Apple has a habit of introducing new iPhones in September, but according to a report from Bloomberg, next-gen smartphones may just be one part of the company’s next hardware event.
Bloomberg’s sources indicate that we can expect three new iPhones, new iPad and iPad Pro models, and the first MacBook Pro to feature a 16 inch display, plus a bunch of software and subscription service updates.
Take all of that with a grain of salt, since nothing is official until it is, and even if the information about Apple’s plans is accurate for now, they could always change. But the biggest news is likely to be the new iPhones, including the first iPhone Pro models.
iPhones
Apple has been offering iPad Pro models for the past few years, combining the ease of use of an iPad with more powerful hardware, bigger displays, and extra features.
So what will set an iPhone Pro apart from a standard model?
Bloomberg indicates that iPhone Pro smartphones will feature three rear cameras instead of two. Users will be able to take advantage of a primary camera, a telephoto camera, and an ultra wide-angle camera, plus software that allows all three cameras to be used at once so that the final picture can be stitched together from three different images.
The phones are also said to support higher resolution images and feature improved video recording features. And they’ll feature better water resistance, improved OLED displays, and support for reverse wireless charging, allowing you to charge a set of Apple AirPods or other devices using your phone’s battery.
While these features may be new to iPhone users, some Android phones already ship with three or more rear cameras and support reverse wireless charging.
All told, Bloomberg says there will be three new iPhones, so not all will have the Pro features. But they are all expected to feature at least two rear cameras, Apple’s new A13 processors, and an updated Face ID system with support for capturing a wider field of view, making it easier to login by looking at your phone.
iPads
According to Bloomberg, we can also expect next-gen 11 inch and 12.9 inch iPad Pro models with camera and processor improvements similar to the updates coming to iPhones.
The new entry-level iPad may get a slight screen size bump from 9.7 inches to 10.2 inches.
MacBook Pro
There’ve been rumors making the rounds for a while that Apple would be increasing the screen size from 15 inches to 16 inches. Bloomberg says that’s going to happen, but by shrinking the size of the bezels surrounding the display, Apple is expected to make the new laptop about the same size as its predecessor.
Other stuff
Noise-cancelling AirPods truly wireless earbuds are reportedly on the way, as well as a more affordable version of the HomePod smart speaker with Siri. Currently Apple’s only smart speaker is priced at $300, while rivals including Google and Amazon have versions that sell for as little as $50.
The Apple Watch isn’t expected to get a significant hardware update this year, but the watchOS software that powers it is due for an update.
Expect more details, and possibly a launch of Apple’s previously announced Apple TV+ video and Apple Arcade game subscription services as well.
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“MacBook Pro
There’ve been rumors making the rounds for a while that Apple would be increasing the screen size from 15 inches to 16 inches. Bloomberg says that’s going to happen, but by shrinking the size of the bezels surrounding the display, Apple is expected to make the new laptop about the same size as its predecessor.”
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That’s exactly why it’s a screen size bump of only 1 inch instead of to 17″ (which would make more sense).
Hopefully we will be getting the USD 2000 priced i-Phone sooner rather than later.
This could be the last MacBook Pro launched with an X64 processor as Apple is rumoured to start transitioning to ARM next year. My current 13 inch Pro will be 3 years in May 20. I’ll see what they offer then.
The new iPhones, I don’t know. Every year I say, I don’t need it and every year I buy a new one. We’ll see.
Sorry buddy, the Apple from 2005-2015 is long gone.
This is Cook’s show now, and he’s not there to make appealing products so much as to expand the marketing department and appease the shareholders.
I will say, comparing x86 to ARM is favourable for ARM when no discreet GPU’s are involved. But the software side of that equation hasn’t been considered yet. And I truly doubt we will get a MacBook Pro based on ARM this year, let alone see the death of x86 on the platform. I mean, it’s finally gotten interesting with AMD’s latest CPUs and GPUs.
Core i7-1060G7: 10nm – 9W/12W (Y) – 4c/8t – 2.7GHz – 64EU – 8MB cache – 32GB DDR4
Apple iPad A13X: +7nm – 3W/6W (Y) – 4c/8c – 3.0GHz – 8CU – 8MB cache – 8GB DDR4X