Tech
Top Stories: iPhone 16, Apple Watch 10, and AirPods 4 Expected at Monday’s Apple Event
It’s almost glowtime! Early September is always new iPhone time and this year is no exception, so buckle up for a busy event on Monday.
While we’re expecting quite a few product announcements at Monday’s event, anticipated updates for a number of other hardware products won’t be coming until later this year or into 2025, so read on below for all the details on what you should and shouldn’t be banking on for next week.
Everything to Expect From the ‘It’s Glowtime’ Apple Event
Apple’s annual fall iPhone event is right around the corner, kicking off on Monday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. In addition to new iPhone 16 models, we’re also expecting refreshes for all of the Apple Watches, new AirPods 4, and perhaps some other surprises.
Ahead of the event, we’ve put together a complete guide covering details on all of the hardware updates we’re expecting to see. As usual, we’ll also be getting final details and release dates for Apple’s next set of major operating system updates, headlined by iOS 18.
How Much Will the iPhone 16 Cost?
With some significant hardware improvements coming to the iPhone 16 lineup to support Apple Intelligence features and new camera capabilities, many potential customers are wondering if Apple will be raising prices on the new models.
Current starting prices include the iPhone 15 at $799, the iPhone 15 Plus at $899, the iPhone 15 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at $1,199. At a minimum, one analyst firm expects the price of the iPhone 16 Pro to rise to $1,099 due in part to an increase in base storage from 128GB to 256GB, matching a change made with the Pro Max model last year.
Apple Likely to Launch M4 Macs in November
While we’re not expecting new Macs at Monday’s event, Apple is preparing to transition its entire lineup to the M4 family of chips, and we’re hearing from our own sources that a first batch of releases is likely to come in November. That doesn’t rule out a late October announcement, but availability is looking more like November.
Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman has indicated we can expect updated MacBook Pro, iMac, and Mac mini models in this round, with the rest of the Mac lineup transitioning to the M4 chips starting early next year.
Gurman: Apple Event in October Will Include New iPad Mini
Amid shortages of the current model and rumored upgrades, there has been speculation about whether Apple will be introducing an updated iPad mini at Monday’s event, but it looks like that won’t be happening just yet. According to Bloomberg‘s Mark Gurman, the iPad mini is likely to come as part of an October event that will also feature the M4 Mac updates. It would make sense for a new entry-level iPad to come at the same time, but we haven’t heard much about that potential update.
One other product that had been speculated about for a potential September update was a minor update for the AirPods Max bringing a USB-C port and some fresh colors, but it appears that’s not in the cards quite yet either. Same story for an updated Apple TV.
iPhone SE 4 to Complete Apple’s Switch to OLED Across iPhone Lineup
We’ve been hearing for quite some time that the next-generation iPhone SE will be a significant upgrade for Apple’s budget phone, transitioning away from the iPhone 8-style design with a Touch ID Home button and large top and bottom bezels to an all-screen design with Face ID.
Rumors out of the Japanese display industry indicate that the display changes will involve a shift to OLED technology, marking an end to the production of iPhone models with LCD displays. As for when we can expect the fourth-generation iPhone SE to launch, rumors point to early next year.
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