The biggest day on the tech world’s fall calendar is fast approaching: Apple’s iPhone 16 event will take place on September 9th at 1pm ET. We’ll be live blogging the news, or you can watch it live on the company’s website or on YouTube. The biggest news from Apple’s It’s Glowtime event will almost certainly be the upcoming lineup of iPhone 16 devices. As in recent Septembers, we’ll also see the announcement of a new Apple Watch or two, and possibly even three if Apple packs in a new SE.
Beyond that, rumors are flying around about a revamp of the standard AirPod earphones. What about a new M4 Mac, a HomePod, an iPad mini, or even a baseline iPhone SE? Some of them might launch later this year, while others probably won’t see the light of day until 2025 or later. But until Tim Cook takes to the (virtual) stage, everything is just speculation. So, let’s take a look at the most likely leaks and rumors ahead of the Apple event.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
Whatever else happens, these new phones will be the center of attention at the Apple event, which is good news for anyone thinking about upgrading. The bad news? Most of the leaks and rumors indicate that this will be another year of iterations, so don’t expect any game-changing new hardware features.
Sherlyn Lo / Engadget
The event is likely to see the launch of four new models, similar to Apple’s launch last year. According to industry analyst Mark Gurman, the new smartphones will reportedly be called the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. This is the exact same naming convention as last year’s iPhone 15 launch, so rumors that Apple would adopt the “iPhone Ultra” moniker appear to have been greatly exaggerated.
Even if Apple doesn’t use the Ultra name, the Pro models are likely to have slightly larger screens, which is always nice (for those who like larger phones). The regular Pro is expected to grow from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, while the Pro Max will grow from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. Finally, as always, there will be a new color or two. Bloomberg’s Gurman suggests that Apple is ready to ditch the blue model and return to rose gold. Separately, 9to5Mac is reporting on a new “gold-colored titanium” shade for the iPhone 16 Pro models. The source, who accurately predicted the gray titanium color last year, seems to be showing off a shade that looks more like a dull sand color than gold.
On the hardware side, look out for a new chipset that leverages the company’s recent AI push, also known as Apple Intelligence. Additionally, the upgraded A18 chip will be an iterative improvement in terms of specifications. As per usual, the Pro and Pro Max are likely to feature more powerful chips than the standard models. The base amount of RAM here appears to be 8GB to handle the aforementioned AI tasks.
There are also rumors that the standard iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus will have an action button. Introduced last year For iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This multi-purpose button is a direct replacement for the mute switch by default, but can be tweaked to control a variety of things. Use the action button to change your ringtone settings, turn on the flashlight, launch the camera, and more.
Sheryn Lo/Engadget
There’s also talk of another new button, this one located on the right side of the phone. It operates like a button on a DSLR to control the camera functions. A light press will reportedly activate autofocus, while a harder press will take a photo. Consumers will also be able to swipe along the button to zoom in and out while taking a photo or video. This camera button will reportedly only be featured on the Pro and Pro Max, which makes sense as higher-end models usually offer a more powerful camera experience.
So while new iPhones are always getting better camera specs, we don’t know exactly what they’ll be this time. However, it’s been reported that the iPhone 16’s camera module could be redesigned. Apple may be looking to ditch the square format for a portrait orientation. This could only apply to the base iPhone 16 and possibly the Plus, as the Pro and Pro Max phones tend to be more focused on photos and videos.
apple
Thanks to the recent WWDC event, we already know what’s coming on the software side, and judging by past years’ examples, iOS 18 should be released within the week following the event. The software update will bring a more customizable Control Center and Home screen, and it will finally bring RCS support to iPhones.
As for Apple Intelligence, you’ll have to wait a little longer: it was announced as part of iOS 18 but has been delayed until iOS 18.1. That’s not a huge deal, since the OS refresh is scheduled for October, but it does mean that early iPhone 16 adopters won’t be able to tinker with the AI right away.
Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3
Since 2016, iPhone events have also included detailed information about the latest Apple Watch, and this year seems to be no exception. In fact, this year is a big one for the Apple Watch. With the gadget’s 10th anniversary approaching, there are conflicting rumors about whether the next product will be called Apple Watch Series 10 or Series X.
Whatever it ends up being called, Apple’s next standard smartwatch will reportedly feature a larger screen similar to the Ultra, and the company is expected to ditch the 41mm form factor in favor of a 49mm design.
Rumor has it that Apple has completely redesigned the band system, adding a new connector, which should make it easier to adjust the straps, but it also has a downside: the change may cause all your old bands to stop working.
Sherlyn Lo / Engadget
Of course, there will be new chips powering these watches, but details are scarce. It’s been suggested that these chips are designed to support Apple’s recent foray into AI, but that integration will likely come at a later date. For now, Apple Intelligence will be tied to iPhones, iPads, and Macs.
The event is expected to feature two watches, codenamed N217 and N218. One of them could be the Apple Watch Ultra 3, but Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the high-end smartwatch won’t get a major redesign this time around. It’ll likely be an iterative refresh.
On the software side, Apple appears to have run into some issues while developing its long-awaited health tracking tool. Since health monitoring is one of the Apple Watch’s core features, the company is working on new sensors to detect high blood pressure and sleep apnea. However, the technology likely won’t make it to this year’s smartwatch. Apple has also been developing a glucose sensor for nearly a decade, so it may finally make an appearance in the Series X.
Finally, Apple is likely to introduce a new version of its lower-cost Watch SE, which is overdue for an update as it was last updated in 2022. There are also reports that Apple will replace the aluminum exterior with a hard plastic shell, which should help bring the cost down even further. Currently, the Apple Watch SE is $250, while Samsung’s cheapest wearable is the $200 Galaxy Watch FE. Apple may want to compete closer to that price point.
Airpods 4
Billy Steele/Engadget
Apple is reportedly preparing two new variations of its standard earbuds, with the AirPods 4 featuring both an entry-level model and a mid-range version that could essentially replace the AirPods 2 and AirPods 3.
The big news here is that both versions of the AirPods 4 will likely move to a USB-C case to keep up with the iPhone and the second-generation AirPods Pro. The cheaper of the two upcoming models will reportedly lack wireless charging, while the mid-tier version will reportedly support the technology, which makes sense as this is the same strategy Apple has adopted with previous generations.
Both versions should have a similar design, but the mid-range model is likely to support active noise cancellation like the Pro model. Speaking of which, the event won’t see a refresh of Apple’s high-end Pro earphones. There’s also some mystery surrounding the company’s over-ear headphones, the AirPods Max. It’s been a full four years since these premium headphones hit stores (and they still use a Lightning port for charging), so a refresh was long overdue.
One more thing
While there aren’t usually “one more” announcements at iPhone events, there is one piece of hardware that could be a surprise launch: Gurman said Apple is preparing a major redesign of the Mac mini, which is rumored to include the elimination of USB-A ports. Analysts have suggested this could be the company’s smallest desktop computer ever, roughly the same size as the Apple TV streaming box.
Reports say the next Mac Mini will come in two versions, one with the standard M4 chip and one with the more powerful M4 Pro chip. The base model is rumored to start shipping from suppliers sometime this month, so it’s possible that Apple could get a few minutes to play with the computer at its iPhone event. Don’t get your hopes up too much, though: this is an iPhone and smartwatch event, where a tiny desktop might feel out of place. It’s also entirely possible that Apple could hold a Mac-only event later this year, as it did last fall.
Rumors are also circulating online that an iPad mini refresh is on the way. Apple’s smallest iPad hasn’t been updated since 2021 and is currently “internaly ‘constrained,'” Gurman said. A new model is likely on the way, but it’s unusual for Apple to announce an iPad during an iPhone event.
Beyond that, there are a number of other software updates due to be released, including iOS 18, which we’ve covered extensively in the past, and iPadOS 18. For smartwatches, watchOS 11 is also due to be released this fall. Apple has already revealed details about the three operating systems at WWDC, but the upcoming iPhone event would be a good time to announce official release dates.
One… an early one?
What’s certain is that Apple will be releasing an update to the Beats Powerbeats Pro next year. Beats teased the earphones with a short reel video posted to its Instagram account on September 4. In the video, Los Angeles Dodgers player Shohei Ohtani is seen swinging a bat while wearing the new earphones, before the “Powerbeats Pro 2” wordmark and the words “Coming 2025” appear on the screen.
That’s it. No specs, pricing, or an accelerated release window have been mentioned, but we can at least see an improved design. Senior reporter Billy Steele’s analysis of this glimpse can be found here. You won’t hear about these new earbuds at the iPhone event, but we can expect to see them in the ears of more athletes and celebrities soon.
Engadget Podcast with special guest Mark Gurman
In preparation for Apple’s September 9th event, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman joined Engadget Podcast hosts Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar to talk all things Apple. The three spoke at length about the latest Apple rumors, including the iPhone’s new camera button, screen size tweaks, the new AirPods lineup, and what to expect from the latest Apple Watch models. They also talked a bit more about Apple’s future, from next year’s “ultra-thin” iPhone redesign to the company’s burgeoning ambitions for home robots. You can listen to the episode above. A full transcript is available here.
UPDATE, Sept. 4, 2024, 7:00 PM ET: This story has been updated multiple times since it was originally published. Updates, in chronological order, are as follows:
Added Apple event dates and times.
Added details about limited iPad mini inventory.
Added a recap of the Engadget Podcast with Mark Gurman.
We’ve added a link to a 9to5Mac report on the new iPhone 16 Pro colors.
Added link to Mark Gurman’s report on the Mac mini.
Added section about surprise Powerbeats Pro 2 announcement.
