No, you’re not hallucinating – it is already time for another new iPhone. Apple’s big launch of 2021 – the iPhone 13 – is expected to be revealed tonight (September 14) from 6pm. In the past, you could expect a lot more than just one new product from an Apple showcase but the latter half of 2020 saw the tech monolith begin stagger its announcements. Tonight, it’ll be (almost) all about the new iPhone 13.
Unsurprisingly, rumours are rife about what’s to come in the event Apple has emblazoned with the moniker “California Streaming” – with the new iPhone and a big update to the Apple Watch expected. But, there are also plenty of highly anticipated devices that seem unlikely to turn up this time… sorry. Here’s what, and what not, to expect at the impending iPhone 13 event – along with how to watch the big showcase.
How to watch the iPhone 13 launch
Before we get to the brass tacks of what to expect tonight, you probably want to know how to watch Apple's California Streaming event. Thankfully, it's simple.
The simplest way to watch the iPhone 13 launch tonight (September 14) is over on YouTube. Click the link and, ahead of time, set a reminder so it doesn't pass you by. You can also watch the event over on the Apple website. That's the where, here's the when. The event begins at 6pm BST / 10am PDT / 1pm EDT.
What to expect at the Apple iPhone 13 event
It’s time – again. And, you can be almost certain you’ll see the new iPhone revealed on September 14 – the centrepiece of this event and the follow-up to our current best phone you can buy. Apple typically announces iPhones at this time of year and one of the most reliable sources on the subject of Apple, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg, has confirmed as much for 2021 too.
While the name iPhone 13 is expected, the rumoured upgrades do feel closer to an iPhone 12s. Gurman suggests we'll see a smaller notch, faster refresh rate displays and a faster A15 processor as the biggest improvements this time around. Smaller tweaks, that Apple is expected to include, range from a Portrait mode for video and support for improved ProRes video recording. The display sizes and, as such, the range of models are expected to remain the same – we should see an iPhone 13, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max and, yes, even the iPhone 13 mini. Apple fans can also expect to see the end of 64GB storage – as reported by reliable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo – with the regular iPhone 13 set to start at 128GB and the Pro models getting a new 1TB option as well.
In his Apple-focused newsletter Power On, Gurman also reported that Cupertino did test under-display Touch ID for the iPhone 13 but this feature won’t appear this year. Apple’s eventual goal is to, reportedly, include an under-display camera with its Face ID tech. For now, the iPhone 13 will stick with the notch – albeit a tad smaller.
While Gurman's reporting has been corroborated by other Apple-centric outlets like MacRumors and 9to5Mac, there’s been little in the way of concrete information when it comes to price and release date. For these important iPhone 13 details, we’ll have to wait until Tuesday. You can look to last year for some indication, with the regular iPhone 12 model starting at a price of £799 and having hit the shelves on 23 October 2020.
As we get set to welcome in the seventh iteration of Apple’s popular smartwatch, it's looking like we’ll get the biggest redesign in several years – this extends to the upcoming AirPods 3 too, but we’ll get to those later. Like many Apple devices released in the past year or so, flatter sides seems to be the order of the day.
Gurman reports that the Apple Watch Series 7 will feature these flatter sides like the iPad Pro, iPad Air and iPhone 13 – and, for the Apple veterans, iPhone 4 and 5. This new design will also bring about a bigger screen – it’s not yet clear if this will mean a wider device overall or if slimmer bezels will accommodate this. An increased resolution will afford more space for apps on the screen too. The display is expected to move up from 1.78in to 1.9in and the overall watch size – based on the height of the watch – moving up from 40mm and 44mm to 41mm and 45mm.
As with all new Apple Watch launches, you can expect a faster processor for this latest entry – allowing for speedier navigation and for Apple to continue to build on its health and fitness tracking features. There are few details on the new tracking features that may crop up on the Apple Watch Series 7. Blood sugar monitoring and body temperature sensors are planned features for future Apple Watch models but don’t expect them to have made it to the Series 7.
Pricing and release date for the Apple Watch Series 7, like the iPhone 13, remains unknown. The current Apple Watch Series 6 starts at a price of £379 and was released on 18 September 2020.
Apple’s iOS 15 has already been announced and a preview build is available. For the full launch, we’d expect the release date to be revealed alongside the iPhone 13 launch.
The headline features of the new iOS iteration include improvements to FaceTime – from the addition of Spatial Audio, voice isolation to ditch distractions and Grid View. Along with Grid View, the ability to send invite links to those outside the Apple ecosystem aims to give FaceTime more of a Zoom-y vibe.
Another big new feature – that’ll certainly require a good amount of testing to confirm its lofty ambitions – is SharePlay. SharePlay will let FaceTime users watch movies and TV shows together – with Disney+, Twitch, TikTok and more set to support the feature. No Netflix thus far though.
The rest of the new features on iOS 15 aim to tidy up the operating system. There are quality-of-life tweaks to iMessage, Notifications, Safari, Photos, Apple Wallet and more.
According to the BusinessOfApps, Apple sold 114 million AirPods in 2020 – that’s up from 15 million in 2017. These huge sales make it somewhat surprising that Apple has yet to give the original AirPods a significant refresh since their launch back in September 2016 – with the AirPods 2 amounting to a minor to its capabilities and the addition of wireless charging. However, impressive sales without having to produce a major update might be exactly the reason why it hasn’t happened and Apple’s iPhone strategy often mirrors this too.
We could be in for a bit of a surprise at Tuesday event when it comes to AirPods 3, with conflicting claims from oft-reliable sources. While Mark Gurman hasn't outright stated the new AirPods won't appear at Apple's imminent event, he has claimed the event is for the new iPhone and Apple Watch. Conversely, industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated the AirPods 3 will show up tonight. This one could go either way. Gurman has reported that the new model will offer looks closer to the AirPods Pro – from a smaller stem to replaceable ear tips – with pared-back features to match their lower price. Active Noise Cancellation (ANC) won’t be appearing.
In line with the new colourful iMac and iPad Air, it wouldn’t be at all surprising to see new colour options for the AirPods 3 – with all AirPods only offering a white option since the earbuds inception. However, what these new colours could be and if there will even be any new colour options remains an unverified rumour.
The price of the AirPods 3 could be vital to their success, with many new wireless earbuds hitting around the £100 mark while offering top-tier features like ANC – the recently released Nothing Ear 1 earbuds provide a huge challenge for the new AirPods. Currently, AirPods are priced at £159 (with charging case) and £199 (with wireless charging case). We appreciate Apple’s ability to sell devices at a higher price than many rivals but the tougher-than-ever competition might stretch this to its limit should the price stay the same. There’s been little speculation regarding AirPods 3 price but one improvement touted to encourage potential buyers is a boost to battery life.
What not to expect at the Apple iPhone 13 event
There are a couple of updates to popular Apple ranges that appear imminent but don’t look set to show up at Tuesday's iPhone 13 event. Then, there's a line that should be due over the next few months but almost certainly will be completely absent this September. Here's what you shouldn't expect on September 14.
New iPad models fall into the former category. New entry-level tablets from Apple should drop very soon, with Mark Gurman spotting the current iPads are now currently unavailable to order on the US store. Some less well-known sources on the subject of Apple have reported a new 10.5in iPad could crop up on September 14 – reported by MacRumors. However, Gurman has disputed this – earmarking tonight's event as just for “iPhone/Watch."
The previous update to the regular iPad was simply a boost to the processor inside but, this time, the iPad looks set to be slimmed down as well – reports Gurman. A thinner design and faster processor still might not be enough to tempt many who may have been hoping for a more significant redesign.
For such a shake-up, we can look to the impending arrival of a new and completely redesigned iPad Mini – its aggressively chunky bezels will be slimmed down and a faster chip will be added too. No word on if either of these new models will adopt the much more vibrant colour options afforded to the latest iPad Air and iMac models.
We don’t expect to see the new iPads or AirPods 3 at Tuesday’s event but it wouldn’t be a huge shock if either did crop up as a last-minute surprise. However, the much-anticipated M1X or M2-powered MacBook Pro models are very unlikely to appear tonight.
Reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says the new MacBook Pro devices are set to go into production in the third quarter of this year – with an announcement between now and November. These claims have also been backed up by Mark Gurman who cites production issues with the new laptops’ MiniLED displays causing some delay. Nothing is out of the question when it comes to Apple but, with the huge expectations on this launch, it’d be strange for them not to give the new M1X MacBook Pro its own launch event – especially given its recent strategy of shorter and more focused showcases.
While the M1-powered MacBook Air and MacBook Pro are impressive in their own right, they don’t provide enough horsepower to match up to the mobile workstation ambitions accommodated by the 16in Intel-powered MacBook Pro and some 13in MacBook Pro models too. According to Gurman, the new M1X aims to fix this, adding more power across the board along with a redesign to set the new devices apart from the previous Intel offerings. The new system-on-a-chip (SoC) will feature more cores as well as the capability for up to 64GB RAM. A wide selection of ports is coming back to the MacBook – with a new magnetic MagSafe charger, an SD card slot, additional Thunderbolt ports and, even, an HDMI port.
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This article was originally published by WIRED UK
