Apple aims to hold a launch event on September 7 to unveil the iPhone 14 line, according to people familiar with the matter, rolling out the latest version of the product that generates more than half of its sales. The new iPhones will kick off a busy product season, which will also include multiple new Macs, low-end and high-end iPads, and three Apple Watch models.
Apple is updating its flagship product at an uncertain time for the industry. Smartphone sales have taken off as consumers grapple with inflation and a shaky economy. But Apple appears to be doing better than its peers: iPhones sold well last quarter, and the company has signaled to suppliers that demand is unlikely to slow.
The Cupertino, California-based tech giant typically announces the latest Apple watches, including the iPhone, among other products. The company usually releases a new iPhone in stores about a week and a half after it’s unveiled, and Apple is expected to stick to that pattern this year. Some retail store employees have been asked to prepare for a major new product release in September. 16.
Apple rose nearly 1 percent to $174.54 (roughly Rs. 13,900) in New York trading. Although it has bounced back from a deep rout in recent months, the stock is down 2 percent this year.
The company intends to stream events online — rather than gather in person — continuing the approach adopted at the start of the pandemic. Apple launches are highly polished affairs, and employees have begun recording segments of the presentation over the past few weeks, Bloomberg News reported.
An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the timing of the event. Given that the announcement is still three weeks away, the company’s plans may change, but Apple usually unveils its latest iPhones in the first half of September.
The company last held an event in June to announce its next set of software updates — iOS 16, iPadOS 16, watchOS 9 and macOS Ventura — and invited press and developers to its campus to watch a presentation video. That arrangement was part of Apple’s slow shift to more casual operations, including a return to offices.
On Monday, the company told its corporate employees that they would be required to work in person three days a week starting Sept. 5, two days before a planned product announcement.
The standard iPhone 14 will look similar to the iPhone 13, although the company will ditch the 5.4-inch “mini” version and add a model with a 6.7-inch screen. This will be the first time Apple has launched a non-Pro iPhone with a display of that size.
The company is planning major changes for the iPhone 14 Pro line. Apple will replace the front-facing camera cutout, known as the notch, with a pill-shaped hole for the Face ID sensors and a hole-punch-shaped area for the camera. This will give users slightly more screen space. The company is also adding a faster chip to the iPhone 14 Pro. Apple, meanwhile, will retain the A15 chip from the iPhone 13 in the regular iPhone 14 model.
The most noticeable iPhone 14 Pro changes will be in the camera system, which will appear slightly larger to consumers. Pro models will get a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera with 12-megapixel ultrawide and telephoto sensors. Apple plans to improve video recording and battery life.
For the latest Apple Watches, known as the Series 8, Apple will add features for women’s health and a body-temperature sensor. The standard watch will look similar to the Series 7, but the new Pro model will go after sportier customers. It will have a bigger display, a rugged titanium case, new fitness tracking features and more battery life. The company is also planning a new Apple Watch SE, a low-cost smartwatch with a faster chip.
Also coming in September: iOS 16, the software that runs on the next iPhones, and watchOS 9, the next Apple Watch operating system. And the company plans to launch macOS Ventura in October alongside the iPad’s operating system, iPadOS. The latter software was delayed by about a month due to bugs surrounding its new Stage Manager multitasking system.
Apple is working on an updated low-end iPad with an A14 chip and a USB-C port, as well as a new iPad Pro model with M2 chips later this year, Bloomberg News reported. It plans to launch new Macs before the end of the year as it works on versions of the Mac mini and MacBook Pro with M2-based processors.
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