What you can expect from Apple’s iPhone event on 9 September

Apple’s set to launch the latest iPhones on 9 September. The tagline? It’s Glowtime. You’ll be able to follow the event from 7 p.m. Swiss time on Apple’s website or its YouTube channel. The tenth generation of the Apple Watch could potentially share the spotlight at the event alongside the new smartphones.

As is the case every year, rumours and leaks abound in the run-up to the launch. I’ve summarised them for you in this article. None of this information has been confirmed by Apple.

iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max

Apple’s most important product seems to be getting a bunch of minor upgrades in 2024. Mind you, none of them are groundbreaking new features. Software-wise, the first iterations of Apple Intelligence will be rolled out with iOS 18. As for hardware, here are some of the rumours being circulated:

• Design: This year, the iPhone’s titanium frame will supposedly be given a shiny finish, making the iPhone 16 Pro instantly recognisable as the latest handset. Unlike the polished stainless steel frame used previously, the new surface will supposedly be less susceptible to scratches.

• Colours: The iPhone 16 Pro will supposedly be available in a shade of brown named Desert Titanium. Meanwhile, the dark blue associated with the iPhone 15 Pro will be discontinued. Supposedly, it’ll still be possible to get the handset in white, black or Natural Titanium.

• Display: The edges around the screen will reportedly be reduced to make room for a larger display. As a result, the screen will apparently be 0.2 inches bigger, taking the Pro to 6.3 inches and the Pro Max to 6.9 inches. Microlenses in the panel will reportedly ensure less light is lost through reflections, making the display either brighter or more energy-efficient.

• Capture Button: After replacing the mute switch with the Action Button on the iPhone 15 Pro, Apple seems to be adding another button to its control set. The new shutter release supposedly due to be given to the camera could well be placed on the bottom right.
• Cameras: If the rumours are anything to go by, Apple will yet again be giving the main camera a better sensor. The one behind the ultra-wide-angle lens is set to have a resolution of 48 megapixels. What’s more, the 120-millimetre telephoto lens probably won’t be reserved solely for the Pro Max. Some leakers suspect there’ll be a new «super» telephoto lens with an even longer focal length of around 300 millimetres.
• Chip: Like the M4 in the latest iPad Pro, it’s likely that Apple’s A18 will be built with TSMC’s latest 3-nanometre technology (N3E). The Pro model traditionally tends to be fitted with a more powerful version. With the rollout of Apple Intelligence, there will soon be features that actually utilise the chip’s higher performance.

• Battery: The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max will reportedly have better battery capacity than their predecessors. Apple’s supposedly also increasing the maximum charging speed from 27 to 40 watts. MagSafe charging is set to receive a boost in power, delivering 20 watts instead of 15.

• Connectivity: The Pro models are expected to support Wi-Fi 7. Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon X75 modem will apparently improve mobile internet connection.

iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus

The iPhone 15 was a significant upgrade compared to its predecessor. This year, it doesn’t look as if there are going to be any major leaps forward. Barring the fact that one camera will be positioned directly above the other on the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the design’s unlikely to change. The new set-up will enable 3D video-recording for the Vision Pro.

The regular iPhone’s expected to inherit the Action Button from the Pro model. Opinions are divided over whether it’ll also get the new Capture Button. The most important update is likely to be the new A18 chip, which will make Apple Intelligence run for the first time. The old iPhone 15, by contrast, doesn’t have these AI features.

The selection of available colours doesn’t seem to be changing much this year. According to leaks, the regular iPhone 16 will come in black, blue, green, pink and white, with the latter replacing the yellow of the iPhone 15. It’s unclear whether these shades will differ from previous versions.

Apple Watch X

The Apple Watch is entering its tenth generation. When the iPhone celebrated its anniversary in 2017, Apple used it as an opportunity to overhaul the device completely. Now, it seems the company has also been waiting to give its smartwatch some upgrades, including a new case.

• Design: The general look of the watch is unlikely to change much. That being said, the series will reportedly have larger screens. Apple analysts Mark Gurman and Ming-Chi Kuo say as much. According to them, the watch will be released in 45- and 49-millimetre versions. Until now, it’s only been available with 41- and 45-millimetre screens. The watch is also supposed to be receiving a slimmer case. However, there have been conflicting reports on this recently.

• Wristbands: According to leaks, Apple’s working on a magnetic fastening system for its wristbands. This would save casing space, which could then be used for things like a larger battery. However, it’s uncertain whether the new fasteners will be used this year.

• Display: The OLED display will supposedly consume less energy, without losing brightness. Battery life, in turn, will be longer as a result. It remains unclear how Apple intends to achieve this.

• Features: It’s long been rumoured that Apple’s watches will be able to monitor blood pressure and blood sugar levels in the future. Apparently, they’ll also be able to detect sleep apnoea. Mark Gurman, however, has reported that the development of these features isn’t going according to plan. In other words, they might be delayed.

AirPods 4

The most recent set of regular Air-Pods was released in 2021. Three years on, Apple’s expected to present the fourth generation. Apparently, there’ll be two new pairs up for grabs – one with noise cancelling and one without. Both are set to come with a USB-C charging case and the H2 chip.

Unlike the AirPods Pro, neither version is likely to have silicone ear cushions. Even so, the earbuds will apparently be a better fit for ear canals than ever before. Fit has been a frequent point of criticism for the third-generation AirPods. Apple’s set to remove them – as well as the even older second-generation AirPods – from its range.

If the rumours are true, the fourth-generation AirPods with noise cancelling will be roughly the same price as the third-generation AirPods. Apparently, the entry-level model without all the bells and whistles is set to be cheaper. At most, the AirPods Max will probably be upgraded to USB-C, but won’t get a complete overhaul.

More predictions

Macs and iPads aren’t expected to feature in September’s event. However, rumblings about a second event set to take place before the end of the year are getting louder. According to leaked information, Apple will showcase the MacBook Pro, iMac and Mac Mini with M4 chips in November. It’s unlikely there’ll be any upgrades made to the MacBook Air, Mac Studio and Mac Pro until 2025.

Predictably, there are already rumours flying around about the iPhone after next. Apparently, the seventeenth generation smartphone will be ultra thin, with a 6.6-inch display. Supposedly pipped to replace the Plus model, slotting in between the regular iPhone and the iPhone Pro, leakers have christened it the «iPhone Air».

Coincidentally, in the latest episode of Take a Byte, our Swiss-German podcast on all things Apple, my colleague Florian Bodoky and I talked about the rumours just a few hours before Apple’s official event announcement: