New Delhi: At 10:30 PM IST tonight the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in California will witness the unveiling of some of the most anticipated Apple products of the year. There have been enough speculations and leaks surrounding what the Cupertino-based tech giant might unveil at its mega event on September 9; from the next iPhone, which could be called the iPhone 6s, to a larger iPad Pro, and even a long-awaited update to the Apple TV.
Here's a roundup of all that you need to know before Apple CEO Tim Cook takes to the stage and unveils the next flagship devices.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
The next flagship smartphone to come from the tech giant is widely expected to be named the iPhone 6s. While some might be against the nomenclature and others already listing customised variants of the yet mysterious device, some have concluded it to be the next logical step in Apple’s naming strategy for its smartphones. When it introduced the iPhone 5, the following were named the 5s and 5c. With the newer iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, we might as well be able to see an iPhone 6s or 6s Plus.
Whichever name Apple finalises, the smartphone is likely to carry the same appearance and core units. It is said to be powered by the A9 chip and resemble the iPhone 6 in design. While the iPhone 6 successor, called iPhone 6s will feature a 4.5-inch screen, the iPhone 6 Plus successor is likely to sport a 5.5-inch display.
The major elements to be incorporated in the new device could include Force Touch technology and improved camera. The touch detection technology, which allows the screen to detect subtle differences in the amount of pressure you apply, was first introduced in the new MacBook and Apple Watch and is expected to add onto the next iPhone’s overall thickness.
The camera on the other hand is expected to be equipped with a flash-function for FaceTime and include features like HD video recording in panorama mode and slow motion, up to 240 images per second. The rear camera on the other hand is expected to be boosted from the earlier 8 megapixel to a 12 megapixel with a possibility of even 4K shooting ability.
Apple’s media invite reads, “Hey Siri, give us a hint.” This also hints at the new devices running an improved version of the voice-based digital assistant. It is also expected that the phone will come with Apple’s News app other than an optimised battery life and run the recently unveiled iOS 9.
The new iPhone are expected to hit the stores on September 18 and for the first time could come in a new pink metal colour option besdies the standard silver, grey, and gold colours.
iPad Pro
The second most awaited update is likely to come in the form of a bigger iPad Pro tablet. Bringing in the obvious Force Touch technology, USB Type-C, improved Siri, and iOS 9, the rumoured 12.9-inch iPad Pro is expected to come with a stylus.
Introducing a stylus would have totally put off Steve Jobs who had once famously said, “If you see a stylus, they blew it, after he unveiled the iPad in 2010.
However, if the stylus does come along the new iPad Pro, it would incorporate in it the same Force Touch technology used in the MacBook and Apple Watch. This would put the tablet in straight competition with Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3. The bigger tablet is further expected to come with built-in NFC technology for faster device pairing and also used for Apple’s contactless payment service Apple Pay. Leaked images of a hard case meant for the purported big screened iPad Pro, also hint at the device featuring four speakers built into its ends.
While the design is likely to be similar to that of the iPad Air 2, the upcoming tablet is said to be 7.2mm in thickness and come powered by A9X chipset and built-in LTE. Apple is likely to offer the base model with 64 GB of internal storage and 128 GB variant available at a higher price bracket.
With built-in LTE, the tablet is expected to cost as much as the new MacBook. The iPad Pro will be available in the regular gold, silver, and space grey colour options.
Other than the monster iPad Pro, Apple is also likely to introduce a new iPad Mini 4 with 7.9-inch Retina display that would run the iPad Pro-like Split View multitasking ability. We’ll have to wait and see if the smaller version also carries the new-age USB Type-C port for charging and output.
The next Apple tablet is not expected to start shipping any time before October.
Apple TV
Skipping the WWDC March event, Apple could use the September 9 event to introduce the update to its TV set-top box. The phone is expected to feature a slimmer chassis, an improved remote with touch-pad input, increased on-board storage and an operating system that will support Siri.
The auditorium chosen to hold tomorrow’s event seats up to 7,000 people, which is a much larger capacity than San Francisco's 750-seat Yerba Buena Theater, where Apple often holds such events. The choice of venue too hints at the next Apple TV being demoed in front of a larger audience.
Apple is said to be moving towards gaming and hence, its next Apple TV is expected to double up as gaming console and come with a customised remote control that could be used as a game controller.
The thicker and wider iteration of the Apple TV will have an app store of its own for buying games and expected to be priced under $200.
Miscellaneous
Exact dates of the iOS 9 and OS X El Captain are also very likely to be announced at the event. The company could also unveil the next Apple Watch OS, WatchOS 2.
The Apple event will kick start on September 9 at 10.30 PM (IST).
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