Apple's event takes place this week: What to expect this year

The highly anticipated Apple conference will be held on September 12 (1:00 am, September 13, Beijing time) at the Steve Jobs Theater. At this conference, Apple is expected to bring new iPhones, iPads, MacBooks and other new products. There are constant rumors before every Apple conference. Next, we will summarize the highlights of Apple's upcoming new products.

Three new iPhone models released simultaneously

According to reports, the three iPhones to be released will include two OLED models, the iPhone Xs, with screen sizes of 6.5 inches (resolution of 2688 x 1242) and 5.8 inches (resolution of 2436 x 1125), and another device may be named iPhone Xc, which is equipped with a 6.1-inch LCD screen (resolution of 1792 x 828). In terms of battery capacity, the 6.5-inch iPhone Xs is 3300mAh-3400mAh, the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs is 2700mAh-2800mAh, and the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone is 2600mAh-2700mAh.

At the same time, the 6.5-inch and 5.8-inch iPhone Xs models come standard with 4GB of RAM and a maximum storage capacity of 512GB. The 6.1-inch LCD model has 3GB of RAM and a maximum storage capacity of 256GB. In addition, all three new-generation iPhone models will have built-in A12 chips. Thanks to TSMC's 7nm process technology, the A12 will have better performance and lower power consumption than its predecessor. However, there are also rumors that the LCD version of the iPhone will not be equipped with an A12 chip. All three models are equipped with TrueDepth cameras and support Face ID functions, but the LCD models are relatively cheaper than the OLED models because of their lower configurations. For example, they are not equipped with dual cameras and the modem is limited to 2X2 MIMO. But similar to the iPhone 5c, this model is available in red, blue, orange, gray and white.

Better wireless charging

Apple may switch to copper wireless charging coils in the 2018 iPhone. This change will improve the charging efficiency of the new iPhone. Due to the power limitation of the original ferrite polymer composite (FPC) coil, the current iPhone supports up to 7.5W wireless charging, which is actually not much faster than wired charging using a 5W power adapter. High power and high efficiency are the trends in wireless charging. Apple's existing FPC coils may be replaced in Apple's 2018 iPhone series. Although the copper coils are thicker, the resistivity is lower than that of FPC. It is expected that at least one iPhone model will switch to thicker copper coils to alleviate the heating problem caused by the increase in charging power.

At the previous Apple autumn conference, Apple released AirPower, which supports charging multiple devices at the same time. The device will most likely be released in September and the price will be around RMB 1,000. At this conference, Apple may announce the release date of AirPower.

Apple Pencil for iPhone

According to Taiwan’s China Times, Apple Pencil can not only be used for iPad products. Market research firm TrendForce speculates that the three new iPhone models this year that use OLED screens may have the opportunity to support Apple Pencil.

In fact, Apple has already applied for patents related to Apple Pencil supporting iPhone, and even included a smaller Apple Pencil. In addition, Apple has already added handwritten notes and annotations to screenshots in iOS memos. If the iPhone supports Apple Pencil, Apple seems to have been prepared in advance.

But there is also news that contrary to many reports that expect iPhone Xs to support Apple Pencil, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the new iPhone in 2018 will not support Apple Pencil because "it cannot currently provide a good user experience."

Dual SIM dual standby? Maybe it's real this time

As we all know, before the release of the iPhone in recent years, there have been rumors that it will be equipped with dual-SIM dual-standby technology. Although each previous rumor has been falsified, some information before this release conference obviously gave us more expectations.

China Mobile Hong Kong Branch said on social media that the new dual-SIM iPhone that has been rumored since last year may be released this year. If it is true, it can achieve "one card for personal matters and one card for official matters". Usually, hints from operators are often credible. According to previous news, developer Guilherme Rambo found a description of "second SIM card" in the iOS 12 code, indicating that Apple will support dual SIM dual standby at least at the software level.

This year's iPhone may not support 5G

The long-awaited 5G network seems to finally be in trial operation this year, and 5G smartphones should begin to appear in 2019, but according to current rumors, Apple will not launch an iPhone that supports 5G technology until at least 2020. The lower latency and faster speeds brought by 5G are not a pain point for today's smartphones, and Apple would rather wait until 5G coverage is widespread before integrating this technology into the iPhone.

Foreign media VentureBeat cited a report that Apple also has a very specific financial reason to delay the debut of the 5G version of the iPhone. Over the years, companies such as Qualcomm, Nokia, Ericsson, and Huawei have invested billions of dollars in developing 5G standards, and they have recouped their investments by charging patent licensing fees to mobile phone manufacturers that use 5G technology. According to VentureBeat, the total cost of obtaining a 5G technology license for a smartphone can be more than $21, while the average cost of a 4G device is $9.60. Today's smartphone market is already a red ocean, and if Apple does not want to see a decline in revenue from the iPhone, it needs to make more and more profit on each phone.

"Full screen" iPad Pro may be released

Apple is also expected to launch two iPad Pro models, 11 inches and 12.9 inches, at the event. Similar to the new iPhone, these two new models will have narrower screen borders and a TrueDepth camera system that supports Face ID, while the physical Home button previously used on the iPad will be removed.

According to foreign media 9to5Mac, the size of the 11-inch iPad Pro will be reduced from 250.6 x 174.1 x 6.1mm to 247.5 x 178.7 x 6mm. The 12.9-inch model will be reduced from 305.7 x 220.6 x 6.9 mm to 280 x 215 x 6.4 mm.

Taiwan's Electronic Times claims that Apple's new iPad Pro will be equipped with a newly designed 18W USB-C power adapter to speed up charging. This adapter may be connected to the iPad via a Lightning to USB-C cable. Apple provides a 10-12W power adapter for existing iPad models, so switching to an 18W USB-C power adapter would make sense as it would significantly increase charging speeds.

Several Mac product lines may be updated

Bloomberg reports that Apple is working on several new Mac products, including a new low-cost MacBook Air and a Mac mini for professional users.

It is reported that the upcoming cheap MacBook Air will be designed in the same way as the existing MacBook Air, but the screen border will be narrower, the screen size will be about 13 inches, and it will be equipped with a Retina screen. The new machine may be positioned as an upgraded version of the MacBook Air, and the target group may be education users. Bloomberg also reported that Apple is also preparing to upgrade the Mac mini, which has not been updated since October 2014.

However, considering that the highlight of this conference is the new iPhone, even if there are new Mac products, they may not be released together with the iPhone at this conference. Bloomberg said that Apple may also plan to launch a new Mac in October and a new iPhone and Apple Watch in September.

Apple Watch with a bigger screen and longer battery life

If nothing unexpected happens, Apple Watch Series 4 will also be unveiled at this event. In addition to Apple Watch, Apple usually updates the watch bands and other accessories of Apple Watch. Some netizens have found that many Apple Watch bands have been removed from the shelves or cannot be purchased in the Apple official store, which is the same as the situation before the release of Apple Watch in previous years.

Previous rumors also confirmed the existence of the new Apple Watch. Foreign media discovered that Apple has registered several new Apple Watch model identifiers in the Eurasian Economic Database. Files in the database indicate that the upcoming Apple Watch Series 4 has a total of 6 model identifiers and is marked as being released with watchOS 5. The models of the new Apple Watch may be A1977, A1978, A197***1976, A2007 and A2008. The document does not detail the specific specifications of these devices other than "personal wearable electronic devices", but considering the current time node, these devices are likely to be new Apple Watches.

According to information from foreign media, the border of Apple Watch 4 will be greatly reduced, the display area will increase by 15% compared to the old model, while the overall body size will not change, and the processor will be upgraded to Apple S4.

In addition, regarding the battery life that many consumers are concerned about, some foreign media said that the battery life of Apple Watch 4 will be improved. At the same time, the new Apple Watch will enhance the health function, and the new Watch OS 5 will also make Apple Watch more independent.

HomePod, AirPods and iOS 12 official version

It has been two years since the last generation of AirPods was released. There have been reports that Apple will launch a new generation of AirPods at this conference. It is said that the wireless charging box of AirPods can be charged with AirPower, and the new AirPods will also enhance the experience of "Hey, Siri" recognition. In addition, the sales of the current HomePod are not satisfactory, so it is not ruled out that Apple will launch a low-end HomePod at this conference.

After more than a dozen preview versions, the official version of iOS 12 will also be unveiled around this conference. At the same time, watchOS 5, macOS Mojave, and tvOS 5, which were released at WWDC 2018 at the same time as iOS 12, may also be released with the release of new hardware.