Apple announced on Monday, August 26th, that a press conference will be held at its headquarters in Cupertino, California on September 9th. It is expected that Apple will unveil new models of iPhone and Apple Watch.
The press conference will be live-streamed on Apple’s website and YouTube. Since 2020, Apple has been releasing its products through pre-recorded videos.
Apple typically unveils new models of iPhone and Apple Watch at its fall event right before the key holiday shopping season.
According to analysts and reports from Bloomberg, this year’s iPhone models may be called the iPhone 16. The high-end devices may feature larger screens, redesigned camera bumps, and even new color options. Apple’s wearable devices are expected to come equipped with faster new chips.
As reported by “The Verge,” a major change in the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus is expected to be the repositioning of the rear camera system to a vertical alignment. The iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max phones may come with larger screens but will likely retain Apple’s iconic triple-camera layout. These phones may also come in a new bronze color.
It is expected that all four iPhone 16 models will feature operation buttons, a feature unique to the iPhone 15 Pro series. Apple’s new iPhones may also include a dedicated button for taking photos and videos, but it is unclear whether this will be a Pro exclusive feature or if it will also be available on the regular iPhone 16 models.
Artificial Intelligence and Apple’s Apple Intelligence function are also expected to be significant components of the new product release event. Apple typically releases the latest version of the iPhone software to all users when launching new models.
This year’s software version, iOS 18, is set to include Apple Intelligence, a set of AI functionalities for daily use, such as summarizing messages and generating cute images. However, recent developer previews from Apple suggest that the Apple Intelligence features may not be rolled out immediately after the hardware launch.
The slogan on the invite for this year’s Apple product release event is “It’s Glowtime.” It is currently unclear what “glowtime” refers to, but embedded artificial intelligence is expected to be a key feature of the latest iPhone.
While iPhone 15 Pro Max users may potentially access at least some AI functions, the upcoming iPhone 16 is expected to be the first device entirely designed with AI as a core concept.
It is rumored that Apple will also introduce the Apple Watch Series 10 and two new AirPods at this event.
The upcoming new products are crucial for Apple as it aims to reverse the slowdown in global sales.