Apple’s a creature of habit and has more often than not stuck to announcing big launches in September. This year’s no different with a big event slated for the 10th of September at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. It’s highly likely the iPhone 11 (XII? 11 Pro? XII Pro??) will be launched on that day as well, on top of addressing whatever the rumour mill has been churning out.
But what exactly has the Apple rumour mill been churning out? Well, that’s what we’re here to find out.
iPhone 11
Despite the rumours, we’ll truly never know exactly what to expect from the next iPhone. However, a report by Bloomberg confirms this at least — a triple-camera setup (two on the XR) and more.
- Three new iPhones will be launched this September as “Pro” versions as successors to the current iPhone X lineup.
- The phones will have a similar live video-editing feature that lets you apply effects and edit while recording, similar to that of Samsung’s recently released Note 10 series.
- Also, like the Note 10, the 2019 Apple phones will have two-way wireless charging. So you could charge your Air Pods via your iPhone if it even runs low on juice. This could also mean a bigger capacity battery (15-25% more) to support this feature.
- Expect a similar design concept to the current models except for a matte finishing that should appear on the new models.
- No 5G on the newer models launching this year, which will only come next year.
- Faster and more efficient A13 processors, which supposedly, is faster than any Android processors out there.
- Improved, wide-angle Face ID sensors for ease of unlocking. Apple analyst Kuo Ming-Chi (whose predictions have so far been amazingly accurate) also reports that there’ll be an in-display fingerprint sensor.
- Though nothing’s been said about the prices, it’s safe to assume the iPhone 11 will be around the $1,000 mark as usual. Pricey, but what’s new?
- A possible USB-C connector according to this report.
- The upcoming phone could also support the Apple Pencil, which is currently only compatible with the iPad.
iPad Pro
With iPhone 11 rumours running rampant, there are far lesser rumours for the iPad but here’s what we found so far.
- The iPad could release as early as end 2019, but a March or June 2020 seems more likely if the launch dates of previous iPads were anything to go by.
- According to Kuo, two iPad Pro models could be released — a 10.2″ and an updated iPad Mini.
- Like the iPhone, the iPad will also be powered by the A13 processor.
- A triple-camera setup as well? There’s also a mention of a time-of-flight camera that will better determine how far an object in a room is. Using this depth information, image quality will improve and make for a better AR and VR experience.
Apple Watch Series 5
With previous watch series launching in September, it’s quite likely Apple’s latest series will be unveiled in the upcoming event on September 10.
- The Slashleak Twitter account claims that the above image is the Apple Watch 5 running on watchOS 6.0. While that doesn’t say much, according to MacRumors the model number apparently matches an Apple filing with the Eurasian Economic Commission. Though no specific product names were stated in the filing, it does at least mean that new models of some kind are coming.
- If the leaked image is true, then it doesn’t seem like there’ll be any major design changes to the watch.
- More leaked assets from watchOS 6.0 beta code and predictions by Kuo point to titanium and ceramic case designs. Whether they’ll replace the current material or have it available as an additional option is yet to be confirmed.
- Other rumoured features include ECG monitor support in more countries, two-way wireless charging and OLED screens.
Foldable Apple Device
Seems like Apple’s joining the fold of foldable devices. Apple has been filing patents for foldable devices over the years and has even been working with LG Display on it. A report by CNBC states that “Apple is steadily working on the technology” and that the device could come as early as next year but “2021 is more likely”.
With the embarrassing launch of the $2,000 Samsung Galaxy Fold and the delayed launch of the Mate X, Apple may hold back on its release in order to avoid meeting the same fate as Samsung.
Apple Smart Glasses & Gloves
Digging into Appl’s iOS source code and following their patent application can sometimes lead to very interesting findings. In this case, reports by MacRumors and Apple Insider suggests Apple is dabbling in an AR or VR headset dubbed “Garta” that will work alongside a smart glove.
However, Apple’s vision of smart glasses is somewhat different from the conventional VR headsets in the market. In MacRumor’s report, it seems like Apple’s smart glasses will make use of a system revolving around lasers and mirrors to project images onto the user’s eye. The image can then be overlayed onto the real world for useful AR applications.
Then there’s the smart glove. Apple has filed a patent application titled “Magnetic Sensor Based Proximity Sensing”. How it works is complicated but the premise is that it’ll work alongside the glasses and allow the user precise control in the AR/VR world.
While there’s no guarantee these concepts will see the light of day, it’s still interesting to know that there might be a possibility it could happen one day.
Other Apple Rumours & News
WALKIE-TALKIE — Apple has decided to put the brakes on its walkie-talkie iPhone project indefinitely. The feature would’ve let you communicate with another Apple device without cellular or wifi. Part of the reason why the project was put on hold was that Rubén Caballero, who headed the project has resigned from the company.
Mac Pro & XDR Display Launch — According to Bloomberg, Apple will also be launching the Mac Pro and XDR display announced at their WWDC earlier this year as well.
Apple TV+ — Apple’s streaming service will reportedly launch in November according to Bloomberg with a USD$9.99 monthly subscription (TBC).
Apple Arcade — The upcoming gaming subscription service will release later this year. It’ll allow customers to download and play games for $4.99 (TBC) a month with family sharing enabled. Only original games made for the service will be made available, so don’t expect any existing games to be on it. Check out the list here.
iOS 13, iPadOS, macOS Catalina, watchOS 6, tvOS 13 — All of Apple’s OS will release later this year (Sep – Nov). For a deeper dive into all the OS’ features, check out our article here.
Bluetooth Tracker — A new Find My feature that lets you track your Apple devices even without a data connection by using Bluetooth. Rumours have it that you can even tag your devices and look for your devices in the house via AR. A release date is yet to be confirmed but potentially later this year together with the release of iOS13.
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