Apple plans to launch the new iPhone 14 at an event scheduled for September 7, according to Bloomberg.
Apple is also expected to announce new Apple Watch models, as well as low-end and high-end iPads, and more Macs, at this event or later in the year.
But this year’s iPhone models arrive as consumers cut back on spending due to inflationary pressures.
An exclusively online event
Apple typically unveils its new iPhone models at launch events around September, and this year it will be an online-only event, in line with others since the pandemic began. Previous rumors were counting on a launch on September 6, for marketing from September 16.
Apple is expected to launch an iPhone 14 and 14 Max, as well as a more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. Lower-end devices are expected to feature the existing A15 Bionic chip and a 12-megapixel rear camera, but their OLED screens shouldn’t support iOS 16’s always-on display feature.
The Phone 14 Pro and Pro Max will feature the new A16 Bionic chip, a new 48-megapixel camera with better low-light capability, and their screens will support the always-on display feature.
The company has reportedly ordered 95 million iPhones and expects the iPhone 14 Pro Max to be the best-selling flagship model.
It’s also back to school at the Cupertino headquarters
Apple will also unveil the Watch 8 series, as well as a rugged model aimed at extreme sports users. This model will have a larger display area, a more shock-resistant screen, a more robust frame and a larger battery. The rugged model will be called the Apple Watch Pro, and it could be priced as high as $900 or $999 – much more than the entry-level $399 model. A low-cost Apple Watch SE is also being mooted for the September 7 event.
The iPhone 14 launch, if it happens on September 7, will take place the same week Apple staff return to the office for at least three days a week, starting Monday, September 5.
CEO Tim Cook’s memo to staff, seen by the FinancialTimes, indicates that all employees at the Cupertino headquarters must return on Tuesday and Thursday, plus another day designated by the team leaders. This is a back-to-office pilot program that follows several earlier attempts delayed by new variants of Covid-19.
As consumers tighten spending budgets in the face of inflation and recession fears, Apple is reportedly looking to boost its advertising business. The company may soon run ads in the App Store, Maps, Books and Podcasts. An Apple executive said he wants to grow Apple’s advertising business beyond the current rate of $4 billion a year, to double digits.
Source: ZDNet.com