What To Expect At Apple's Tuesday Event Beyond New iPhones

It has been 11 months since Apple last unveiled a new iOS device. That is about to change. On Tuesday, Sept. 10, Cupertino will finally reveal new iPhones and other new goodies. So what should we expect to see on Sept. 10? It’s time to take a look.

A Certainty

The invitation to next week’s event (see above) confirmed what we’ve known for months – Apple is set to unveil a low-cost iPhone that will be available in multiple colors. The iPhone 5C is likely to arrive in light shades of blue, yellow, green, and pink or orange. A white model is also certain. Apple will also announce the iPhone 5S, which like all good “S” models, will look similar to its predecessor with better internal parts. In addition to offering the iPhone 5S in black/slate, and white/silver, Apple could announce models colored gold (or champagne), and graphite. Finally, Apple is certain to announce a release date for iOS 7, plus give us another demo of it.

Likely

A fourth-generation Apple TV is probably going to be unveiled next week. This will probably only be a minor update, although we really don’t know for sure. With Google doing quite well with Chromecast, don’t be surprised to see Cupertino drop the price of the Apple TV below $99.

Less Likely

New iPods probably won’t be unveiled until October, as was the case in 2012. Still, depending on how much Apple wants to push this multiple colors thing, we could see new iPods next week after all. We’re almost certainly going to get new iMac and MacBook Pro models this fall. We are also going to see the new Mac Pro, which was only briefly demoed by Apple in June. The Mac Pro is a big deal for Apple, so we’re thinking they will wait until October to announce a release date. Because of this, the other new Macs (and the public release of OS X Mavericks) won’t be unveiled until then as well. Wouldn’t it be nice if Apple announced “one more thing” and it took the form of an “iWatch?” That probably isn’t going to happen, despite the recent unveiling of the Samsung Galaxy Gear.

No chance

Next week isn’t about new iPads, as Apple will keep the focus this month on the iPhone. Instead, expect the iPad 5 and iPad mini 2 to launch in October. The latter will arrive with a Retina display for the first time.

Summary

Apple’s ability to keep secrets worsens with each passing year. We know what is coming, and have for months. The biggest unknowns involve price points, release dates, and of course, Apple's color choices. We’ll be providing full coverage from Cupertino beginning at 9 a.m. PDT on Tuesday, Sept. 10. The event kicks off at 10 a.m. Live streaming availability has yet to be announced.  

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