there is also a rumor that the Pro line will be more expensive than ever. It makes me wonder how high that ceiling is before people start to say no more. Of course, that is one reason why they split the lines to offer a standard and Pro line. If you want the lower cost phone it is there while the Pro pushes the boundaries.
With the price increase, there might also be a storage increase, with the lowest-end Pro model starting with 256 GB of storage. I wouldn’t put it past Apple not to do that, though. After all these years, the free iCloud tier is still only 5 GB. With larger videos and pictures though, that storage will get eaten up quickly.
Analysis
While the iPhone 14 doesn’t seem to be getting many new features, the Pro models looked like they will be packed with features. It is hard to tell if these new features will mean much to the average consumer. I bet the lack of a notch will drive sales, but I’m waiting to see what Apple will do with the extra space. It’s odd to me that Apple is moving away from the notch on the phone now that the Mac line is transitioning to a notch.
Personally, I’m ready to move back to a bigger phone. This year, I do plan on upgrading to the 14 Pro Max version. While I don’t think the Pro version is too small or anything, I have found myself uncomfortable typing out long things on the smaller body size, and I am finding times to type longer things on my iPhone than before. If I can upgrade and get some of these updates, I’ll be quiet the happy camper.
AirPods
I think with two phone models and maybe, two Apple Watches to get through, the event might already be pretty packed, but there is a chance we will see a few more things. Any peripheral for the iPhone might make an appearance here.
The most popular peripheral has to be AirPods. Earlier this year, Apple refreshed the standard AirPod line with the third version. I wouldn’t expect a new update to those, but the AirPods Pro and the AirPods Max could see new models debuting.
AirPods Pro
There are two significant updates I would expect for the Pros. The first update would see a skin detector replace the optical sensor to determine when the AirPods are in your ears. AirPods 3 have moved to this sensor already, so it seems like a no-brainer. The skin sensor would keep the AirPods from starting when placed in a pocket or desk. The skin sensor detects when the AirPod is touching skin to connect to your iPhone, or it will stop whatever is playing if the AirPods is removed. The AirPods already do this, but with that optical sensor, so detecting skin makes it a little more accurate.
The other major update would be a higher-quality audio experience. Apple recently introduced Lossless audio to Apple Music, and none of their headphones can take advantage of that experience because of the limitations of BlueTooth. But Apple is pretty crafty when they want to be. With a new H2 chip, I’m sure they could figure out a way to get more quality out of the system or find a way to use another system like wifi to connect.
On the less sure side of the rumor mill, health sensors have been rumored for the AirPods for a while now. I’m not sure what they would offer that the Apple Watch doesn’t already offer, but I know not everyone has an Apple Watch. The biggest rumor is a heart rate sensor that can detect your pulse during a workout. With Apple opening up the Fitness app to everyone with iOS 16, it could make sense to include it.
The original AirPods Pro got announced in a press release on Apple’s website and has only shown up on stage once (when the charging case got MagSafe added). I don’t think AirPods Pro is a lock at the event, but I would be pretty happy to see a new pair show up.
AirPods Max
The only thing I see happening to the Max line of AirPods would be the higher quality stream of music and maybe more colors. If the Pro line gets the higher codec stream, I would expect to see them in the Max line as well.
I doubt there would be a price reduction here, but I think it’s needed to get these out in the world more.
iPads and Macs
While iPads and Macs are coming soon, I don’t expect to hear anything about them at this event. There are already rumors of an October event brewing. So I think the M2 iPad Pros and more M2 Macs will be shown off then.
RealityOS
I think there is a slim chance of getting a glimpse of Apple’s next big thing – Reality Glasses. Apple has filed trademarks for RealityOS through some shell companies, so this thing is getting closer to a debut, but I’m not sure it’s ready yet. Still, I bet we get some more Alternate Reality stuff with the new iPhones. But will anyone use it while holding their phone up in front of them?
iOS 16 and watchOS 9
One thing that is for sure, we will get a date for iOS 16 and watchOS 9. I would imagine it will be a week or two after the event. I’ve been using the betas for the last week, and they are getting more solid. I don’t think we will see a release date for iPadOS or macOS, but tvOS might get a release date too.
Summary
So, that’s the list of things I expect (and don’t expect) to be announced at the September apple event 2022. There will be some big announcements and some that aren’t as big, but I think this event is laying out the board for the way Apple treats the iPhone for the next few years. I’m interested to see if Apple does keep the iPhone 14 on last year’s processors and how that works out. Will people still flock to it when upgrades come up?
Will the Apple Watch become more exciting anytime soon, or should I stick with the Series 6 I’ve been rocking for a few years? Right now, I’m looking at upgrading to the larger Series 7 size screen, but that’s not a need, and I’m pretty content with my Series 6. If something else comes around, like more sensors or a way better battery, that might entice me.
I’ve also been rocking the AirPods Pro for a couple of years now (I just haven’t had time to write about them). Will there be enough if the new Pros get announced to get me to upgrade?
What are you looking forward to the most at the iPhone 14 event? Let me know in the comments! Also, make sure you’re following me on your favorite social media platform for more content! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Linkdin
