Apple officially announced the upcoming media event, which is expected to cover iPhone 8, UHD 4K Apple TV and an LTE enabled Apple Watch. The media invitation confirms previous rumors, which were confirmed by the Wall Street Journal, that an event will be held on September 12. A first for Apple’s new Cupertino campus, the above invitation asks participants to visit the Steve Jobs Theater for one of the biggest product announcements in the past 10 years, or ever, with the new anniversary edition of the iPhone. What can we expect?
Apple iPhone Media Event
As with all recent fall media events, the flagship announcement is expected to be the updated tenth anniversary iPhone. Nomenclature is still being discussed by armchair analysts, but any of the following are in contention: iPhone 8; iPhone Edition; iPhone X; iPhone Pro. Some suppliers are starting to add SKU’s to their inventory, but the exact name is still debated. Most recently, it is rumored the would-be iPhone 7s, may actually receive the “iPhone 8” moniker, while the updated tenth anniversary version may be called the “iPhone Edition.”
Updated features, as confirmed by Bloomberg, include: an edge-to-edge OLED display; facial recognition instead of a finger print sensor; augmented reality; glass enclosure; increased RAM; and larger storage capacities. Pictured above, the screen “ears” will contain status bar information, that aligns with the camera/speaker notch. The screen bottom is estimated to be reserved for a dynamic, virtual Home button and navigation buttons, typically reserved for the screen top. As the device is expected to include a screen as large as the current Plus model devices, moving navigation to the bottom prevents screen-reach.
Apple TV
Apple is expected to update their set-top-box with 4K “UHD” capabilities. Without an update in two years, the new device will be welcomed by enthusiasts who have already upgraded to the latest television technology. 4K resolution is twice that of standard HD, and the new device will include High Dynamic Range wide-color gamut. The combination of the two is quite impressive. In order to achieve the increased streaming requirements, the new Apple TV may also include a gigabit ethernet, which it currently lacks. With the update to hardware capabilities, Apple is said to have on-going conversations with content providers about keeping 4K iTunes movies at the same purchase and rental prices, but with the upgraded resolutions.
Apple Watch
Updates to the Apple Watch are scarcely rumored. The only anticipated change is LTE cellular capabilities. With an LTE chipset, Apple Watch could operate on its own, without the need to be paired with an iPhone. Consequently, the device could, for example, stream music over Apple Music, while out on a run. There is also a potential that call forwarding with cellular providers would allow users to make and receive calls from the device, also completely detached from an iPhone.
Until Tim Cook steps onto the stage next Tuesday at 10:00AM PST, everything is still a rumor. Naturally, we are keeping a close watch on the iPhone 8/Edition/Pro announcement, but regardless of the model number, you can expect new iPhone car mounts from ProClip USA. Sign up now and ProClip will notify you when the new holders are in stock.
