What to expect at Apple’s September 14 event: iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7 and more

Apple is holding its annual iPhone-focused event on Tuesday, September 14 and, like last year, will be fully digital. We’ve been hearing rumors about what’s to come for many months, so we have a good idea of ​​what to expect.

We expect the new iPhone 13 and Apple Watch Series 7 models to debut at the event, along with new bands and cases for the Apple Watch. We could also get the AirPods 3, and there are other products on the horizon, such as the new iPads and the MacBook Pro M1X, but it is rumored that Apple will hold several events in the coming months, it is possible that this is more focused on the iPhone. .

This guide highlights everything we hope to see at the September event based on the rumors we’ve heard so far.

iPhone 13

Apple will launch four iPhones in 2021, including a 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini, a 6.1-inch iPhone 13, a 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro, and a 6.7-inch iPhone 13 Pro Max. If this closely resembles the formation of the iPhone 12, of course.

The models of the iPhone 13 will be almost identical to the models of the iPhone 12 and we expect few design changes. That said, the new models may be a little thicker and there may be new colors. A darker graphite gray and bronze hue has been rumored, but not confirmed, as well as a pink hue.

The side button, mute button, and volume buttons may be a little lower and some of the most important design changes come to the camera. The iPhone 13 Pro will have a larger camera shot and the iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 will have lenses arranged diagonally. Camera shots may be thicker, but individual lenses will come out less.

On the front, we expect a smaller face identification notch with the speaker scrolling to the top edge of the screen. There may be some improvements to Face ID, but we haven’t heard from a reliable source.

It is rumored that the iPhone 13 Pro models will get a 120Hz “ProMotion” screen to finally put the iPhone on par with the iPad Pro. This will be enabled through the new low-power LTPO background plan technology, which can also facilitate a display always similar to what we have in current Apple Watch models.

Inside, the iPhone 13 models will have a 5-nanometer A15 chip and, as with all updates to the A-Series chip, it is expected to provide faster performance and efficiency improvements that increase durability. of the battery.

Qualcomm’s X60 modem will provide faster 5G connection speeds and better 5G coverage, and Apple is expected to bring super-fast mmWave connectivity to more countries. As for WiFi, iPhone 13 models can support the latest WiFi 6E specification.

It is rumored that Apple uses larger batteries in all models of the iPhone 13, which may last longer the battery, but the display always presented and the refresh rate of 120Hz can eat a bit of the Pro models. We have heard the rumor that cable charging could be faster with a support of up to 25 W, and that reverse wireless charging is a possibility, but it has not been confirmed by a reliable source.

Camera technology improves every year and rumors suggest that all new iPhones receive updated features. Some of the biggest improvements will come to the iPhone 13 Pro, which is expected to be the same as the iPhone 13 Pro Max this year with a better telephoto lens.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are expected to get larger pixel sensors to enhance photos in low light conditions, and the Ultra Wide camera on these models will feature autofocus and an f / 1.8 aperture. improved to improve low light conditions. The sensor change stabilization feature available on the Pro models is expected to reach the full range of iPhone 13s for much better stability for the Wide camera. On Pro models, the Ultra Wide camera can also use sensor change stabilization.

A new movie video mode will work like Portrait mode, but for video, and Apple adds ProRes support to Pro models, which is the video equivalent of ProRAW. Built-in camera filters will be improved and applied to objects and people more accurately instead of overlapping the entire photo, in addition to night mode you could get better colors and new features to recognize the night sky.

IPhone 13 models can support up to 1 TB of storage for the first time, above the previous 512 GB maximum.

There were rumors about a portless design and a Touch ID that didn’t appear on the screen, but they weren’t removed and we no longer expect these features. For more information on what will come in the iPhone 13 range, we have a dedicated summary of the iPhone 13.

Apple Watch Series 7

No new health features are expected for the Apple Watch this year, but it gets the first redesign we’ve seen since 2018. The Apple Watch Series 7 will better fit the iPhone 13 because it adopts the same design flat cut, which is a major change from the curved edges that Apple Watch has had since its introduction in 2015.

The Apple Watch Series 7 will feature new size options of 41 and 45 mm, 40 mm and 44 mm. Combined with thinner bezels, this will allow for significantly larger displays that will also include a new lamination technique that brings the screen closer to the surface of the watch.

We could see new color options, such as a green color that could merge or replace the blue hue introduced last year. Rumors have been mixed about whether the new design will make the 7 Series thicker or thinner, so we’ll have to wait and see.

An upgraded S7 chip will be included in the 7 Series and, because it is smaller, leaves more room for other components, such as a larger battery. New wireless connectivity is expected, as well as an improved version of the current U1 Ultra Wideband chip.

Apple designs exclusive Series 7 watch faces to combine with larger screens, including Modular Max faces, Continuum faces, and world-time clock faces. Along with the launch of the new watch, Apple is launching new “Time to Run” and “Audio Meditations” features that will accompany the “Time to Walk” option that was introduced earlier this year.

According to reports, Apple has had some difficulty increasing mass production of the Apple Watch Series 7, so while we expect to see a presentation at this event, its actual launch could be delayed a bit compared to the ‘iPhone 13 or so is only available in very small quantities.

For more information on the Apple Watch Series 7, we have a dedicated guide that brings together everything we know so far.

AirPods 3

Apple’s most affordable headphones are updated in 2021 and could arrive at the September event, though we’re a little less sure it’s coming to this event than it is with the iPhone and Apple Watch. Whenever they arrive, the AirPods 3 will receive a design overhaul that looks more like the AirPods Pro.

We expect an AirPods Pro design with shorter stems, and there are mixed rumors about whether or not the new AirPods will have the same silicone tips or keep the current design tipless, but it looks like they will have to be a tipless hybrid of current AirPods and AirPods Pro.

The case is shorter and wider than the current AirPods case and is more similar to the AirPods Pro case.

New internal hardware with an updated wireless chip is a possibility and we could see improvements in battery range and life. The AirPods 3 will not get AirPods Pro features, such as noise cancellation, and will continue to be the most affordable AirPods.

New software updates

Apple is expected to release iOS 15, iPadOS 15, watchOS 8 and tvOS 15 just days before the date the new iPhone models are available.

If iPhone models are announced on the 14th and will be launched on the 24th, for example, we could see software updates on the 22nd.

Alternatively, some of the software updates could arrive as early as the 15th if Apple repeats last year’s calendar. Either way, Apple will let us know the software release dates on the day of the event.

If Apple follows its recent release pattern, it is possible that MacOS Monterey will be released shortly after iOS 15 and its sister updates, so we may not see Monterey until later in September or October. .

It is expected later this year

Last year, Apple held events in September, October and November, and it was an extravagant event. Several events proved to be successful, and with that we also count this year.

2020 was a special situation due to the delay of the iPhone, so we may only have two events this year, but three are still possible. This is what we can see in events held in October and / or November:

• MacBook Pro – Apple is working on an updated version of the MacBook Pro that will have 14- and 16-inch size options. It will have thinner bezels and a larger screen, along with a redesigned chassis. It will mark the return of MagSafe connectivity via USB-C and Apple will also recover the HDMI port and SD card slot. New MacBook Pro models will eliminate the touch bar in favor of a row of function keys, and in many ways, this redesign will mark the return to the pre-2016 MacBook Pro. Most notable, future MacBook Pro models will use a new “M1X” chip which is an upgrade of the M1.
• Mac mini – In accordance with BloombergMark Gurman, Apple is working on a new version of the Mac mini that will feature an M1X chip. This new Mac mini will replace the current Intel version of the Mac mini and will come “in the coming months.”
• iPad 9 – There is a new version of the low cost iPad in development and it is expected to be released before the end of the year. It will still have a Home button, but will get an updated 10.5-inch screen and could be thinner and lighter than previous models. A faster A-Series chip is also expected.
• iPad mini 6 – Apple has major changes to the iPad mini 6 store, which is expected to be updated with a full design. Like the iPad Air, it will have no home button and could include a Touch ID power button.

How to look

The iPhone 13 event will begin on Tuesday, September 14 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple will stream the event live on its website and on YouTube.

For those who can’t see it, MacRumors will have live coverage of the event both on MacRumors.com and through our MacRumorsLive Twitter account.