The September 9 event is expected to unveil new smartphones, smartwatches and headphones. So what surprises does this major technology event have in store for us?
Tl;dr
- Apple’s iPhone 16 event will take place on September 9.
- Updates are expected for the iPhone 16, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
- Rumors suggest a design change for the iPhone 16 and AI improvements.
- An action button could be introduced on standard iPhone 16 models.
Preparing for Apple’s Big Event
Mark your calendars for September 9, because the big day in the tech world’s fall calendar is almost here: Apple’s iPhone 16 event. Expect some major revelationswith the likely unveiling of the new iPhone 16 lineup, the Apple Watch, and maybe even a new SE. However, until Tim Cook takes to the virtual stage, everything remains pure speculation.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro: what’s new?
No matter how big the event ends up being, these new models will undoubtedly be the center of attention. The consensus among leaks and rumors suggests that this year, too, the improvements will be iterative rather than revolutionary. The new iPhone 16 could come in four models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max, according to industry analyst Mark Gurman. The Pro models could get slightly larger screens, going to 6.3 and 6.9 inches respectively. Finally, as always, there will likely be a new color or two, with Bloomberg suggesting a possible return of rose gold.
A look inside
On the hardware side, expect a new chipset that takes advantage of Apple’s recent push into AI, called Apple Intelligence. Additionally, the upgraded A18 chip will be an iterative improvement in terms of specs. It looks like the base amount of RAM here will be 8GB, to handle AI-related tasks. The standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models could get the Action button, a feature introduced last year for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This multipurpose button is a direct replacement for the mute switch, by default, but can be tweaked to control a multitude of different things.
And finally…
Finally, new iPhones always get a bump in camera specs, but we don’t know exactly what that will look like this time around. It’s been reported that the iPhone 16’s camera module could get a design refresh. Apple could ditch the square and opt for a vertical orientation. As for the software side, thanks to the recent WWDC event, we already know that iOS 18 is expected to be available within a week of the event. The software update introduces a more customizable Control Center and Home screen, and finally brings RCS support to iPhones.
