Key Takeaways
- Apple is expected to unveil its iPhone 16 lineup at a keynote on September 9.
- Beyond new iPhones, a number of other hardware reveals are likely at this event.
- With Apple Intelligence hype still high, expect the company to show off the tech prominently.
Apple has confirmed September 9 as the official date for its 2024 iPhone keynote. The “It’s Glowtime” tagline is prominently featured in the event invite. This year, the iPhone 16 series is expected to take center stage.
We’re specifically expecting the launch of four new iPhone models: the iPhone 16, the iPhone 16 Plus, the iPhone 16 Pro, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
That being said, Apple is no stranger to unveiling other new hardware to coincide with its new iPhone reveals. Along with the heavily-rumored handsets, here are six major things I expect to see at the company’s September event.
1 Larger Pro-sized handsets
Apple isn’t immune to the trend of phone supersizing
Apple’s next-generation iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus handsets are expected to retain the same 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch display sizes that we’ve grown accustomed to in recent iPhone lineups.
The big shakeup that’s rumored for this year involves the Pro phones — they’re expected to grow slightly in size to accommodate new 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display panels.
If these leaks are accurate, the iPhone 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max will be the largest phones ever shipped by Apple. For fans of bigger devices, this might be great news. For those of us who prefer compact hardware, it’s less than ideal.
2 Next-generation AirPods
USB-C charging and Active Noise Cancelation could be coming
It’s been a while since Apple has refreshed its base-model AirPods, and now is as good a time as ever to finally do so. Notably, a USB-C charging case is rumored to be included in the box, which would mark yet another blow to the aging Lightning connector.
Active Noise Cancelation (ANC) is also heavily rumored to be making its way into this new 4th generation of Apple’s AirPods, which until now was exclusive to the AirPods Pro and AirPods Max models. Active Noise Cancelation uses a mixture of computational algorithms and onboard microphones to intelligently cancel out background noise. It requires a bit of extra battery life, but I find the effect to be worth it when trying to cut out distracting environmental sounds.
An additional rumor that’s been circulating around, is that Apple plans on introducing 2 distinct variants of its next generation AirPods, each targeting a separate price range. Not a lot is known about this possibility, but we could very well see a non-ANC option offered with a reduced price tag. Alternatively, if the ANC version receives a price bump, the less expensive variant may retain the existing price of the AirPods 3rd generation.
3 A brand-new Apple Watch Series X
Could we see a major iPhone X-style redesign of the Apple Watch?
Leaks point to the release of an Apple Watch Series 10, which will likely be marketed using the Roman numeral X. Rumors indicate that this next-generation Watch will receive a redesign, adopting iPhone-esque visual cues in the form of a squared-off chassis.
Apple used the X stylization in 2017’s iPhone X, which signified the biggest leap forward in iPhone hardware since the launch of the original model.
The Apple Watch’s exterior has remained pretty consistent throughout the years, opting for a rounded appearance and curved front glass. In an era of flat-edged iPhones, iPads, and even Macs, unifying the design language across product categories would make sense.
Apple used the X stylization in 2017’s iPhone X, which signified the most significant leap forward in iPhone hardware since the original model’s launch. If Apple believes the Watch Series 10 to be as substantial a leap forward as the iPhone X was for its time, then a Watch Series X is more than probable.
4 Updates to the Watch SE and Watch Ultra product lines
The Apple Watch SE 3 and a Watch Ultra 3 might debut on September 9
In addition to a Watch Series X, we’ll likely see refreshes in Apple’s spin-off smartwatch lines. In particular, leaks indicate the existence of a third-generation Watch SE and a third-generation Watch Ultra.
There’s a good chance Apple will want to introduce these new Watch models alongside the flagship Series X, to make a bigger splash. SE models are geared towards the budget-conscious, offering the essential Watch experience at a reduced cost. The Ultra, by contrast, is a high-end wrist piece that’s marketed towards professional athletes and divers.
There have been rumors of Apple switching from OLED to Micro LED display tech on the Apple Watch for a number of years now. The premium-priced Ultra model would be the ideal candidate for this sort of upgrade, but unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon. Industry analyst Ming Chi Quo reports that Apple has canceled its plans for a Micro LED Watch, Ultra or otherwise.
5 More details and demos of Apple Intelligence
Expect Apple to crank the AI hype cycle up several notches
Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event tagline could be a reference to the fancy new Siri invoke animation, which the company first unveiled alongside its Apple Intellgience AI suite at WWDC 2024.
I expect Apple to show off several new AI demonstrations to drum up continued hype for the feature.
Apple Intelligence is looking promising, but not every feature is up and running quite yet, even in beta form. There’s a good chance that the iPhone 16 won’t even have in-built AI at launch, with some features reportedly delayed until iOS 18.1 in October.
In the meantime, I expect Apple to show off several new AI demonstrations to drum up continued hype for the feature. Hopefully, any potential on-stage effort won’t suffer from the delivery issues that plagued Google’s recent Gemini demo.
Apple’s fall hardware keynote is set for September 9th at 1pm ET/10am PT.
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