I new iPhones are unveiled today, September 7th, in the usual late summer event in Cupertino. After years of virtual launches, this time the event will also be held in person, and Italian Tech will be there to report it in real time. In the meantime, however, here are the latest previews: as always, none of these are official, and as always, all together allow you to get a pretty clear picture of the upcoming news. Which are several.
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The new iPhone 14
No doubt there will be a new iPhone. Or rather, a new family: still four models, but only two screen sizes (6.1 and 6.7 inches), instead of three as has happened in recent years. Analysts and experts all seem to agree: there will not be an iPhone 14 mini, so the catalog should count two standard models and two Pro, respectively in the normal and Max version.
It will be a novelty in the middle, in the sense that for the two basic models we do not expect great steps forward compared to the current ones, except precisely for the size of the screen. The design will remain unchanged, with the usual notch and flat edges, but also inside the news should be few: same photographic sector, same processor, same battery. In fact, the iPhone 14 could be virtually identical to the 13, while the 14 Max (or Plus, as it seems more likely)could open up a new market space for Apple, to compete with Android maxi-smartphones.
A new strategy
The expectations are all for the Pro models: here the differences should be more marked than the current production, with a revised design, a more powerful chip, improved cameras. Not a real revolution, but more likely the beginning of a new strategy for Apple, which so far has only one processor on all models in the family. And on the other hand, it will be necessary to verify how much the expected A16 is superior to the current A15 in terms of performance and consumption: it will certainly not use the 3-nanometer technology yet, which should debut next year. We expect something like switching from the M1 chip to the M2 for Macs: a slight improvement in instrumental performance, aided by other tricks to make the overall user experience better.
To give the sign of a new generation of iPhone will be primarily the design, which according to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, for the first time should adopt a solution already seen on some Android competitors: instead of the notch, a hole in the display for the front camera. But Apple’s Face ID technology needs other sensors and for this a larger opening is needed, and so it seems that in addition to the usual circular hole there will be another, oblong one. In between, in the few pixels that would otherwise be unused, there could be in the operating system room for a privacy spywhich should indicate whether an app is using the camera or microphone (today there is a green or orange dot at the top).
Always on
Virtually certain the arrival of always-on display support, which will allow you to view information at a glance on the screen, even when it is turned off. It will be a peculiar feature of the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, which will have an updated ProMotion technology with a reduced refresh rate: from 10 Hz per second current to 1 Hz per second, like on the Apple Watch; this change will help preserve battery life.
The cameras
Also according to Kuo, the iPhone 14 will bring notable improvements to the front camera, starting with an update of the autofocus functions. Another novelty should be the six-component lens, against the current five, and a wider f / 1.9 aperture, which will allow more light to enter.
For the rear camera, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be upgraded to 48 megapixel. As always, the pure numerical data does not say much: images and videos will not be four times better than the current models, but important progress is still expected, especially in shutter speed and shooting in low light conditions. Like some Android phones, Apple could use an intelligent scaling algorithm which processes 48 megapixel data and creates a 12 megapixel output image with more detail and less noise.
Beware, though: the new camera it could be even biggerand the photographic sector could be even more prominent than today.
What will be and what will not be
The new iPhone will not have a Usb-C port, but still the Lighting connection, albeit updated to support higher speed data transfer. We will therefore have to wait a year for Apple to convert to the universal standard: on the other hand the European regulations allow it, and in Cupertino they have been working for some time on an iPhone completely without doors, which however still seems far away. New colors are planned, with a purple that should take the place of pink on the standard models and blue on the Pros.
And there will be a price hike on the Pro models, according to many analysts, offset by the fact that who wants a big screen iPhone can buy the 14 Plus (or whatever it will be called) and spend less than the current Pro Max.
Finally, there could be a function already anticipated last year, namely the possibility of communicating via satellite connectivity. According to Ming-Chi Kuo, the development of the hardware has been completed, but it is unclear whether Apple has made the necessary financial arrangements to leave this year. For Bloomberg, the satellite connectivity for the iPhone it will allow users to communicate even when they are out of the reach of traditional cellular networks: it will work alongside the normal cellular network and wi-fi, but will be limited to dangerous situations. For example, you will be able to communicate with rescuers via the Messages app and report emergencies serious such as plane crashes, sinking ships and other disasters. And in reality, several observers point out, the image and the claim of the event could allude to the new satellite functions.
Three new Apple Watches
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman wrote that Apple will present three new Apple Watch models in 2022: if it is true, it will in fact be the most substantial update in recent years. Although it seems that no model will be equipped with new sensors, apart from perhaps the one for the temperature, long overdue. All versions could have the same SoC as the Apple Watch Series 7although it is not excluded that he may be baptized with a new name.
According to the various rumors, the design will be the same; for the SE versionApple could use the same case as the previous Watch SE to save costs and appeal to a larger audience, albeit by eliminating some features.
The real novelty, even for smartwatches, should be a brand new Pro model. The design should be characterized by flat edges and one 1.99 inch screen, which translates to 47 mm. Thanks to the larger display, there should be a bigger battery. The chassis could be titanium and the display glass should be even more impact resistant, perfect for dealing with extreme outdoor sports (like Samsung’s Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, in short). The price could rise accordingly: there are those who speak of 999 dollars.
AirPods Pro 2
In addition to the iPhone 14 series and the new Apple Watch models, Apple could present the new AirPods Pro 2 at its September event. The design could be similar to the current one, apart from the outer rodwhile inside it seems likely that we will see an updated version of the H1 chip, Apple’s audio processor. The AirPods Pro 2 could be the first with Bluetooth 5.2, which will bring more stability and a higher sound qualityfor voice calls and songs with a thanks to compatibility with a higher bitrate.
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No Mac, no iPad, no viewers
Apple is expected to introduce several new Macs and at least two iPads in 2022, but that won’t happen next week – the company usually plans an ad hoc event, and it is likely to take place in October, so as to complete the offer in view of the Christmas season. The appeal lacks the high-end Mac mini and MacBook Pro, but so does the Mac Pro, which at the moment is Apple’s latest computer with an Intel processor. It is time to refresh also for the basic iPad, now in its tenth generation, and for the two iPad Pro. Also for this, iPadOS and macOS 13 Ventura should go further; in Cupertino today we will talk about the iPhone’s new operating system, iOS 16as well as watchOS 9 and tvOS 16.
Finally, an announcement on the augmented reality viewers which has been talked about for years. The debut is currently scheduled for 2023, but who knows that we may not already see some anticipation at the end of the event, perhaps using the proverbial phrase by Steve Jobs, “One More Thing”.