On September 12th at 1pm ET/10am PT, Apple is set to reveal the iPhone 15 line to the world.
As is often the case, a deluge of information has leaked ahead of the keynote, including possible major iPhone 15 features, the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and possibly a few surprises.
Let’s get into it:
iPhone 15 series (say hello to USB-C)
First off, Apple’s entire iPhone line is expected to make the move to USB-C. While the tech giant will likely present this as a shift it’s decided to make on its own accord, it’s actually because of the European Union’s (EU) incoming regulations.
In true Apple fashion, rumours point to only the iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max featuring faster data transfer speeds thanks to the addition of USB-C (likely USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 4), according to reliable Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. Unfortunately, the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus are reported to offer a rather slow and outdated USB 2.0 connection over USB-C.
On the plus side, all iPhone models are rumoured to support 35W charging, according to 9to5Mac.
Further, it looks like the still very underutilized ‘Dynamic Island‘ included only in last year’s iPhone 14 Pro/iPhone 14 Pro Max will make its way to the entire iPhone 15 series, according to display analyst Ross Young.
Hopefully, this encourages more third-party app developers to adopt the feature. Other notable design changes include thinner bezels and a lighter, more durable titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro/iPhone 15 Pro Max. With this shift, we might see the end of the ‘Gold’ Pro iPhone colour in favour of black, silver and gray. On the other hand, the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Plus will reportedly come in black, green, yellow, blue and pink.
We also might see Apple ditch the mute switch in favour of a new ‘Action Button‘ similar to the Apple Watch Ultra’s. Rumours indicate you’ll be able to assign apps and other features to the button. If this report is accurate, hopefully, more apps are capable of using the button, because third-party app support for the Apple Watch Ultra’s button is lacklustre.
And finally, rumours point to the iPhone 15 Max featuring a 6x optical periscope lens, differentiating it from the iPhone 15 Pro in a way beyond its size for the first time in years. There’s also a rumour floating around hinting that Apple could drop the ‘Max’ branding in favour of “Ultra.” While I’d typically pass this report off as nothing because it sounds ridiculous, it comes from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, a nearly always reliable source of Apple rumours.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra
Not much is known about the Apple Watch Series 9. It’s expected the watch will be yet another minor upgrade to Apple’s smartwatch line that offers a new, faster chip (likely the S9), resulting in better battery life.
There’s also a possibility the wearable could include a new health-related sensor, though it’s unclear what it might do. Finally, we might get a new pink colour with the release of the Series 9.
The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is also expected to be a rather unexciting upgrade over its predecessor. Rumours point to a new “black titanium” colour and the same S9 chip as the Series 9.
– Apple Watch Ultra 2
Same design.
And I can confirm this year we will have the black titanium this year along with the current standard titanium.
(MKBHD Edition) 🗿 pic.twitter.com/zxsVu0TYKX— ShrimpApplePro 🍤 (@VNchocoTaco) August 1, 2023
USB-C AirPods
Apple is expected to update its AirPods with a new USB-C charging case to match the iPhone 15 series, according to Gurman. Apple will likely update the entire AirPods line over the next few months, but it’s expected we’ll only see a USB-C version of the AirPods (3rd-Gen) and possibly the AirPods Pro (2nd-Gen).
Beyond the case charging port shift to USB-C, nothing else is expected to change about the AirPods with the new version.
Everything else
If past Apple events are an indication, we’ll get a release date for iOS 17 and watchOS 10, with iPadOS 17’s and macOS Sonoma’s release dates likely being saved until October or November.
There’s also a possibility we might catch another glimpse of the Vision Pro augmented reality/virtual reality (AR/VR) headset, a new iMac and an M3-powered 13-inch Macbook Air and MacBook Pro, though Apple will likely save these reveals for later in the fall.
MobileSyrup will be on the ground at Apple’s keynote, bringing you all the news directly from the event.
Source: Ming-Chi Kuo, 9to5Mac, (2), Ross Young, MacRumors, Bloomberg, (2), @ShrimpApplePro
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