This year's Apple launch conference was earlier than in the past.
Last Thursday, Apple officially announced that this year's autumn new product launch will be held at 1 a.m. on September 8 (Beijing time).
Moreover, this press conference is different from the "online" model in previous years, but the autumn press conference is held offline for the first time. However, in form, it will be similar to WWDC 2022, with media and audiences invited to watch and release videos live at Steve Jobs Theater (Jobs Auditorium).
released a new iPhone on September 8, which is the earliest time Apple held a press conference since the epidemic (2020), almost a week ahead of schedule.
There are many guesses about this. Tim Culpan of Bloomberg believes that it is due to "Apple's unique fiscal year". Simply put, if the iPhone 14 series is released early, part of its sales will be included in Apple's revenue in fiscal year 2022.
will make the numbers in Apple's financial report better this year, which is beneficial to Apple's stock price and the downward smartphone market. Seeing the market demand brought by Apple, other manufacturers will also work hard to market and compete together to revitalize the market.
In fact, before 2020, the date of Apple's autumn press conference was quite stable (still unchanged), and it was almost set on the second Wednesday of September that year, which was around September 10, which was not much different from this year.
At present, we have not completely gotten rid of the impact of the epidemic, but with the emergence of vaccines and some stable policies, some major Apple technology companies are also working hard to get back on track, cancel home offices, return to offices, etc.
Image from: abc
This year's Apple autumn conference is actually more like a choice to get back on track.
, however, in order to get back to the so-called "right track", Apple also postponed the routine release of updated iPadOS in the fall to October, and skipped the version number of iPadSO 16.0, and directly updated iPadOS 16.1.
Apple wants to get back on track and is determined to be very determined.
One More Thing: Far Out A super-looking product?
There are only two single times on the invitation letter this year, which is translated as "super-view".
But from this word, it can almost be predicted that the products, functions or features at this press conference will have a "near future" trend.
combined with the deep and changing starry sky, and finally merged into Apple's logo. It is speculated that it has three meanings.
First, iPhone may be introduced into the functions of 3D and starry sky photography.
Second, the iPhone 14 series supports screen-off display.
Third, virtual reality.
According to rumors, the Apple AR device hand-painted by
At the same time, Bloomberg discovered that Apple has begun to register Reality-related trademarks one after another, including Reality One, Reality Pro and Reality Processor (that is considered an M2 chip).
and earlier, Apple had already shown AR/VR glasses related products to its board members, and it seemed that everything was ready and there was no need for the east wind.
Apple's series of actions and the foreshadowing of Far Out (ultra-preview), there is reason to believe that it may be displayed or released at the One More Thing session at the fall press conference. It doesn’t matter when
will be sold (the price is definitely not expensive). It is enough to give the relevant industries a shot of a boost.
and even 3D photography that may be introduced on the iPhone 14 series is also very likely to be for creating AR-related content. Apple's layout in the field of virtual reality is quietly closing down.
iPhone 14 series: mini or Max? The characteristics of the
iPhone 14 series are basically understood, and the biggest suspense is actually about the stay or not of the mini model.
Picture from: Forbes
Whether it is the CAD design of the iPhone 14 series previously exposed, or many well-known whistleblowers, they all say that in this year's iPhone 14 series, Apple will launch a large-screen version of the digital series with Max (or Plus) as the suffix.
It has a 6.7-inch screen size, which can almost be considered a non-Pro version of the Pro Max.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini Picture from: computerhoy.com
However, last week, "91Mobile" quoted the veteran rumor Evan Blass, saying that Apple is preparing for new iPhone and iPad sales with the largest distributors in the Asia-Pacific region, including the iPhone 14 mini and iPad 10.
91Mobile is also sure that at the autumn press conference, Apple will still launch mini models instead of the larger-screen Max (Plus). As soon as the message
came out, the situation became even more confusing.
iPhone mini product can be said to have won the voice, but sales have never won the voice. Just like the "crowned jar" model that car fans have been calling for, it has a loud sound, but not much support for it with money.
In the current sluggish smartphone market, for Apple, canceling mini with a larger Max, is in line with mature business operations and will also bring better sales results (large screen and high price).
Image from: phonearena
But if the mini has not been cut and appears in the iPhone 14 series, then this may also be Apple's last stubbornness on small-screen phones. Small-screen enthusiasts, cherish it as much as possible.
Back to the iPhone 14 series itself, the positioning of iPhone 13 is actually quite similar to an enhanced version of iPhone 12 (i.e. iPhone 12s).
Judging from various exposures, it seems that the iPhone 14 series is also quite similar to the S enhanced version of the iPhone 13.
Similarly, the iPhone 14 series may also introduce a new purple color scheme to replace "Far Peak Blue", and the remaining colors should be consistent with the iPhone 13.
body appearance size has not changed much, the camera module has become larger, and the screen's bangs are "upgraded" to "!" hole-punching screen.
"Hole Punch Screen" makes the screen display area larger, but specifically on the iOS 16 system display, the display area is not much different from the notch screen, but in order to keep it parallel to the hole Punch Screen, the status bars such as signal, battery, time, etc. will be fine-tuned downwards.
The main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro series may be upgraded to 48 million pixels. As previously speculated, after upgrading the pixels, Apple is very likely to introduce 6K and 8K professional video shooting functions into the Pro series.
In this way, the iPhone has opened up another position on the Android device in terms of the attributes of video creation tools.
In the past, every new iPhone of Apple would be equipped with a brand new A-series processor, and its numbers also represent the generation of iPhones in Apple's history. (For example, the iPhone 13 with the A15 Bionic is the 15th generation iPhone)
But on iPhone 14, Apple may break this tradition. Perhaps because of the chip shortage, Apple only plans to install the A16 Bionic on the iPhone 14 Pro series, while the iPhone 14 series for the public is equipped with the A15 Bionic chip.
However, due to the excellent energy efficiency ratio of the A15 Bionic, it is still a top mobile processor after a year. The experience is not much different in daily use.
, if the iPhone 14 series with old core is launched at the original price, it would be a little less kind. While maintaining the original starting price, it should be a good practice to double the starting capacity.
Before the release of iPhone 13, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that Apple was developing satellite connectivity for iPhones in order to send emergency signals without a cellular network.
After more than a year, Mark Gurman said that Apple is still developing the function of "satellite communication", not only iPhone, but Apple Watch will also support this function.
In fact, before the release of iPhone 13, Apple had completed the corresponding hardware development of satellite communications. What hindered the launch of this service was actually "business considerations". Introducing satellite communications on iPhone, Apple actually needs to cooperate with operators to improve and implement the corresponding business model.
In February this year, Globalstar, a potential partner satellite communications operator of Apple, announced that it had purchased 17 satellites with the goal of providing continuous satellite services for potential customers.
Yesterday, T-Mobile and SpaceX announced a collaboration on satellite connectivity, Tim Farrar, a satellite communications consultant at California research firm Telecom, said that such an approach is nothing more than "grab the headlines."
In addition, Farrar also said that it is very likely that the satellite communication function launched on the iPhone 14 series may only allow text messages to emergency contacts or authorities in emergencies, and is very likely to be limited to the United States for use only.
In general, even without the function of satellite communication, the iPhone 14 series can still rely on sufficient "recognition" to trigger a certain phone change craze, let alone it may take a big step forward in camera specifications.
Apple Watch: The key is that Pro
Apple Watch Pro may become the next growth point in the Apple Watch series.
iPhone Pro series has better screens, better camera systems, better materials, etc. Pro-level equipment. For a health device of the Apple Watch, Pro represents increasing the "health and exercise" characteristics.
In recent years, Apple's Pro-grade devices have begun to return to "practical" in design, and the rumored Apple Watch Pro will do the same.
The Apple Watch Pro, whose dial size has been increased to 47mm, may no longer use 3D glass to highlight the borderless. Instead, it is equipped with a flat screen similar to the iPhone to increase the protection of the screen and prevent scratching the screen during intense exercise.
It will challenge professional sports watches like Garmin. In order to have a stronger body and reduce the weight, the case will be made of titanium alloy similar to Edition.
47mm Size Apple Watch Dial Area Comparison Chart
However, the increase in the size of the Apple Watch Pro does not affect its backward compatible 45mm watch strap, and can still be replaced by itself.
has been greatly upgraded in appearance, but in internal specifications (especially sensors), the Pro may be consistent with the Series 7. The previously rumored blood pressure and blood sugar sensors may not appear in the Apple Watch until 2025.
A larger screen, more special materials, better sport performance, and may even be equipped with satellite communication. The price of the Apple Watch Pro may be as good as the iPhone Pro series, and it will be directly around $1,000.
However, compared with the Edition series, the Apple Watch Pro is still a bit cost-effective.
As for the regular upgraded version of Apple Watch Series 8, the appearance may not change much, and the improvement may be only details. It is also available in two sizes: 41mm and 45mm, which may be difficult for old users to change the phone.
For those sports enthusiasts, the Apple Watch Pro may be the real "iteration upgrade model".
AirPods Pro 2: Support LE Audio Bluetooth Low Energy
AirPods Pro was released on October 30, 2019, 1035 days ago.
Before the Apple launch conference in the past three years, there will be quite a few rumors about the second generation AirPods Pro. As for whether Apple can be updated as scheduled this fall, it will still be a big question mark.
In Mark Gurman's report, the new AirPods Pro may adopt a new design, eliminating the headphone handle to reduce volume, and a rounder body can be more conveniently stuffed into the ears.
Image from: theapplehub
But then said that Apple had difficulty stuffing the hardware of AirPods Pro into a smaller body and might eventually give up the plan to cancel the headphone handle.
The new AirPods Pro may adopt the same design style as the first generation AirPods Pro, avoiding the new "molds" and saving a development cost.
Last year Apple Music launched Apple lossless audio as scheduled, but it needed to use the decoded headphones with Hi-Res Audio high-interpretation lossless audio decoded headphones to connect to the headphones in a wired form for listening.
At that time, Apple's full-line AirPods were unable to support wireless playback lossless because they adopted AAC encoding, and could only listen to "spatial audio", which was also considered the biggest reason why Apple upgraded Apple Music's sound quality (losslessness is just a gift).
The second generation of AirPods Pro may improve this embarrassing situation and may support LE Audio-function Bluetooth 5.2.
LE Audio's main feature is its low power consumption and high sound quality, which allows AirPods Pro to support Apple Music's lossless music in wireless form, which is a big step forward for Apple's true wireless headphones.
iPad and Mac: only iPad 10, and other October
due to the delay in iPadOS 16, it can almost be concluded that MacBook Pro and iPad Pro will not be seen at this press conference. They may arrive together in October.
but not M chip and iPad 10 without pre-desk scheduling may arrive with the new iPhone and Apple Watch.
and iPad 10 may be the biggest change in the appearance of entry-level iPad in recent years. In the previously leaked project files, the iPad 10 adopts a right-angle edge design that is more similar to the iPad Air and iPad Pro, and also has a colorful color scheme.
uses right-angle edges, which does not mean that it uses a "full screen" design. Its front is slightly wider on the top and bottom and retains the TouchID physical buttons.
The back camera style is similar to that of the iPhone X, but it is not a dual camera, and it is just a main camera and flash on the bulge.
Possible 2022 iPad series, the thicker the border, the lower the price. Picture from: theapplehub
In addition, the body interface will also bid farewell to Lightning and turn to USB-C. The right-angle edge configuration allows iPad 10 to support the second-generation Apple Pencil, which also means that the first generation of sham-like Apple Pencil will be eliminated. In the core configuration of
, iPad 10 may be equipped with A14 chip and add support for 5G network standards.
Overall, the iPad 10 designed in this way will be the entry-level iPad with the biggest changes in recent years. The coexistence of right-angle borders and TouchID will also be a rare combination.
Image from: Applefans
This is how it is introduced. While introducing new designs, it also has a certain difference from product lines such as iPad Air, which is a bit wonderful.
In addition, iPad 10 may increase its starting price based on the previous work, and this is not ruled out that iPad 9 will reduce its price and continue to sell. This strategy is also wonderful.
Whether it is the recently released financial report or some investment strategies, Apple's growth is also slightly "scarce". The financial report growth is not as expected, investment is obviously conservative, and there are always some voices that the halo of Apple products is no longer there.
WWDC 2022
But it is undeniable that Apple is still the most successful technology company in terms of revenue and influence. Apple products still have a very high attention, and it is also one of the few companies that can trigger new trends and new tracks through new functions.
Apple Far Out (most forward-looking) press conference theme is like a declaration that will open a new track after a few years of precipitation on traditional product lines.
