It’s that time of year again. Apple is expected to unveil its latest iPhone lineup during its annual fall press event in San Francisco on Wednesday, Sept. 7.
In typical Apple fashion, little information has been released about the event; however, an invitation sent to members of the media read, “See you on the 7th,” leading many to believe the tech giant will show off the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.
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Of course, Apple has not released any information regarding what will be released – but the rumour mill is already churning up ideas about what the new phones might include.
But the iPhone 7 likely won’t be the only attraction on Wednesday. Here is what many expect to be unveiled during the event:
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
The announcement of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus is expected to revolve around audio capabilities. That’s because Apple is expected to unveil a phone without a headphone jack.
Rumours surrounding the removal of the headphone jack have been circulating for about a year and have not been well-received by Apple users. In fact, an online petition accusing Apple of trying to rip off customers by removing the headphone jack has been signed over 303,000 times.
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But, if Apple is planning on releasing an iPhone without a traditional headphone jack, it’s likely the company will unveil some sort of adapter to support existing audio devices. We may also see Apple branded Bluetooth wireless headphones to go with the phone.
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Some believe the company will introduce a new type of Apple branded headphones that plug into the phone’s lightning port (where you plug your phone in to charge).
Overall, the physical design of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus isn’t said to be changing much. But, according to a report by Bloomberg, one of the new models may include a second camera on the back of the phone to take higher quality photos and offer a better zoom.
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As with every iPhone iteration, both new devices will likely have upgraded internal components and faster chips.
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According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple will finally ditch the 16 gigabyte model and make 32 gigabyte the smallest available model. This comes after thousands of users with 16gb phones complained that Apple’s operating took up a large chunk of their devices’ storage. For example, iOS 8 required at least 5.7GB of free space in order to be installed on most iPhone and iPad models.
Apple Watch
Two years after introducing its first wearable device, Apple is expected to unveil the second version of the Apple Watch.
While most rumour sites don’t believe the company is going to significantly change the Apple Watch’s design, the biggest change to the device is expected to be built-in GPS capability. That means you won’t necessarily need to bring your iPhone with you in order to track things like your daily run on your watch.
According to Apple rumour site 9to5Mac, the new Apple Watch will also have better battery life.
iOS 10
We will likely also find out an official release date for iOS 10 Wednesday. However, thanks to Apple’s beta testing program, we already know most of the changes coming to the new operating system for iPhone and iPad.
The messaging app has been revamped to allow users to customize their messages. For example, you can now hand draw a response that will animate once opened by friends and messages that say things like “Happy Birthday” will send animated balloons flying across your screen.
Another new feature called “invisible ink” will allow you to send your friends a photo or message that remains hidden until they swipe across it.
But there will be some big changes for users to get used to.
“Slide to unlock” is gone – once iOS 10 is installed, swiping right will now bring users to a revamped notifications screen. To unlock your phone, you will now need to hold your finger over the TouchID fingerprint sensor on your home button, or – if you don’t have a phone with a fingerprint sensor – click the home button to get to the unlock screen.
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If that makes you hesitant to install the new operating system, take this into consideration – Apple will finally let you remove those unwanted apps, like the Stocks app.
An updated MacBook Pro
Anyone who has been holding out for a new MacBook will know that Apple hasn’t updated its MacBook Pro laptop line in a while. And while there are some rumours that Apple is gearing up to release a new MacBook Pro, it’s unclear whether or not the computer will be unveiled during Wednesday’s event.
9to5Mac reported the new laptop could include an OLED touch screen panel above the keyboard, a thinner design and the addition of a USB-C port; but other details surrounding the laptop remain scarce.
Global News will have live coverage of Apple’s iPhone event, starting at 1 p.m. ET.
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