Published , by Asif Khan
Published , by Asif Khan
It's almost time for Apple to unveil the next round of product innovations. Select media outlets have been invited to Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California for a presentation from the company. We have parsed through the rumors and leaks to put together a definitive list of what to expect from today's Apple Special Event. Please take a look.
One of the best things about these September Apple events is that they usually are a time where the company provides all the details about their iOS platform. This is a big year for iPad as it finally gets its own iOS. The company announced iPadOS at WWDC 2019. They also provided some color on what to expect from iOS 13 including Dark Mode.
Apple has been facing tough year-over-year iPhone sales for most of 2019, and they hope to stop the bleeding on their income statement today. Already leaked by Verizon, iPhone XI is set to launch this month featuring improved camera sensors on the high-end models. Apple really does seem to be creating a naming issue with their iPhone product line, as iPhone XI doesn't really roll off the tongue.
The slightly lower-priced iPhone XR should also receive a spec bump, but this looks like back-to-back S years for the iPhone product line. Many tech pundits believe that we will be seeing a new form factor iPhone line ship in 2020 when Apple adopts 5G network connectivity. iPhone is twelve years old, and it doesn't seem that the curve-jumping innovation Apple is known for will be witnessed in this product category in 2019.
There are rumors that there will be four iPhones revealed today: iPhone XI, XIR, XI Pro, and XI Max. Keep it locked on Shacknews, to find out what rumors will be true.
Apple Watch is the most recent product released by the tech behemoth that has been truly disruptive. Apple is now the number one watch maker on Earth, and the Apple Watch has actually saved lives. Health tracking and notifications are the two killer apps for the product, and it will be great to see what Apple has to say about moving the platform even further with a new version. I am really happy with my Apple Watch Series 4, so I probably won't upgrade just yet. There are rumors that Apple may be adding even more health tracking abilities to the wearable in the near future.
Apple unveiled the cheese grater Mac Pro at WWDC 2019 earlier this year, but the company has been pretty quiet about the Mac line lately. There are some rumors that the product line could see the addition of FaceID to go alongside TouchID. Other obvious improvements would be spec bumps to processors and RAM as prices for components have plummeted over the last year. We will also get some details on the upcoming release of the next macOS.
It wouldn't be surprising to see some new iPads at the event, as today's keynote will be the coming out party for the standalone iPadOS. Some users still are holding out hope that Apple will finally release a brand new iPad Mini, but I wouldn't hold your breath. Improved iPad and iPad Pro products are likely the best we are going to get today from the Cupertino tech giant.
Apple held a special event earlier this year dedicated to the release of the Apple TV+ service, dragging out a slew of celebrities including Oprah. It wouldn't be that surprising to see Apple actually update their set-top box Apple TV product ahead of the launch of their subscription service. While Steve Jobs claimed he "cracked the code," it appears that Apple has given up on reinventing television. I would love to be proven wrong, and their investment in video content would seem to imply they are taking the living room seriously, Today would be a great day to show off a new vision for TV, but I am not holding my breath.
I know I may sound like a broken record with every single one of these Apple Special Events, but the company could surprise and delight fans with a new product. Some evidence of an augmented reality headset has surfaced in iOS 13 documentation, and the company has been investing in the space for years. Apple's ramp in R&D expenses also points to the company working on more than just iPhones. There are tons of rumors about a self-driving electric car project, but I think an AR product that fits into the iOS ecosystem would be great. Magic Leap certainly isn't the answer yet, and it would be great to see Apple enter the space with a product that could take full advantage of ARKit.
Apple put the phrase "By Innovation Only" on the media invites to this special event, but that might just be in reference to incremental innovation in existing products as opposed to a brand new product category, but a man can dream. A man can dream...
That's about everything we can expect from today's Apple Special Event. Join us here at Shacknews to watch all the news unfold. The keynote kicks off at 10:00 AM PT. What do you think Apple will announce today? Are you planning on upgrading to the iPhone XI? Let us know in the comments section below.