Apple’s next launch event is on Monday, September 9th, and there’s a lot to look forward to. From the obvious launch of the iPhone 16 lineup to the latest updates on Apple Intelligence, we’re very excited to see what Apple has in store.
But while the above points are certain to be implemented, there is also a lot of uncertainty about what might and might not be included at the “Glowtime” event. (At least, that’s what Apple is calling the event in the invitations to the Sept. 9 event.) It’s also an exciting date for the tech giant. The last time Apple held a major launch event on a Monday was in 2010, when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 4. And it’s been 10 years to the day since Apple introduced the first Apple Watch.
It’s not entirely clear from the invite what Apple plans to focus on. The best guess is that the “Glowtime” image alludes to the new glowing visualization Apple will use for Siri when it rolls out Apple Intelligence integration. When the iPhone’s voice assistant is invoked, the bezel of the screen lights up in iridescent colors that respond to your voice. It’s an animation that will only be present on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence – such as the new iPhone 16 models.
So while it remains to be seen what exactly will be shown on stage at the Glowtime event, here are five of the biggest rumors you should know about.
1. The iPhone 16 Pro relies entirely on AI
This shouldn’t come as a surprise, but the iPhone 16 range will make use of Apple Intelligence in a big way, and the company has already hinted that these AI features will convince a lot of people to upgrade. Currently, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence when they actually launch. While the suite of AI-powered features won’t launch directly with the iPhone 16 series – it will arrive via a subsequent software update – all handsets in the range will be able to run it.
In terms of hardware, this will be due to the new A18 chip and improved Neural Engine on the new phones. However, Apple will still want to create a separation between the regular and Pro models, so the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could benefit from an A18 Pro chip and possibly some exclusive Apple Intelligence features.
So while every iPhone 16 user will eventually be able to leverage Apple intelligence to do things like create stunning images from text prompts or rewrite their messages and check grammar, there might be some special mentions of pro-level features that we haven’t seen yet.
2. A fundamental AirPods update
Those hoping to see the AirPods Pro 3 unveiled at the Glowtime event may be out of luck. All audio rumors point to a scalable update to the standard AirPods in the form of the AirPods 4.
According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple will likely stop producing the AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 this year so that the new model can serve as an entry-level option.
From a design perspective, it’s believed that the AirPods 4 will merge the AirPods 3 with the AirPods Pro to give us a better fit, but without the interchangeable tips. We’ll also likely see a new USB-C charging case and possibly two different variants: one with noise cancellation and a more affordable version without.
The biggest missed opportunity here? AirPods Max 2. The company’s over-ear headphones are still a first-generation product, complete with Lightning charging port. If there’s one device that’s crying out for an upgrade, it’s this one.
3. Apple Watch upgrades
On September 9, 2014, Apple introduced the first Apple Watch, and for the next decade, the wearable dominated the market. The Glowtime event seemed like the perfect opportunity for a big Apple Watch reveal, but rumors say it’s going to be pretty boring this year.
We expect the Apple Watch Series 10 to launch with a slightly larger form factor: the 41mm model will grow to 45mm, while the 45mm model will grow to 49mm. At the same time, the screen should get bigger, but the case should get thinner. There probably won’t be any major design deviations, so all of the best Apple Watch bands will still fit.
In the meantime, newer health features like sleep apnea detection could be available and we’ll also likely see the Apple Watch Ultra 3. There have been some rumors about this, but it’s expected to be the same as the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but with an improved chip.
The most interesting reveal may be the launch of the Apple Watch SE 3, which could bring a lot of great wearable features to a price range that most people can afford. The Apple Watch SE will receive a biennial update, with the first coming in 2020 and the second in 2022, so it’s about time to unveil the Apple Watch SE (2024).
4. iPad mini 7…finally?
The iPad mini 7 has been talked about for almost a year now, and there is a lot of speculation about whether or not Apple will unveil it at this event. Aside from the iPad mini 6 running low in stock, the little device was not included on the upgrade list at Apple’s Let Loose event earlier this year.
As far as we expect, an updated iPad Mini will remain largely the same in terms of design and screen – an 8.3-inch display with a resolution of 2266 x 1488 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. The real changes, however, are likely to be found on the inside.
My colleague Jason England goes into more detail here, but we should hopefully see an increase in RAM and storage, and hopefully the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro Max so the iPad mini 7 can take advantage of Apple intelligence.
5. What’s wrong with Vision Pro?
You’d be forgiven for wondering what’s going on with the Apple Vision Pro. We called the headset a “revolution in progress” in our Apple Vision Pro review, but things have been a little quieter recently. A non-US release was announced earlier this year, but there hasn’t been much headline-grabbing news since then.
There’s been a lot of talk about a cheaper Vision Pro headset being developed in Apple’s labs, but it’s highly unlikely we’ll hear anything about it on September 9. Rumors suggest that this cheaper headset won’t be ready until late 2025 at the earliest.
However, given the importance of this device to Apple’s long-term… er, vision, it seems appropriate to release some sort of update for the Glowtime event – if only to inform us of the expansion to even more countries.
In any case, you can find out the answer to these and more rumors when the Glowtime event officially begins at 1pm ET / 10am PT / 6pm BST.
