It’s that time of year again! Apple’s annual September iPhone launch event is upon us, and although the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will undoubtedly be the headliners of the show, Apple will have a lot more in store this year. In addition to its latest iPhones and operating systems, Apple will most likely update the Apple TV (finally!), show off more HomeKit devices, and possibly even introduce an iPad Pro.
We’ll be reporting live from the event, so be sure to follow @DigitalTrends, @JeffreyVC, and the rest of the team on Twitter. In the meantime, here’s everything we expect to see.
iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
We’ve been following rumors about Apple’s iPhone 6S and 6S Plus since they first started leaking in 2014. Although the S update is rarely a huge shakeup, most reports agree that a few big improvements will be made this year. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus are said to sport higher-resolution cameras on both the front and back of the device. Rumor has it the new iPhones will have a 12-megapixel camera on the back that’s capable of 4K video and dual-lens camera effects, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera for much better selfies.
The A9 processor should power the phones, but this year Apple could boost the RAM up to 2GB, which would be a significant power increase. Other key improvements include iOS 9, Force Touch, a new rose-gold color option, and the possibility of a 4-inch iPhone 6C.
iOS 9, Watch OS 2.0, OS X El Capitan
Apple already previewed iOS 9, Watch OS 2, and OS X El Capitan back in June at WWDC 2015, but now all three operating systems will go live at the September 9 event. With iOS 9 comes Siri’s smart Proactive feature, transit directions in Maps, the News app, multitasking on the iPad, and more. Watch OS 2.0 brings native apps, awesome new watch faces, improved Apple Pay, and more. Finally, El Capitan amps up processor speed, lets you snap windows into split-screen view, pins Safari pages, improves Spotlight search, and more. Although the betas have been out for a while, this will mark the first time that ordinary Apple users see the option to update their various devices.
Read more about iOS 9 here. | Read more about Apple Watch here.
Apple TV
The Apple TV is long overdue for an update. Many believed that it would arrive at WWDC 2015, but reports claim the AppleTv was pulled at the last minute. Now it seems that Apple is finally ready to debut its brand-new TV system, which is rumored to have a brand-new interface and work with Apple’s own streaming service. Most agree that the streaming service will contain a mix of local and premium TV channels, but Apple’s service will have to work hard to beat out the competition — Sling TV, Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Prime. The App Store, a variety of video games, and other great content will allegedly be accessible on the new Apple TV, and a universal search function will make the entire process of navigating the interface simpler. Supposedly.
HomeKit
Apple hasn’t talked much about HomeKit in the past, but the first compatible devices are available already. If you have an iPhone and a few HomeKit compatible devices, you can use Siri to control everything from your thermostat and light bulbs to your garage door and locks. You can also control HomeKit from iCloud for added convenience. Now that so many devices can connect with HomeKit, it seems likely that Apple will reveal a few more details about the smart home system during its iOS 9 announcement.
iPad Pro
Although iPads don’t usually arrive until October, some reports peg the launch of Apple’s long-awaited 12.9-inch iPad Pro tablet for September 9. Of course, others claim it won’t arrive until the traditional October event or even in November. Rumors say the massive iPad comes with a built-in stylus and a super sensitive touchscreen, which is sure to make creative types very happy indeed. Otherwise, it should sport premium specs, including a very high-resolution screen (reports of exact pixel counts are in disagreement), a speedy A9 processor, Force Touch, and more. The large screen would take advantage of iOS 9’s new split-screen multitasking feature, as well.
Apple Music and Car Play
A few other odds and ends could also arrive at the September 9 event; we expect to hear some mention of Apple Music and perhaps Apple’s Car system. Apple could announce the Android version of its music-streaming service or detail some subscription numbers. It did say that the Android version was coming in the fall. As for Car Play and other auto-related news, it’s doubtful we’ll hear too much on that front. Both of these are outliers that may not make the billing for the September 9 event, but it’s good to keep your ears open.
Read our Apple Music review here. | Read our Apple CarPlay review here..
Stay tuned to Digital Trends for complete coverage of the September 9 Apple event and hands on posts with the new gadgets!
