Apple September 9th Predictions
In case you are not aware, Apple is having an event on September 9th, 2014 beginning at 10AM Pacific Time/1PM Eastern/1700 UTC/1800 London Time. Typically, we would not know until the day of the event whether Apple would be live streaming the event or not. This time around, Apple has set up a page with a countdown. It can be viewed here. This link is also the link to the live stream. With the event a mere 4 days away now, there have been a plethora of rumors for what Apple will announce. Here are my thoughts about all of it.
- iOS 8 We will definitely see iOS 8, and likely know the release date. My prediction is that iOS 8 will be available to all iPhone owners as of September 17th. If Apple's patterns hold true, this will be the case. There has not been a developer update since early August. Apple has traditionally stopped providing updates for developers approximately one month prior to launch of an operating system.
- 4.7" iPhone 6 Yes, we will definitely see at least one new phone. Reportedly it will be a 4.7" model. There have been enough part leaks, as well as a video of a fully assembled phone (from parts) that has booted and connects to iTunes. This is too much evidence to not have this be real.
- 5.5" iPhone 6 While this is possible, it would not be surprising to see Apple release a 5.5" iPhone 6 as well. There has not been enough evidence to support this. But it is possible. The evidence in iOS 8 with Adaptive layouts points to this being likely.
- Updated iPad Air This is the latest rumors to be unveiled. It is possible that Apple will release an updated iPad Air. It will most likely have a Touch ID sensor built-in, as well as 802.11AC. Both of these seem quite plausible.
- Update iPod Touch It is not clear whether Apple will release an updated iPod Touch. The consensus is the iPod Touch will not get an update. This strikes me as a bit odd given that the iPod Touch last received an update in September of 2012. I predict that we will see an updated iPod Touch. It may not be running an A8 processor, but likely an A7, with Touch ID. The updated iPod Touch may carry a slightly higher price tag than the current A5-based iPod Touch, but I think we will see an updated iPod Touch.
- Wearable There have been plenty of people that are speculating as to what Apple will be doing in the realm of wearables. Nobody has seen any type of wearable prototype. This is to be expected. In the US there is a requirement of having both Federal Communication Commission (FCC) as well as U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for any type of wearable that transmits health information. If Apple is going to release a wearable, they would want to announce it before it can be leaked by either of these agencies. This would be a similar tactic that they used with the original iPhone. If Apple does unveil a wearable product, it will likely not be available until Spring 2015. Apple also did this in September 2006 when they unveiled their first Apple TV.
- Apple TV The Apple TV was last updated in March of 2012. While it is possible that the Apple TV will not see an update, it seems unlikely. Many have postulated that the Apple TV will become a gaming box. While this is definitely a possibility, the lack of storage seems to negate this possibility without an updated Apple TV. The only features currently missing from the Apple TV would be 4K output, at 60 Frames per second.
- HomeKit Accessories At their World Wide Developer Conference 2014 (WWDC) keynote, Apple announced a couple of new frameworks. One of them being HealthKit, and the other being HomeKit. HomeKit is for the "Internet of Things" that allows users to control the devices that are Internet-enabled with their iOS devices. HomeKit offers the ability to string actions together to have any HomeKit enabled accessories perform actions. Apple could release some new accessories, or a completely new line of products, that is able to work with HomeKit. Some examples could be light bulbs, microwaves, or even an actual television; which has also been rumored for a long time.
- OS X 10.10 Yosemite I do not think that we will see OS X Yosemite released at the September 9th event. While it may be mentioned in the context of items like Handoff, SMS and Phone Relay, and other Continuity features. However, if Apple follows the same patterns, OS X 10.10 Yosemite will be released in October. Any updates to existing Macs, like the Mac Mini or even the Retina iMacs, would most likely come at the same time.
Apple is holding their event at the Flint Center for performing arts in Cupertino. This has some significance for Apple. The original Mac, released in 1984, was unveiled last the Flint Center, as was the original iMac. It would make sense that Apple would release another "original" product at the same location. The Flint Center holds three times as many people as their typical venue, the Yerba Buena Center.
The last significant item regarding the location is that Apple is building a three-story large structure around the Flint Center's statue. It is not known what the purpose of this building is, but we will find out on Tuesday. Below is a picture of the structure. Regardless of what Apple does have in store for us, be sure that it will not be a small affair and that it will be one to be sure to live stream.
Picture via MacRumors