This week, Apple began sending out invitations to a special event in San Francisco on September 9, during which it is expected to unveil the new iPhone model.
From software updates to hardware tweaks, here's what is expected to be unveiled next month, according to various leaks and industry experts.
Better iPhone camera and 4K video
The new iPhone,
either called the 6S or the 7, will feature an upgraded, 12 megapixel camera with the ability to shoot in 4K ultra-high definition. The front-facing camera is also expected to get an upgrade to allow people to take panoramic selfies and film slow-motion 1080p video of themselves gurning at the camera. Apple blogger John Gruber described the upgrade as the “biggest camera jump ever” for iPhones, offering "DSLR quality" imaging.
Feel the force
Apple unveiled its Force Touch technology with the launch of the Apple Watch and new Macbook earlier this year. According to Apple, the technology "uses tiny electrodes around the flexible Retina display to distinguish between a light tap and a deep press, and trigger instant access to a range of contextually specific controls". The new iPhone is also expected to have a pressure sensitive screen, allowing users to easily access sharing menus and other options within an app.
iPad Pro(bably)
A 12.9 inch (32 cm), larger screen iPad Pro with a super high-resolution screen
may be announced alongside the iPhone 6S, according to industry site MacRumors. The bigger iPad would likely be aimed at the enterprise market that Microsoft has been targeting with its range of full-featured Surface tablets, which run Windows 10. Rumours that the device will ship with a stylus were strengthened when Apple filed related patents for just such a technology earlier this year.
Operating system upgrades
The one development we know for sure is coming, as hundreds of thousands of beta testers (including this reporter) are currently running pre-release versions of the
upcoming iOS 9 and OSX El Capitan. Neither operating system represents a major departure from the past, offering mainly performance upgrades and user-interface tweaks, including an upgrade Spotlight search function on Macs and better multi-tasking on iOS devices, with split-screen apps on iPad being a standout feature.
One more thing
The late Steve Jobs' catchphrase, Apple generally has a surprise announcement up its sleeves for major events. For September that could be an
upgraded Apple TV set-top box (a partnership with HBO struck earlier this year suggests Apple is taking TV far more seriously than before), though this has been a persistent rumour for a number of years,
or even the Apple Car. While the firm is unlikely to unveil its smart electric vehicle, it may give some hints as to the progress of what is currently only known as "Project Titan".
