For the last five years in a row, it’s that time of the year again when Apple is going to hold a big media event in the month of September. And just like the past two years, this event is about new iPhone models along with some other devices. Apple has sent out invites for a major media event being held on Wednesday, September 9th in San Francisco. Apple is widely expected to unveil two new iPhones, but things won’t stop just there.
If the reports and rumors are to be believed, Apple will also be announcing an Apple TV hardware refresh, larger iPad Pro with more capabilities, and 4th generation of iPad mini. Keep on reading to learn more about these new devices – some of which are confirmed to be announced during the event while others are just maybes.
Apple’s big media event is going to be held on September 9th with keynote starting at 1 PM ET / 10 AM PT.
iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
Two new iPhone models are going to be the main stars of the event. These upcoming iPhones are mostly referred to as an iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Just like previous “S” upgrades, the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will look similar to the current iPhone models, but with better internal hardware. Here are some of the most highlighted rumored or reported features of Apple’s upcoming iPhones.
Force Touch
The biggest addition to iPhone 6s and the 6s Plus is expected to be a pressure sensitive Force Touch display just like the one found on the Apple Watch. Force Touch on Apple Watch allows the smartwatch to distinguish between a tap and a press based on the pressure applied on the screen.
Force Touch is said to bring shortcuts to iPhone 6s display. The technology will open gates to a whole new world of ideas that developers will be implementing into their apps and games in a clever way. It is because of the Force Touch that some reports claimed iPhone 6s to be slightly thicker than its predecessor. Another report suggested that Apple will be renaming Force Touch for the iPhone, calling it “Deep Press” seems to be the leading candidate.
Better Camera
The camera is also going to see some major improvement over the predecessor. The iPhone 6s will reportedly feature a 12-megapixels main camera with 4K video recording capability. The front-facing camera is also going to see some improvements, including a 5-megapixel camera sensor, and a selfies flash that’ll turn the whole screen white when the camera shutter is pressed.
Better hardware specs
Reported hardware improvements for iPhone 6s include a faster Apple A9 processor, 2GB of RAM module, and a faster LTE modem for faster data transfer rate.
Exterior
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s will look exactly like an iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus respectively. However, Apple is said to be planning on introducing a new rose gold color option, matching the Apple Watch color. The external case of the iPhone 6s will be made of Series 7000 aluminum in an effort to address the ‘bendgate’ issue.
Other tidbits
The new iPhone is said to offer 16GB storage in its base model. Some reports suggest an improved Touch ID with faster performance, and prices are expected to remain the same. Apple is expected to discontinue iPhone 5c, offer iPhone 5s free on contract, and the iPhone 6 will see a price drop oof $100.
Apple TV 4
Apple TV has not seen any upgrade for the last three years. The device performed well to stream movies and TV shows into your living room, but Apple stopped improving the device after that. Now it seems like Apple want to take stronger position beneath your TV by making its Apple TV lineup more powerful and feature rich.
App Store
Apple is reportedly going to let developers develop apps for its Apple TV by introducing App store for it. Developers will be able to submit Games, new video services, and applications for the Apple TV. This will give a huge boost to Apple TV’s capabilities.
Siri, search, and interface improvements
The current Apple TV offers an endless grid view interface and to find a service, you’ve to scroll through that grid. Finding a specific movie is the worst case scenario as you have to go through all the services until you find it. However, Apple TV 4 is supposed to fix that with Siri integration, universal search, and interface improvements.
With Apple TV 4, users will be able to talk to Siri to have Apple TV list the services streaming a specific movie. While Amazon has this feature for over a year now, it is still going to be extremely useful for Apple TV users. The interface is also said to see a visual overhaul. However, it’s not clear what kind of UI will be introduced in Apple TV 4.
New Apple TV remote
Navigation through Apple Tv interface is going to be a lot easier than the last generation. Apple is said to be planning to launch a new fancy new remote for the TV box with Siri integration. User will press a button to speak to Siri into the remote, that’s how the above mentioned universal feature will get activated. The remote will reportedly also feature a touchpad to make it easy to move around the endless menus in Apple TV’s interface. The remote is said to double as a game controller with motion sensitivity just like on iPhone.
Hardware and Price
The Apple Tv 4 is believed to come in a slimmer form factor over its predecessor. The device is expected to get an Apple A8 version of the processor, either 8GB or 16GB of storage capacity and a reported price tag of $149. It won’t come as a surprise if Apple offers models with more storage at a premium price. A report suggests that Apple TV 4 will not support 4K video.
iPad Pro
iPad Pro, a 12.9-inch larger iPad model has been in the rumors for more than a years now. This larger iPad is expected to hit the shelves sometime in November, and the reports suggest that Apple could unveil it during its September 9 event alongside the iPhone 6s and Apple TV 4. But the announcement of an iPad Pro on September 9 is one of the maybes, and if Apple does not unveil it on Wednesday, we’ll almost certainly hear about it next month. The name of the device is also not confirmed, however, it fits well with Apple’s current naming schemes.
Bigger display
The much rumored iPad Pro is expected to feature a 12.9-inch display, which will make it larger than the 12-inch Macbook display. This’ll make it one big iPad, actually larger than the Macbook. With a crisp and sharp display as the iPad Air, the iPad Pro is going to be a high-end tablet.
Powerful hardware
The iPad Pro is almost certainly going to be more powerful than the iPad Air 2. Cameras are expected to be the same as that of new iPhones, a powerful new Apple A9 chip, and 2GB of RAM. If that iPad Pro is targeted at offices, then Apple should add more connectivity features such as additional ports, NFC to let the bigger tablet do a bit more.
Force Touch enabled stylus
Steve Jobs famously dismissed the stylus when he unveiled the first iPad. Folks over at Apple seems to have started thinking otherwise. a renowned analyst has claimed that Apple will be launching a force touch enabled stylus for the iPad Pro. A Force Touch enabled stylus with a larger pressure sensitive screen will surely open gates to a whole new set of features especially for creating art.
Keyboard Accessory
It has also recently been reported that Apple will launch a keyboard accessory for the iPad Pro. It seems like the keyboard will not be included with iPad Pro and will be sold separately, but – like the Surface – there is a possibility that it’ll be a must-have accessory.
Customized iOS
Whenever Apple launches a device with a bigger screen, it modifies its iOS to take advantage of the larger real-estate. iPad Pro is going to be no exception, no matter the margin for changes is very small. The larger iPad is reportedly going to get new ways of presenting Siri and the Notifications Center. Multitasking feature will surely get a lot better on iPad Pro in combination with the iOS 9.
iPad mini 4
If the reports turn out to be accurate, Apple will be launching two iPad models on September 9. Other than the larger iPad Pro, the iPad mini 4 is also reportedly all set to make an appearance on the big stage. This refresh of the smaller iPad mini will bring the device’s internal hardware on par with the iPad Air 2. The device is said to adopt the form-factor of the iPad Air 2 as well making it even thinner and portable than ever before.
New Apple Watch bands
Apple had unveiled the Apple back in the same month last year, followed by the launch in April this year. Since the smartwatch has not completed its first year of availability in the market, it is not likely that Apple will tease any sort of details related to next model. However, Apple may launch new color options for Apple Watch’s Sports bands.
iOS 9
Apple has already unveiled its upcoming major iOS update: the iOS 9. While we know all the major new iOS 9 features, we still do not know when it’s going to be available to the general public. If Apple does what it has done in the past, then the company will be launching new devices loaded with iOs 9, and that means the iOS 9 will be available to general public before the launch of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Expect Apple to give a launch date of IOs 9 sometime in September.
Update 1:
Apple has officially announced iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. We have posted iPhone 6s specs, and also compared iPhone 6s specs with iPhone 6 so that you may find out the differences between the two devices, and do not forget to check best features of iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.