Skip to content

September Event Preview – what to expect from Tuesday’s keynote

  • by

On Tuesday, Apple will unveil this year’s batch of new iPhones. But what exactly should we expect from its September Special Event this year?

iPhone 11

Of course, the main draw the iPhone range – what we’ve been tentatively calling iPhone 11, but may end up being known as iPhone Pro or iPhone XI. Only Apple knows for sure.

What we are pretty confident of, however, is that the lineup won’t look much different from the three handsets released last year. We’ll see the return of the full-screen-with-a-notch design, and likely the exact same display sizes as the current generation of iPhones.

That means two premium models with OLED screens following up on the iPhone XS and XS Max, and a “mid-range” model with an LCD display to take the place of the iPhone XR.

We’re expecting pretty straightforward internal improvements from Apple, who seem to be content to keep any big design changes back until 2020. However, it’s widely expected that we’ll see one sizeable change – a new three-camera setup, which would allow for wide-angle shots and could potentially support advanced Augmented Reality. Whether it will be exclusive to just the OLED models remains to be seen.

As per usual, we’re sure to see a few cosmetic changes, too – rumors claim there are two new color options coming, and perhaps a frosted glass finish for certain models. Nice.

Apple Watch

It’s likely Apple’s popular wearable will get some stage time on Tuesday too. There’s a chance we’ll see the release of a fifth-generation Apple Watch, though the rumor mill has been surprisingly quiet on that front.

It’s equally likely we’ll simply see a few new aesthetic options unveiled for Apple Watch S4 as Apple works on a more compelling update for the S5, possibly including sleep tracking capabilities. We’ve also heard on the grapevine that a new ceramic and titanium case is on the horizon.

Services

We’re also likely to hear more about Apple’s two upcoming subscription services, TV+ and Arcade. Both are set for launch before the end of the year, though we’ve not had too many concrete details on either.

Hopefully, this Special Event will be when we find out exact release dates and pricing for the both services. We’ve heard rumors that Arcade will launch at $5/month for access to over 100 exclusive and original games, while TV+ will cost $10/month but open with just five shows to its name as production finishes up on Apple’s myriad in-development TV projects.

How close those figures are to the truth remains to be seen, but if true Apple could face an uphill battle convincing subscribers that TV+ is worth the outlay.

Anything else?

Finally, don’t discount the possibility that we’ll see some other products unveiled, too. Apple is widely expected to introduce a new 16-inch MacBook Pro soon, and the entry-level iPad is due an upgrade too.

That said, Apple has held a secondary event in October the past two years to cover this kind of release, and we would expect the same this year to avoid cramming too much into a single presentation.

You’ll be able to watch the Special Event live on Tuesday morning, and we’ll be reporting on all the most important reveals right here.