Apple is expected to announce its next generation iPhones, updated iPad and Apple TV on an even scheduled for 9th September. The rumors are based on sources from John Paczkowski of Buzzfeed who has a good track record with past predictions. Expect iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 to also get final releases or release dates at the event.
New iPhones
Amongst the expected announcements are two new iPhones: iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus which will bring performance improvements, camera advancements and likely force touch integration which should open up a new dimension of interactivity with iOS and third party apps. Let’s hope that Apple does not go with a long name such as iPhone 6 S Plus. It will be interesting to see if this is the name they will go with or will they use another one. Perhaps use another letter for the larger size iPhone, following along the footsteps of C and S models.
New iPad
iPad, specifically the iPad Mini, is also expected to get much needed updates to bring it on par with it’s larger sibling. Force touch and split screen iOS 9 support are some of the rumors going around. Force touch has yet to be seen in any iOS device larger than the Apple Watch so it’s implementation and use cases would be important to look out for. Mac like functionality for Force touch is likely on iOS but how the gestures work with touch on iPhones and iPads is yet to be seen.
New Apple TV
Lastly, but more importantly on the hardware side, Apple TV is getting a major upgrade which should revamp its internals and externals along with a new remote with touch and voice interactivity. Apple TV still runs on a single core A5 processor which pushes out 1080p resolution. The new Apple TV should get a jump to at least a dual core A8 processor which should make it ready for the rumored SDK as well as for iOS 9. The SDK will open up the Apple TV to developers to create third party apps for which should include games and video content consumption apps. It will also allow the currently supported content companies like Netflix etc to directly update their apps rather than Apple updating them.
The Apple TV remote is expected to have Bluetooth along with the usual infrared sensor to make it more accurate and responsive. Gesture and touch support is expected but it isn’t clear if it will be done via a touch display on the remote which could push the price up. A mic to use with Siri might also be included. Currently, TVs from Samsung and LG already have mics built into their remotes for easy voice search so this is an easy update on the hardware side of things. Having Siri on Apple TV should also open up global search so users can search all content sources from a single search query.
iOS 9, OS X 10.11 And WatchOS 2
iOS 9, OS X 10.11 and WatchOS 2 have been in testing since WWDC 2015. Any new hardware announcement will ship with the new operating systems. Hopefully, Apple will sort out any remaining bugs, of which there are still many, from these operating systems before the upcoming final releases.
We will be following the live event closely no matter what the final announced date is. Stay tuned as this should be an interesting one.
via 9to5mac
