COVID-19 isn't stopping Apple from holding one of its signature September events. The question now is whether Apple's September 15 event next week "from Apple Park" will unwrap all of the company's remaining 2020 products or serve merely as an appetizer for a more significant event later in the year.
Some of the rumors heading into the post-Labor Day holiday suggested Apple would reveal next-generation versions of the Apple Watch and iPad Air via dueling press releases as early as today. Apple's press office could still sneak in an announcement (or two) in the coming days. However, that's less likely with an actual event now scheduled for next Tuesday.
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What's likely to happen
Three months ago, Apple did a fantastic job holding its first press event during the ongoing pandemic. The Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote was fast-paced, informative, and, most importantly, pre-recorded, so everything flowed together nicely. Next week's event, also likely to be held from the Steve Jobs Theater on the Apple Park campus, should offer more of the same.
And yet, I'll be shocked if it includes all of the company's plans for the all-important holiday shopping season.
The constant chatter in recent weeks has said Apple's upcoming iPhone 12 lineup wouldn't arrive in stores until October or November, depending on the model. If these rumors are correct, expect Apple to hold another special event in early October. It's at that event the company is also likely to unwrap its first Apple Silicon Mac.
September 15
Apple will hold it's next special event on Tuesday, September 15, beginning at 10 a.m. PDT. You can live stream the event from the Apple website (opens in new tab) or Apple Events app on Apple TV. Come back to iMore for the latest news before and after the event.
At Apple's September 15 event, expect the company to reveal the Apple Watch Series 6 and iPad Air 4. Both would-be products have been in the news lately. Expect the former to look similar to the previous two Watch models, but contain a few extras inside. The latter should be the first Apple tablet not named iPad Pro to include Face ID and hence, an edge-to-edge display.
It's also highly likely Apple reveals public release dates for watchOS 7 and iPadOS 14. These are also the software updates that will ship with the new devices.
Current iPhone owners should also receive word when iOS 14 gets released to the public. The mostly uneventful tvOS 14 update should also get a public release date next week, perhaps next to a new Apple TV.
October
Besides new iPhones and Macs, Apple's second fall event should feature the official arrival of macOS Big Sur. The company's long-rumored AirTags device tracking product could also be announced at this time. The rumored Apple One services bundle could also be announced at this time.
Four new iPhones should be announced this year, including 5.4-inch and 6.7-inch models, plus two handsets with a 6.1-inch display.
Audio Unknowns
Apple's almost certainly going to announce new audio products in the coming weeks or months. Whether any of these launches this fall is unknown. Whether a new Apple TV arrives this year or next is also in question.
If I had to guess, I'd expect new audio products will play a prominent part in at least one of this fall's press events. Though AirPods work with any Bluetooth-enabled device, they are heavily promoted alongside iPhones. It's because of this, October reveals on the audio front might be more likely.
We should know soon enough!
What say you?
Which new products do you hope to see revealed at Apple's September 15 event? Let us know in the comments below.
