Wonderlust: What to expect at Apple’s iPhone 15 event

CNN
—

Apple is expected to debut the iPhone 15 lineup on Tuesday at the company’s annual September keynote event, and could deliver The biggest change in the phone design In 11 years.

The press event, which Apple teased with the slogan “Love of Wonders,” will be held at the company’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed live on its website, starting at 10 a.m. local time.

Although the annual iPhone event has become more streamlined over the years, announcing incremental changes to battery life, camera system and displays, this year Apple is expected to offer USB-C charging for its smartphones for the first time. The change could ultimately simplify the charging process across different devices and brands.

But the company will have to show off more than just a new charging system to get users to upgrade. Apple sales last month It decreased for the third consecutive quarter. iPhone revenue was $39.7 billion during the quarter, which represented a decline of approximately 2% year over year.

Here’s more to expect:

Apple has previously switched its iPads and MacBooks to USB-C charging, but now may be the right time for the company to finally make the change to iPhones. The move comes less than a year after the European Union voted to approve legislation requiring smartphones, tablets, digital cameras, portable speakers and other small devices to support USB-C charging by 2024. The first law of its kind aims to reduce the number of chargers and cables. Which consumers have to deal with when purchasing a new device and allowing users to mix and match devices and chargers even if they are produced by different manufacturers.

“This is arguably the biggest iPhone design disruption in many years, but it’s actually not a dramatic move,” said Ben Wood, an analyst at CCS Insight.

Last year, Apple’s senior vice president of global marketing, Greg Joswiak, publicly emphasized the value and ubiquity of the Lightning charger, designed to charge devices faster, but noted that “obviously we’re going to have to comply” with the EU mandate. The Lightning charger was introduced in 2012.

The change to USB-C will also likely bring about a wave of charging accessories, perhaps in different colours. It’s possible that iPhone users will also pay for a USB-C wall adapter because it will be a different sized connector.

The entire iPhone 15 lineup is rumored to be getting a “Dynamic Island” feature — an interactive home for alerts, notifications, and various controls — that replaces the notch at the top of the screen. The tool was launched on the high-end iPhone 14 Pro models last year.

Although there are a few There are other rumors circulating about the entry-level iPhone models, and the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max models are expected to get a number of new features, according to Bloomberg report. This would include a rear periscope lens, which allows for more optical zoom, and a titanium housing to make the device up to 15% lighter and thinner. The Pro models are also expected to get Apple’s latest A17 chip, the first with 3nm technology, which could provide faster processing and longer-lasting battery life.

The lineup is also expected to come in various new colors, as seen in the Apple logo on the event invitation, including navy and updated shades of grey, white, and silver.

In June, Apple introduced… Vision Pro, a mixed reality headset that the company says will herald a new era of “spatial computing.” Yoram Wurmser, an analyst at Insider Intelligence, believes the company will test “some new features and deeper collaboration” to build excitement before its launch in 2024. (It’s also possible that Apple will announce a launch date.) The headset blends virtual reality with augmented reality, a technology that overlays virtual images over live video of the real world. The headset is Apple’s biggest and riskiest product launch in years.

New AirPods, Apple Watches, and software release dates

The company typically unveils its latest Apple Watches alongside the iPhone every year, so we’ll likely see the debut of the Apple Watch Series 9 and perhaps the next generation of its Ultra 2 smartwatch, a more powerful wearable for serious sports fans. According to Bloomberg, Apple is working on a complete revamp of its Apple Watch Series 10 smartwatch next year, so this year’s updates will be relatively minor.

In addition, Apple is expected to showcase the next generation of AirPods with a new charging case that will work with USB-C cables. It will also likely announce launch dates for its next-generation operating systems for iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, and Apple Watch.

In May, for example, Apple offered a A large number of new tools Coming to iOS 17, like more accurate autocorrect, a new feature called Live Voicemail that It will transcribe the caller’s message in real time, and the NameDrop tool allows users to share their contact information by placing two iPhones near each other. The iPhone’s phone app will too Change the position of the comment button At the bottom right of the screen, next to other functions.

With the new iPhone expected to take center stage, many analysts don’t expect Apple to do so New iPads or Mac computers launch until October. Although rivals Samsung and Google are doubling down on their efforts in foldable devices, Apple is still not expected to unveil a similar version this fall.