Just like last year, 12th September will see Apple announce the 2018 iPhones, along with other major product updates in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino. I am in Cupertino this week, and I will be sure to run down to Apple Park after the keynote and see if I can spot anyone interesting.
We know Apple has lots of major product updates in the pipeline, but it's still up in the air as to what gets unveiled at this event. Tim Cook seems to have mostly succeeded in his pledge to 'double down on secrecy', seeing as we have seen relatively little in the way of leaks, and rumours are still very much conflicted on a daily basis. A few leaks and tidbits have broken through, however, so let's go through what we can expect to see on Wednesday.
iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max
The main product to be announced this year will of course be the iPhone Xs, following on from the massive success of last year’s iPhone X. We know a few things about this product. Firstly, it’s coming in 2 display sizes; 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch. 9to5 Mac shared leaked marketing images of these devices a week or so ago, confirming that the device will be available for the first time in a gold finish. 9to5 Mac also seemingly confirmed the device names as iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, but without citing sources. Other rumoured names have included (the new) iPhone X (2018/2nd-gen). iPhone Xs makes sense, given consumers are familiar with the iPhone’s history of ’S’ revisions, however this runs the risk of deterring potential buyers, as in the past, the ’S’ phones have always been considered lesser to the main numeric release, a factor that supposedly attributed to the iPhone 6s being one of the least successful Apple flagship launches to date. The ‘Max’ branding is replacing the ‘Plus’ moniker used since 2014. ‘Max’ sounds fresh and really pushes the point that this is the largest iPhone ever. Features-wise, we know very little about these devices beyond the screen sizes and new colour. The A12 [insert name here] CPU is a given, along with improved cameras and potentially a second-generation Face ID module. Apple Pencil support for Xs Max was supposedly in the works before Apple abandoned plans for the feature. Both models are expected to be available in Space Grey, Silver and Gold with storage options of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. Rumoured starting prices are $899 and $1049 for iPhone Xs and Xs Max respectively.
iPhone 9
I’m calling it the iPhone 9, because up until a few days ago, this was the name consistently given to this ‘budget’ iPhone. Now it is looking more likely that this phone will be called iPhone Xc or even iPhone Xr. This iPhone will come equipped with a 6.1-inch edge-to-edge LCD display with thicker bezels than the iPhone X and Xs. This is to stop light leakage around the edges of the display from the LCD panel, a problem not present in the OLED iPhone X and Xs. There will be no home button, there will be Face ID, and of course, a notch. The glass back of the device will look similar to that of iPhone 8 to allow for wireless charging, and the edges of the phone will be anodised aluminium, again, just like iPhone 8. To further reduce costs, the device will feature a single-lens iSight camera, likely an improved version of the current camera found on the 4.7-inch iPhone 8. This means no optical zoom or Portrait Mode for this iPhone. In China at least, it is expected to have dual-SIM support. This rumour is mighty hazy and no-one seems to be sure what’s going on with this one. Code found in iOS 12 does suggest a secondary iPhone SIM tray, or could this be reference to an embedded Apple SIM? Just as iPhone 5c came in many colours in 2013, this ‘iPhone Xc’ is rumoured to do the same. All devices will have a black front, with rumoured enclosure colours including: black, white, blue, taupe, yellow and orange. A red dummy unit has also leaked but Apple would most likely hold off to release a Product RED version in the Spring as it has done since 2017. This device is expected to feature an A12 [insert name here] CPU, just like its more premium cousins. We can expect the iPhone 9 to launch slightly later than iPhone Xs due to manufacturing issues regarding the LCD display and light leakage. I’d expect it to be similar in timeframe to the iPhone X last year, launching in November following the iPhone 8, which was released in September.
Apple Watch Series 4
Apple Watch Series 4 is where things get really interesting. A few months ago it was reported that this year’s Watch would be getting larger screens whilst retaining the same physical device size. This rumour had very little supporting evidence, but it was one that did not go away. Along with iPhone Xs, 9to5 Mac uncovered a promo image of the Series 4 in what appears to be a new gold stainless steel finish. The display on this thing is huge, leaving the device’s physical size up to debate. It certainly looks considerably larger, maybe thinner, but hopefully the same size band channels. The new watch face shown in the image certainly takes advantage of the extra screen space, showing 9 complications at once. We can also see from the image a new opening on the enclosure, below the Digital Crown. It sure does look like an additional or repositioned microphone, but it could be a new sensor of some kind. The Watch is rumoured once again to be gaining additional health sensors this year. The Crown itself no longer has a massive red dot (which I always really like) on it, rather a more subtle red ring around the edge, denoting a cellular-enabled model. Apple only registered 6 Apple Watch model numbers this year, as opposed to the usual 8, indicating all Series 4 models will be GPS + Cellular models as standard. I suspect the GPS-only Series 3 will drop down in price and replace the Series 1. Presumably, the Series 4 will be powered by the S4 chip and pricing should be similar to the current lineup.
AirPower
We still haven’t seen the release of AirPower, but it’s still 2018 and Apple could still fulfil their vague promise of a release date. I strongly suspect we will see keynote-time dedicated for a rehash of AirPower, with pricing and availability outlined. Rumoured pricing for the charging mat is between $149 and $199, with availability hopefully alongside the new iPhone models.
AirPods 2
New AirPods were rumoured for last year, and they’re also rumoured for 2019, but some believe we will see an update pair of Apple earbuds at this event. We’ve already seen the separate wireless charging case for use with AirPower, but chances are this will come with all second-generation AirPods. “Hey Siri” support is consistently rumoured for these new AirPods, along with improved sweat/water resistance and even noise cancellation. There are many reports of some of these features being on ‘AirPods 2’, whilst some will be reserved for ‘AirPods Pro’, to be released alongside or slightly after the former.
Possible, but unlikely.
The iPad Pro is definitely getting a major update any day now, presumably this Fall. Whilst an iPhone keynote would be a great spotlight to launch radically new iPad Pros with Face ID, there might not be enough time to do so, even when it is a ‘minor’ iPhone year. There is also an all new, low cost 13-inch Mac laptop launching imminently, again, probably this Fall. This will also require major screen time at a keynote. There is also a major redesign of the Mac mini ready to debut. Both of these Macs are to usher in a new era for the Mac, to be continued with the new Mac Pro in 2019. I’d expect an October event for all of these along with macOS Mojave availability and refreshes to the iMac and 12-inch MacBook lines.
Anything that does get announced in this keynote (with the exception of iPhone 9) will most likely begin preorders on Friday 14th September and go on sale the following Friday, 21st September.
The rumours of 3 iPhone X-like devices have been present going all the way back to January and we still know very little about what exactly will be shown off at this keynote. All will be revealed on Wednesday, and I shall be looking to purchase most of the devices announced. Anything I do purchase shall be unboxed on iCollectApple.
:))