Apple’s “Gather Round” Event: Odds on What to Expect

• Apple is preparing for a big event on Wednesday, September 12th.
• Very little has been confirmed, but a new iPhone and Watch are expected to be unveiled.
• Photos of the upcoming phone and watch have apparently already been leaked.

Gather round.

Apple will host an event on Wednesday, September 12th, and that’s really all we’re certain of. There will probably be an unveiling of a new iPhone and Watch, and possibly a revamped Macbook Air and Mac Mini. But all that is speculation. The invite Apple sent out only included the time (10 AM PT/1 PM ET), the place (Apple Park), and the phrase “Gather round.”

Leaks and rumors are swirling in the lead up to the event, so let’s put some hard numbers to the gossip.

Apple Special Event

The event will be held at Apple’s new campus in Cupertino, California. Paying homage to the man who put the company on the map, the grand unveilings will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater.

It’s where Apple chose to showcase the iPhone X, iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 3 last year. During the event, there was a slight technical glitch when the iPhone X Face ID feature failed to recognize Tim Cook. It was a very minor stumble, but tech geeks were quick to pounce.

He’s the true hero of Apple and the man Steve Jobs called his “spiritual partner.” Jony Ive, the chief design officer, has been a driving force in Apple’s design aesthetic since the iMac, and we can be sure his touch will be found in the company’s upcoming product.

“One more thing” was Steve Jobs’ version of “But wait, there’s more!”

It wasn’t that different to your average infomercial pitch, but since it was Steve Jobs, it was considered revolutionary. Since taking over, Tim Cook has used the term as a tongue-in-cheek throwback to Jobs, but his presentation style is quite different to his predecessor’s.

One thing that doesn’t change is the buzzwords. The latest Apple products are always “groundbreaking” and the “world’s most advanced.”

If the rumors are to be believed, the Apple Watch 4 will boast a resolution of 384 x 480, up from the 3’s 312 x 390 resolution. We should also expect a slight improvement in battery life as well, which was 18 hours with the Apple Watch 3.

An Always-On feature has been one of the most requested for the Apple Watch, but that may create battery life issues. It also makes sense to include LTE network capacity by default, but some consumers may still want the bare bones model.

iPhone X gained an extra two hours of battery life over the iPhone 7, according to the official numbers. The iPhone 8, however, did not improve on its predecessor. We probably shouldn’t expect a huge improvement from the X.

The groundwork is being laid for 5G networks, though we shouldn’t expect it to take off until 2020. Apple will probably hold off on offering 5G-capable phones until the technology is more widely available.

As far as price goes, don’t expect iPhones to get any cheaper. The bells-and-whistles model of the upcoming XS could break $1400.

iPhone announcements are generally met with greater fanfare than their bulkier counterparts, but Apple is definitely due for a roll out of new Macbook Airs and Mac Minis. A “Special Edition” iPhone for 2018 is also an option, and so is a new and improved iPad Pro.

Apple is due to release the Airpower this year but there hasn’t been much word on that lately. Last we heard they were still working on the technology. There’s also Augmented reality glasses, which fell out of favor before they even got going. Like they did with tablets, Apple could open up the market with the Apple Glass.

The Competition

There’s been talk of a folding phone from Samsung, which would be a seriously big development. But I wouldn’t be too hopeful for a 2018 roll out. There are also plans for a 5G-compatible device, but we’re still in the very early days of 5G networks.

Just for the sheer publicity, there could be a 5G capable device released at CES 2019. The South Koreans will probably be the first to experience the technology, so it’s safe to assume that Samsung will be first to the punch.

Leaks

President Trump

Apple prices may increase because of the massive Tariffs we may be imposing on China – but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive. Make your products in the United States instead of China. Start building new plants now. Exciting! #MAGA

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 8, 2018

Never one to let the spotlight pass him by, POTUS inserted himself into the Apple conversation by tweeting that the company should move its manufacturing to the US if it wants to avoid the negative impacts of Trump’s looming trade war with China. Don’t bank on the trillion-dollar company up and leaving China forthwith. It’s worked out pretty well for them so far.