Able to Glow! iPhone, Apple Watch, and all the pieces else to count on at Apple’s occasion

Fall could be relied upon for just a few issues: baseball playoffs, the altering of the leaves, the emergence of pumpkin spice, and, after all, new iPhones.

This yr Apple is holding its annual particular occasion on the uncommon Monday (most likely to keep away from conflicting with a presidential debate on Tuesday) and the corporate is predicted to make a variety of bulletins.

Previously, Apple’s cellphone occasions have diversified from these at which it felt like we’d heard rumors about all the pieces entering into, to these the place it looks like we knew nothing in any respect. This yr feels someplace within the center: the rumors are on the market, however there’s sufficient of an “is that it?” feeling that it’s onerous to not think about Apple having one thing else up its sleeve.

Prematurely of the “It’s Glowtime” presentation subsequent week, right here’s a rundown of what to anticipate (and never) when the video begins rolling.

Candy 16

A brand new iPhone is, after all, essentially the most positive factor you could possibly count on from a September Apple occasion. The smartphone nonetheless makes up the lion’s share of the corporate’s income, so it’s not about to cease placing a brand new one out each single yr. As normal, count on iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Professional, and iPhone 16 Professional Max choices in the identical bodily sizes as final yr’s fashions.

Whereas the iPhone 16 line will not be anticipated to sport a radically completely different look than its predecessor, it is going to boast just a few new methods. Along with final yr’s Motion button making the leap from the Professional to the usual iPhone fashions, there’s rumored to be a devoted “Seize” button designed for immediate entry to the digicam–presumably with extra options like touch-sensitive zoom management and the flexibility to half-press the button for focusing. The digicam bump on the again can be anticipated to alter on the usual fashions, with two vertically aligned lenses that may present higher help for spatial photos when capturing in panorama orientation.

There are additionally the standard enhancements to processors, with the A18 anticipated to make its debut throughout the road, in contrast to final yr when the iPhone 15 Professional obtained the A17 Professional chip and the iPhone 15 the A16. Apple can be regarded as upping the RAM throughout the board to higher help Apple Intelligence options (extra on which in a second) with 8GB being the brand new customary.

There are additionally some smaller under-the-hood modifications stated to be within the works, together with stacked battery expertise for longer battery life, the newest Wi-Fi 7 customary, and barely bigger screens on the Professional fashions (with no change within the chassis dimension). Plus, putting new shade choices for the iPhone 16–together with inexperienced, blue, and pink–plus new rose-gold and decidedly brown “bronze” titanium end for the iPhone Professional fashions. Study extra concerning the iPhone 16 doable options.

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

Chris Martin / Foundry

All in all, it looks like a modest improve for the yr, which implies that a lot of the time will most likely be spent speaking about…software program.

Intelligence company

Apple typically devotes a big chunk of its iPhone announcement occasion speaking about software program bulletins, and this yr will seemingly be no completely different. The corporate took the wraps off its iOS 18 replace again in June on the Worldwide Builders Convention, however as that occasion is primarily targeted on builders, Apple will certainly take the chance to indicate off all of the options to the broader viewers that tunes in to see the brand new iPhone.

The star of iOS 18 is undoubtedly Apple Intelligence, the suite of AI-powered options that the corporate is rolling out throughout its numerous platforms, together with textual content rewriting and proofreading instruments, computerized summaries, and an improved Siri expertise.

However one complicating issue is that the primary of these options are at present a part of the beta for iOS 18’s first replace, iOS 18.1, and thus most likely gained’t be obtainable till after the brand new iPhones ship. A few of the options will take longer but: Lots of the Siri enhancements aren’t anticipated to reach till subsequent yr. Nonetheless, don’t count on that to cease Apple from speaking about them, particularly in the event that they take into account these capabilities to be their finest likelihood to promote new telephones: Notably, the one present telephones that may be capable to run Apple Intelligence are the iPhone 15 Professional and Professional Max, so the iPhone 16 line will develop these choices tremendously.

Apple

Apple

Apple

Apple additionally typically has at the least one or two new software program enhancements that it ties to its newest {hardware}—what that may appear to be this yr, we don’t know, but when that Seize button rumor is to be believed, I wouldn’t wager in opposition to some new digicam options.

Watch your ears

Whereas the iPhone occasion is principally concerning the iPhone, it’s typically not the one announcement that we get at these occasions: a number of the firm’s iPhone-adjacent merchandise are more likely to get their moments within the solar.

This yr marks the tenth anniversary of the revealing of the Apple Watch (although it didn’t ship till early the next yr) and Apple will most likely take the wraps off its Collection 10 model of the smartwatch. Rumors have each sizes getting barely bigger shows and a thinner design, in addition to a revamped magnetic attachment system for watchbands, which may very well be contentious, as it will be the primary time older bands don’t work with the brand new watches. Although the corporate has additionally been onerous at work on new well being sensors for the wearable, it’s run into challenges which have slowed it down–together with a patent dispute which means this yr’s fashions gained’t have the beforehand obtainable blood oxygen measurement system–so it might be form of a sparse yr for Apple Watch well being options.

New variations of AirPods may additionally be ready within the wings this yr, with two variations of AirPods 4 aiming to exchange each the AirPods 3 and the still-on-sale AirPods 2. The upper-end model would characteristic energetic noise cancelation, beforehand solely obtainable on AirPods Professional, in addition to higher audio efficiency utilizing the identical H2 chip additionally discovered within the Professional. The lower-end mannequin may eschew the noise cancellation and a number of the different options in favor of interesting to a broader market with a less expensive price ticket.

One factor to not count on? New Macs. Although the corporate has reportedly been making ready to unleash a number of computer systems powered by the identical M4 processor present in its most up-to-date iPad Professional, these aren’t regarded as displaying up in September, however relatively at one other occasion in October. However hey, it’s all the time good to have one thing to look ahead to.