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MANILA, Philippines – Rumors and speculation abound as Apple’s September 9 event (September 10 in the Philippines) draws closer.
Aside from the time and the location of the event – San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium – the only clues officially stated are in the cryptic one-liner on the general invitation: “Hey Siri, give us a hint.”
Whether it’s new phones or tablets or an upgrade to the Apple TV, here’s a quick list of what we might see at the event.
New iPhones, better cameras
Apple may come out with S-version upgrades to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, introducing a A9 processor chip and 2GB of RAM to the smartphones.
One of the notable potential changes may come in what the device will actually be made from. According to 9to5Mac, the new iPhones will be made with 7000 series aluminum, which the company said is 60% stronger than standard alloys but remains very light.
A new Rose Gold color option will also be offered.
The iPhone upgrades will reportedly focus on camera functions and capabilities as a selling point. The rear camera is expected to be a 12-megapixel camera that can record in 4K video resolution quality. Meanwhile, the front FaceTime Camera may have a larger sensor, capable of recording 1080p video and having up to 5 megapixels of still resolution.
The Force Touch display experience of the Apple Watch is also set to make a transition to the smartphone space on the iPhone 6s line of products. The Verge said in its roundup that Force Touch could be used to bring up new menus, or possibly to perform new actions on the phones. Meanwhile, 9to5Mac wrote the feature may be renamed for the iPhone crowd, with “3D Touch Display” likely being the new branding.
Current speculative pricing is set for $199 for a 16GB iPhone 6S, on a contract, with $299 and $399 iPhone 6S models providing 64GB or 128 GB of storage. The iPhone 6S Plus, meanwhile, is reportedly slated to sell for $299 on contract for a 16GB model, with 64GB and 128 GB models costing $399 and $499, respectively.
The iPad Pro (and a new Mini)
The iPad Pro looks to be a substantial bump upwards for the iPad brand in the iPad Pro. Sporting a 12.9-inch display, the iPad Pro will reportedly ship with 64GB of storage, with a 128GB model also available. It will also run iOS 9.1 and will come with built-in LTE capabilities.
Aside from the large display, the iPad Pro’s landscape split-screen mode should allow for two full-sized portrait iPad apps to be displayed. The iPad Pro will also reportedly include what is being termed as the A9X chip, an upgrade from the A8X. It will also have 4 stereo speakers, as well as a single Lightning port at the bottom of the device.
As for accessories, a stylus or keyboard will come separately, with two possible versions of an iPad Pro keyboard in store for users – one that acts like a case, and another is similar to the Apple Wireless keyboard.
A new version of the iPad Mini may also come out, shrinking further to become a more portable Apple tablet with some upgrades of its own to boot.
A minor showing for the Apple Watch
WatchOS 2.0 is expected to arrive for the Apple Watch once work on the software update is completed. WatchOS 2.0 will reportedly include a new Nightstand Mode for timekeeping and alarm management, native app running on the watch to allow for faster operation and access to hardware sensors, an activation lock as an anti-theft measure, new watch faces and support for third-party watch face addons, and new options for the Digital Touch messaging service.
New Apple Watch bands are also slated to arrive for the Sport Band line.
A gamer’s Apple TV?
Meanwhile rumor has it that an Apple TV upgrade will make the Apple TV more of a set-top box that allows for gaming. A revamped remote control will reportedly feature accelerometers for motion control as well as a built-in microphone for Siri voice input. The new Apple TV may also support third-party bluetooth gaming controllers.
The New York Times, in discussing this gaming development for the Apple TV was pensive: “It’s tough to know how compelling the games on Apple TV will be until the company reveals the system this week,” The Times wrote. “Yet many of the components necessary for a satisfying game experience will come with the device, the people say — including more power for better graphics, a new remote that could double as a controller and, perhaps most important, an app store to buy and download games.”
The new Apple TV will be powered by an A8 processor, a big step up from the A5 processor of the current iteration of the device.
Software-wise, system-wide universal search powered by Siri seems to be the order of the day. Not only is the Apple TV posied to use iOS 9’s Proactive Spotlight Search technology, Siri may also become the premier tool for people to search through Apple TV. There will also reportedly be an App Store, with third-party app support and a complete Software Development Kit available.
Pricing for the new Apple TV will start at $149, though that may depend on storage capacity. – Rappler.com
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