Apple should introduce new iPads, iPhones and (potentially) the long-awaited Apple TV at a special event in the week beginning Sept. 7 (currently predicted to be Sept. 9, but this may change). What can we expect?
iPhone 6S/7
iPhones were once about music on the go and voice messages. Nowadays they provide augmented intelligence for millions of marching eyes fixed to the display listening to those Fahrenheit 451-predicted “seashell-like” white earbuds. That’s how far Apple has gone to create the digital future.
The new model iPhones take things several steps further. Don’t expect it to look too different, but expect a new A9 processor, better battery life, double the on-board RAM and a radically different user interface (with Force Touch). Network reception will potentially boast double LTE speeds and incoming Wi-Fi improvements. The 12-megapixel camera will be capable of creating DSLR quality pictures. Apple is deadly serious about photography. (Further speculation concerning these excellent devices is here.)
The extent of the market continues to expand. These sophisticated mobile devices are as useful to a small child playing video games as to a corporate CEO engaging in the weekly all-hands executive meeting from the comfort of his or her Lear Jet. Today’s digital natives are accessing new computing paradigms, as devices disappear to become subsumed within SaaS, DaaS, and identity-based hardware access built around wearables and biometric ID. Right now, however, the only mobile device better than an iPhone’s set to be …
The new iPads
iPad sales have slumped. Arguably, Apple has managed this deliberately, seeking to drive potential iPad purchasers toward the iPhone and its plat du jour Apple Watch accessory. That was then; this is now – Apple has no intention of ceding the tablet market it continues to dominate and the new iPad refresh will aim to build the momentum. There’s speculation Apple might introduce the long-awaited 12.9-in. iPad Pro capable of fully exploiting the many iPad-focused enhancements we already know are on the way in iOS 9. But what we do know is that processor, display, and Force Touch will feature across the range. The iPad mini and iPad Air will be significantly improved, with the smaller device being an iPad Air 2 equivalent. One thing’s for sure – Apple and IBM are deadly serious in their move to put iPads at the center of the enterprise – so productivity will be a key feature in the tablet industry Apple commands. 64-bit everything, some might observe.
Apple TV
Apple has been selling current edition Apple TV units at a relatively big discount. The new box will offer much more, including a new remote control and a redesigned interface with Siri support and an all-new App Store for Apple TV. The App Store for Apple TV will be your go to destination to purchase iPhone, iPad, iPod or Apple TV-remote controlled video games and other appropriate apps. While we wait for the company to introduce its new Web TV service next year, for the time being we should be able to download some new channels – and that’s even before you mention its use as your HomeKit smarthome hub…
iOS 9 and Apple WatchOS 2
Apple will ship iOS 9 and the latest iteration of its Watch OS on or around Sept. 9. The most backward compatible version of the OS yet, iOS 9 will run on almost every current iPhone and deliver a host of handy improvements. The new WatchOS is also a huge deal – it will bring us the first steps toward truly native smartwatch apps – and essential evolution as the category evolves to leave the phone behind.
Software
Pages, Keynote, Garageband, et al. all seem likely to see useful improvements for Mac and iOS users.
One more thing
Apple has already promised Apple Music for Android this Fall. Will we see this appear at the show? How far will Apple push to build itself a presence on that ancillary OS?
Google+? If you use social media and happen to be a Google+ user, why not join AppleHolic's Kool Aid Corner community and join the conversation as we pursue the spirit of the New Model Apple?
Got a story? Drop me a line via Twitter or in comments below and let me know. I'd like it if you chose to follow me on Twitter so I can let you know when fresh items are published here first on Computerworld.