The biggest day on the tech world’s fall calendar is almost here: Apple’s 16th Apple event will take place on September 9 at 1PM ET. We’ll be live blogging the news, and you can watch it live through the company’s website or on YouTube. The biggest news from Apple’s event will likely involve the upcoming lineup of iPhone 16 handsets. As with all recent Septembers, we also expect to receive a new Apple Watch or two – maybe three, if Apple presses on the new SE.
Apart from that, there have been rumors swirling around about a refresh of the standard AirPods earbuds, as well as updates to other Apple product lines. Until Tim Cook takes the (literal) stage, however, everything is pure speculation. That being said, let’s dive into the most likely leaks and rumors ahead of Apple’s event.
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro
Regardless of what else happens, these new phones will take center stage at Apple’s event. This is good news for people who are ready to upgrade. The bad(ish) news? Many leaks and rumors indicate that this will be another year of iterative development, so don’t expect a new game-changing feature.
There may be four new models announced at the event, similar to what Apple did last year. The new phones will be called the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro and 16 Pro Max, according to industry analyst Mark Gurman. This is the same naming convention as featured on last year’s iPhone 15, so rumors of Apple adopting the “iPhone Ultra” moniker seem to be highly exaggerated.
Even if Apple doesn’t use the Ultra design, the Pro models are likely to get larger screens, which is always a good thing (if you like big phones, that is). The standard Pro is likely to go to 6.3 inches from 6.1 inches, while the Pro Max should hit 6.9 inches, which is an increase from 6.7 inches. Eventually, there will be a new color or two, as usual. Bloomberg’s Gurman suggests that Apple is ready to ditch the blue model in favor of rose gold.
On the hardware side, look for a new chipset that takes advantage of the company’s recent push into AI, also known as Apple Intelligence. Besides, the improved A18 chip will be an iterative, more intelligent development. As usual, the Pro and Pro Max will probably get a more powerful chip than the standard models. It looks like the base amount of RAM here will be 8GB, to handle those aforementioned AI tasks.
There were also rumors that the iPhone 16 and the regular iPhone 16 Plus will get an Action Button, a feature. was introduced last year for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. This multi-purpose button is a direct replacement for the silent switch, by default, but can be configured to control a number of different things. The Action Button can be used to change ringer settings, turn on the flashlight, open the camera and more.
There is also talk of another new button, this one on the right side of the phone. This will control the camera features, which work like a button on a DSLR. Reporting indicates that a soft press will trigger the autofocus and a hard press will take the picture. Consumers can also swipe along the button to zoom in and out while snapping photos or taking videos. It has been reported that this camera button will only come with the Pro and Pro Max, which makes sense as the higher-end models tend to offer a stronger camera experience.
To that end, new iPhones always get a camera spec bump, but we don’t know exactly what that will look like this time around. However, it has been reported that the camera module of the iPhone 16 may receive a design update. It’s possible that Apple is leaving the square and going vertical. This can only work on the base iPhone 16 and possibly the Plus, as the Pro and Pro Max phones tend to put more emphasis on photos and videos.
We already know what’s coming on the software side of things, thanks to the recent WWDC event. Based on previous years, iOS 18 should be available within a week of the event. The software update features a more customizable Control Center and Home screen. 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 delayed until iOS 18.1. This isn’t a big deal, since that OS update is expected in October, but it means that early adopters of the iPhone 16 won’t be able to fool around with AI right away.
Apple Watch Series 10 and Apple Watch Ultra 3
Since 2016, iPhone events have also included an in-depth look at the latest Apple Watch. This year looks to be no different. In fact, this is a big year for the Apple Watch. We are coming up on the tenth birthday of the gadget, so there are conflicting rumors that the next one will be called Apple Watch Series 10 or Series X.
Regardless of what it ends up being called, Apple’s next smartwatch will reportedly have an Ultra-compatible large screen. The company is expected to ditch the 41mm form factor and introduce a 49mm design.
Rumors also suggest that Apple has completely redesigned the band system and added new connectors. This will make these cables easier to fix, but there is a downside. This move would make all those old groups obsolete.
Yes, there will be a new chip that will power these watches, but we don’t have any specifics. It has been suggested that these chips are designed to accommodate Apple’s latest foray into AI, but that integration is likely to happen later. Currently, Apple Intelligence will be tied to iPhone, iPad and Mac.
There are likely to be two watches that will be unveiled at the event, codenamed N217 and N218. It is possible that one of these will be the Apple Watch Ultra 3, although Mark Gurman is present Bloomberg says a high-end smartwatch won’t get a major redesign this time around. It will probably be a recurring update.
On the software front, it looks like Apple has run into problems while developing its long-awaited health tracking tools. Health monitoring is one of the key features of the Apple Watch, so the company has been working on new sensors to detect high blood pressure and sleep disorders. However, the technology probably won’t be ready for this year’s smartwatch. Apple has also been developing a glucose sensor for almost a decade, so, who knows, maybe it will finally appear with the Series X.
Finally, it is very likely that Apple will announce a new budget-friendly version of the Watch SE. This was last updated in 2022, so an update is overdue. There have been reports that Apple will replace the aluminum exterior with a hard plastic shell. This should help reduce costs even further. As it stands, the Apple Watch SE costs $250, but Samsung’s cheapest wearable is the $200 Galaxy Watch FE. Apple may want to compete closer to that price range.
AirPods 4
Apple is reportedly preparing two new versions of its regular earbuds. AirPods 4 can have an entry-level model and a mid-tier version, which can replace AirPods 2 and AirPods 3.
The big news here is that both types of AirPods 4 are likely to move to a USB-C case to be compatible with the iPhone and the second generation of AirPods Pro. It has been suggested that the cheaper of the two upcoming models will lack wireless charging, but the mid-tier version will support this technology. This is the same strategy followed by Apple with previous generations, so it makes sense.
Both versions should have similar designs, although the mid-tier variant is likely to support active noise cancellation like the Pro model. Speaking of which, there will be no update of Apple’s high-end earbuds at this event. There is also a mystery surrounding the company’s headphones, AirPods Max. It’s been four whole years since these premium cans hit store shelves (and they’re still stuck using a Lightning port for charging), so a refresh is long overdue.
The last thing?
The iPhone event doesn’t have an “end” time, but there is one piece of hardware that could get a surprise shout-out. There have been rumors that Apple is preparing a major redesign of the Mac mini. Analysts have suggested that this will be the company’s smallest desktop computer and could be about the size of an Apple TV streaming box.
It is reported that there will be two versions of the upcoming Mac Mini, one with the standard M4 chip and the other with the more powerful M4 Pro chip. The basic model is rumored to start shipping to suppliers this month, so it’s possible that Apple will spend a few minutes on the computer at the iPhone event. However, don’t count on it. This is an event for iPhones and smartwatches and a small desktop would feel out of place. And, like last fall, Apple could easily hold a Mac-specific event later this year.
There is also a lot of buzz online about the upcoming iPad mini refresh. Apple’s smallest iPad hasn’t had an update since 2021, and is currently “considered ‘obligatory’ internally,” according to Gurman. While a new model may be coming soon, it’s rare for Apple to announce iPads during its iPhone event.
Besides, a bunch of software updates are about to drop. There’s iOS 18, which we’ve written about extensively, and iPadOS 18. As for smartwatches, watchOS 11 will also be out sometime this fall. Apple has already explained all three applications at WWDC, but the upcoming iPhone event would be a good time to announce the official release dates.
Engadget Podcast with special guest Mark Gurman
In preparation for Apple’s September 9 event, BloombergMark Gurman joined Engadget Podcast hosts Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar to talk all things Apple. The trio talked extensively about the latest Apple rumors, including the new iPhone camera button, tweaks to screen sizes, the new AirPods lineup and what to expect from the latest Apple Watch models. There are also a few details about Apple’s future, from the redesign of the “smaller” iPhone next year to the company’s growing ambitions in home robots. You can listen to the episode above, and the full transcript is available here.
Update, August 30 2024, 11:45AM ET: This story has been updated from its original publication to include the time and date of Apple’s event, details about the iPad mini and a brief summary of the Engadget Podcast interview with Mark Gurman.
