APPLE fans and technophiles have an official date to begin salivating over as the company has announced September 7 for its next big product reveal.
The tech giant confirmed the much anticipated date by sending out invitations to technology journalists and industry analysts on Monday. Staying true to form Apple has revealed nothing about what it will unveil to the public in a little over a week but it’s expected the company will announce a new iPhone range and possibly a new version of the Apple Watch.
It is the fifth year running that Apple has held a product event in September and it is expected Apple CEO Tim Cook will show off major upgrades to the company’s flagship product with the release of the next generation, iPhone 7.
It is rumored that the look and size of the new range of phones will be largely similar to the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but the guts of the new device will receive an overhaul giving the handset superior processing power, better battery life and a better camera. Most notably, the larger 5.5-inch version of the new phone dubbed the “iPhone 7 Pro” is rumored to come equipped with a dual lens camera.
Improvements to the camera could likely be a main focus of Apple’s September 7 event. The artwork featured on the invitation showing a bunch of blurry colorful dots emulates a photography style called Bokeh associated with DSLR cameras. The effect would be achievable with a dual lens camera, and a few other smart phones on the market already boast such a capability.
Other rumors for the new device include a home button that sits flush on the screen and the disappearance of the antenna lines that run across the top and bottom of the rear of the device.
The expected change that has caused the most controversy, and even drawn criticism from Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, is the removal of the headphone jack from the new iPhone to make way for a skinnier design.
The tech giant sold more than 214 million iPhones over the past 12 months but sales are down from a year ago, and analysts will be watching closely to see what kind of enticing upgrades Apple will offer consumers.
The company is also expected to announce upgrades to the Apple Watch nearly a year and a half after the first generation was released.
The company has been shifting the functionality of the watch away from messaging and reports indicate upgrades will include a faster processor, a barometer and GPS radio for improved geolocation capabilities.
It is also possible Apple will announce new features for the Apple Mac or Macbook computer.
But for now, we at least know we’ve only got a short wait to find out.
