Apple’s annual September event is just round the corner. On September 9, at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, California, the company will unveil its next-gen lineup. The company will be live streaming the event on Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and also for PC users.
While there had been rumours in August about the company’s next event to be hosted on the said date, it it all became clear when Apple started sending invites for the event. The company has ensured that Siri is a part of its media invite this time. Take a look below:
This year, the Cupertino company is expected to launch the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. The most recent report by The Independent now reveals that the upcoming iPhone 6s will carry a similar price tag as the current iPhone. This could disappoint many users who bought the iPhone 6 lately. Citing Techtastic, the report reveals that the 16GB iPhone 6s is likely to be priced at €699, 64GB at €799 and 128GB at €899. The Plus variant will cost €100 more for the same amount of storage space, adds the report.
In terms of specs, the iPhone 6s is said to feature ForceTouch display, Apple Watch-like animated wallpapers, faster A9 processor and Qualcomm-built cellular chips. We’ve also seen leaked images showing Force Touch technology. Force Touch is the haptic feedback feature that was introduced this year in the Apple Watch along with the new MacBook. The Force Touch technology lets the device detect varying levels of input pressure by deploying electrodes around its screen. For example, in the Apple Watch, electrodes are embedded around the flexible OLED display that help detect the deformation caused by a press/tap/swipe. This force is then translated to operations by adding an extra layer of control to multi-touch system.
A 9To5Mac report states that the new pressure-sensitive display will be called 3D Touch Display. The iPhone 6s display will now recognise not just taps and presses, but also deep press. That means it will come with three different types of input support, reportedly the reason why it is being called ‘3D’ display.
Another 9To5Mac report states that the cameras of both upcoming iPhone variants will be upgraded. “Apple will be moving from an 8-megapixel sensor to a custom imager billed as 12-megapixels in both of the new iPhones,” the report adds. The camera is also said to support 4K recording.
The company was also rumoured to launch a cheaper variant – iPhone 6c – at the event. However, another report by 9To5Mac claims otherwise. Citing sources related to the matter, the report says that Apple is working on the 4-inch device but it is not yet ready to ship. The company reportedly also plans to discontinue iPhone 5c, but the iPhone 5s, 6 and 6 Plus sales will continue.
Earlier, 9to5Mac had also shared a few images, showing a prototype of the next iPhone’s logic board. According to the report, a new NFC chip inside the iPhone 6S is from NXP and labelled 66VP2.
Also, along with a ‘slight shrinkage’ in size of the iPhone 6S’s logic board, Apple appears to be reducing the number of chips it uses for its phone. It may use a Cirrus Logic audio chip, a Murata Wi-Fi module, and wireless power amplifiers from RFMD, Triquint, Avago and Skyworks within the iPhone 6S as well.
As of now, it appears that the upcoming smartphone will sport a 16GB variant and is built with a 19nm production process. According to 9to5mac, there is a possibility that Apple may not ship this 16GB flash storage option, and was solely using it for early production and test models.
There’s also a leaked image showing the iPhone 6s in Rose Pink. It is said to be subtle light pink, and not the bright colour we saw with iPhone 5c. The photos were leaked on Chinese social media, according to Cult of Mac and the rosy pink device looks almost identical to the current iPhone 6. Among the modifications, one can also expect a redesigned wireless system that gives you a lightning fast 300 Mbps download speeds.
Besides the new iPhones, the company is also expected to launch the long-time rumoured and much talked about 12.9-inch iPad dubbed iPad Pro. The large ‘12.9-inch iPad‘ first hit headlines way back in 2013. Earlier this year, reports claimed that Apple will delay the start of production on the larger iPad Pro until around September due to problems involving the display panel supply.
The list of new products to be launched at the September event also includes the new Apple TV. Reports earlier this month hinted at Apple’s talks with ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox ‘rapidly gaining momentum’. The company had earlier planned to launch the Apple TV at WWDC. However, the plan was canned as Apple didn’t want to take away the focus from its new OS or music streaming service.
With the new product, we may see design changes as well as internal improvements. The new box is said to be slimmer and will come improved speed. If the chatter online is to be believed then the upcoming Apple TV version 4 will come with enhanced wireless capabilities, allowing users to enjoy iOS games. It will feature two main buttons — a home button and a Siri launcher. The remote can be linked to Apple TV via Bluetooth. It will also support 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. Besides, the remote will also feature a touchpad and hardware buttons so that third-party controllers can be linked via Bluetooth.
A new report claims that the Apple TV won’t support 4K. It will come equipped with a faster processor, remote control and the same ports. It will reportedly come powered by the A8 chip found in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, and support an App store for gaming and feature limited storage of 8GB and 16GB.
Apple is also said to be working on a 21.5-inch iMac with 4k display to be launched in October, but we aren’t sure if the company plans to give a glimpse of the device at the upcoming event. We won’t have to wait too long to find out.
