Apple's 9/12 iPhone Gather Round Event To Be Twitter Streamed, What To Expect
Apple has traditionally limited viewing to iOS and macOS devices running Safari, but eventually opened it up to desktop PC users running Windows 10 with Microsoft Edge. More recently, Apple extended live-streaming to those using Chrome and Firefox at this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC).
Join us September 12 at 10 a.m. PDT to watch the #AppleEvent live on Twitter. Tap ❤️ below and we’ll send you updates on event day. pic.twitter.com/i9mGHTKhvu
— Apple (@Apple) September 10, 2018
The event will begin at 1PM EST and you'll be able to view it using the Twitter embed above.
With that being said, the biggest news, however, will no doubt be the arrival of three new iPhones. The first new model will be the so-called budget-oriented iPhone Xc. This iPhone will have a 6.1-inch LCD display and will use an aluminum unibody chassis. Recent leaks have suggested that the iPhone Xc will be available in five colors: Space Gray, Silver, Red, Blue and Brown.
iPhone Xc (6.1” LCD) clones/dummy models in new colors. pic.twitter.com/RybRhE7XSO
— Ben Geskin (@VenyaGeskin1) September 6, 2018
The middle model is the iPhone Xs, which is the replacement for the current iPhone X. It will continue to feature a 5.8-inch OLED display and stainless-steel chassis, but will include the new Apple A12 processor along with more RAM, more capacious storage options, faster Face ID unlocking, and improved cameras.
The last model will be the iPhone Xs Max, which will include all the goodies of the iPhone Xs but with a larger 6.5-inch OLED display. It is expected that there will be select SKUs of these iPhone models that will include dual SIM capabilities, making them more attractive to the international market. Both of the iPhone Xs models will be available in gold (in addition to the current Silver and Space Gray) according to a leaked image that made the rounds earlier this month.
Moving on to the companion accessory for the iPhone, the Apple Watch is also set to get its biggest makeover since the original Series 0 hit the market in mid-2015. The Apple Watch Series 4 will include a thinner body and larger displays with minimal bezels. The smartwatches are expected to include an onboard electrocardiogram and will feature ceramic backs. In addition, it's reported that the larger 42mm model will see its resolution bumped from 312x390 to 384x480.
Also on the docket for Apple tomorrow will be the introduction of a new iPad Pro family. It's widely expected that these tablets will feature a more powerful Apple A12X processor and thinner bezels. The reduced bezels have two consequences: first, the home button has been axed and second, Face ID will now be used for authentication purposes.
The iPad Pro will still be available in 10.5- and 12.9-inch form-factors, and rumors suggest that that the Smart Connector has been repositioned to the bottom of the device, which means that you'll be typing with the device in portrait mode when attaching a keyboard. There are not expected to be any changes with regards to storage or the onboard cameras, however, there is a report that Apple will ditch the Lightning port in favor of USB-C. This seems rather odd to us, but stranger things have happened...
But that's not all, there are two other products that are sure to make an appearance at tomorrow's event. There will likely be an updated version of the AirPods released and according to past reports, this will be a minor revision with an updated SoC that will support hands-free Siri. And finally, Apple will likely start shipping its AirPower wireless charging mat. AirPower was first announced at the 2017 iPhone event one year ago and still hasn't be released. We can't imagine that Apple would close out tomorrow’s event without at least giving us a price and a firm launch date for the accessory that can charge an iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch all at the same time.
Wildcards for tomorrow's event would be the announcement of an updated MacBook or MacBook Air. Updates to both have been rumored, and Intel has new Amber Lake-Y processors that would be a perfect fit for either device. However, we haven't seen any hard evidence -- other than analyst reports -- that either device will actually be announced on stage.
