Ondrej Holzman The last time Apple entered a new product category was in 2010. Now, after four and a half years, it is preparing another step into the unknown. Before the evening's keynote, which the California company invites big countdown timer on your website and at the same time a giant building built in the Flint Center, no one knows what Tim Cook and his colleagues are up to. Nevertheless, we can predict what will probably see the light of day between 19 p.m. and 21 p.m. today.
Tim Cook has been promising big things for his company for a very long time. Eddy Cue even declared some time ago that Apple has something in store the best products he has seen in 25 years in Cupertino. These are all big promises that also raise high expectations. And it is these expectations that Apple is about to turn into reality tonight. Apparently, we can look forward to a really big presentation event, where there will be no shortage of new products.
Two new and larger iPhones
For several years now, Apple has introduced its new phones in September, and it should not be any different now. The number one topic should have been iPhones from the beginning, and we probably know the most about them so far, at least about one of them. Apparently, Apple is to introduce two new iPhones with different diagonals: 4,7 inches and 5,5 inches. At least the mentioned smaller version has already leaked to the public in various forms, and it seems that Apple, after the square design of the five-inch version, will now bet on rounded edges and bring the entire iPhone closer to the current iPod touch.
Further enlarging the iPhone's display will be a big step for Apple. Steve Jobs once said that no one could buy such huge phones, and even after his departure, Apple resisted the trend of constantly increasing screens for a long time. Both the iPhone 5 and 5S still kept a relatively conservative four-inch size, which could still be operated with one hand.
But now, of course, the time has definitely come when even Apple has to retreat from its previous principles - people want bigger phones, they want more content on their displays, and Apple has to adapt. The competition has long offered variants from four and a half to almost seven inches, and many iPhone users have so far rejected it precisely because of the too small display. Of course, there is also another type of people who, on the other hand, welcomed the iPhone precisely because of the small display, but for them Apple will probably leave the smaller iPhone 5S or 5C in the menu.
As already mentioned, in appearance the new iPhone 6 (there has been practically no information about the name for the second, apparently larger variant) is supposed to resemble the iPod touch, i.e. even thinner than the current iPhone 5S (allegedly by six millimeters) and with rounded edges. One of the most significant changes to the body of the new iPhone is to move the Power button from the top of the device to the right side, due to the larger display, due to which the user would no longer be able to reach the top with one hand.
Although Apple allegedly succeeded in making the iPhone a bit thinner again, thanks to the larger display and overall larger dimensions, a larger battery should come. For the 4,7-inch model, the capacity is 1810 mAh, and for the 5,5-inch version, the capacity is up to 2915 mAh, which could mean a significant increase in endurance, although of course the larger display will also take a larger part of the energy. The current iPhone 5S has a battery with a capacity of 1560 mAh.
A new maximum storage capacity could also arrive with the new iPhones. Following the example of iPads, Apple phones are also supposed to get a maximum storage of 128 GB. The question remains whether Apple will keep 16GB of storage as the lowest variant, or upgrade the basic model to 32GB, which would be very pleasant for users due to the ever-increasing demand for applications and other data.
The presence of an improved camera is also expected, after years of speculation the appearance of an NFC chip, a faster and more powerful A8 processor, and there is also talk of a barometer that could measure elevation and ambient temperature. The latest speculation even talks about waterproof shais.
There are great debates about sapphire glass. According to some sources, at least one of the new iPhones is to be equipped with sapphire glass, but it is not certain whether in the form of covering the entire display or again only with Touch ID as with the iPhone 5S. However, Apple has a huge factory in Arizona for the production of this material, and if it is ready for mass production, there is no reason why it should not use sapphire glass.
The price is also up for debate. It is not certain whether larger displays will bring higher prices at the same time, but it will probably also depend on which four-inch models Apple will keep in the offer and what price tag they will put on them.
Mobile payments
The aforementioned NFC, which, after years when Apple completely neglected this technology in contrast to its competitors, should appear in the latest iPhones and possibly even wearable devices, should have a clear task: to mediate mobile payments using iPhones. NFC technology, used for short-range wireless communication, can serve various purposes, but thanks to it, Apple wants to dominate the payment sphere above all.
The mobile payment system from the workshop of the Californian company has been talked about for a long time, now Apple should have everything ready for a sharp start. According to the information so far, already agreed with the biggest players in the field of payment cards and, after many failed attempts by other companies, is about to present a solution that will find its way into a more than negligible number of stores.
On its side, Apple has several advantages. On the one hand, unlike competitors such as Google, which failed to succeed with its Wallet e-wallet, it can guarantee that all its products will fully support the new system, because it has control over them, and at the same time it has a database of more than 800 million users in iTunes. , who have their accounts linked to credit cards. Thanks to the aforementioned agreements with Visa, MasterCard and American Express, it is then possible that users could use these data to pay in stores.
Dominating the mobile payments space will not be easy. Most users still haven't gotten used to being able to pay with their phone instead of credit cards, even though, for example, devices with Android and NFC have been offering this option for some time. But since two years ago Phil Schiller, Apple's marketing chief, rejected NFC, saying that such technology was not needed in the iPhone, we can expect that Apple has a really ambitious service ready. Otherwise, the change of opinion would not make sense.
Wearable product
Most of the major players in the technological world release one smart watch or at least one wristband after another. Now Apple is also to enter this "battlefield". However, this is practically the only thing that is known so far, and not yet with certainty. Most likely, for now, it will only be a preview of the apple wearable product, with the fact that it will go on sale in a few months. This is also one of the main reasons why Apple manages to hide not only its appearance, but practically the complete specification. The iWatch, as the new product is most often called, is apparently only hiding in a few studios and offices at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, so no one can take them out of the production lines.
Therefore, Apple's wearable device is primarily a subject of speculation. Will it really be a watch or a smart bracelet? Will it have a sapphire glass display or will it have a flexible OLED display? Some reports say that Apple will release the wearable device in multiple sizes. But nothing is known for sure about the shape. On the hardware side, the iWatch could have wireless charging and, like the new iPhones, the possibility of mobile payments thanks to NFC. In terms of functions, the connection with the HealthKit service and the Health application for measuring all possible biometric information should be key.
However, the current situation is strikingly reminiscent of the one before the introduction of the iPhone. The entire technological world thought and suggested what kind of phone Apple engineers and designers would come up with, and the reality ended up being completely different. Even now, Apple has the ground perfectly prepared to come up with something that no one expected. With something that the competition has not yet come up with, but it is precisely according to it that the possible forms of the iWatch are derived. Apple once again has the opportunity to create a new standard in a new product department.
iOS 8
We already know practically everything about iOS 8. It will be one of the essential components of the new iPhones as well as the new wearable device, although it is not yet clear in what form it will appear on the Apple wearable product. Apparently, however, the iWatch is supposed to support third-party applications, so we can expect the implementation of the App Store, in whatever form.
Already today or at the latest with the release of the new iPhones, which should arrive on September 19, we should expect the final version of the new mobile operating system. Apple has not released new beta versions in recent weeks, so everything should be ready for a sharp start. It can be expected that developers will get access to the final version of iOS 8 this week, and the general public next week along with the new phones.
U2
A very interesting news has been circulating in the media for several days. The Irish rock band U2, whose frontman Bono has a very close relationship with Apple, will play an important role in today's keynote, and the two sides have worked together more than once.
Although the U2 spokesperson denied the first reports about the band's direct participation in the keynote, information appeared again a few hours before the event that the live performance would indeed take place. The popular band should present their new album on stage, for which the closely watched Apple event should serve as a great promo.
U2's participation in the keynote is certainly not 2004%, but it would not be the first such connection. In 2, Steve Jobs presented a special version of iPods on stage, the so-called UXNUMX edition, Apple is also a long-term partner of the charity organization (Product) RED led by frontman Bono.
Apple can often surprise, so it is possible that it has some other news up its sleeve. Although, for example, we would have to wait for new iPads until, for example, October or November, it is not excluded that slight revisions of the current versions will be revealed by Apple already now. However, the same can happen with other hardware products.
OS X Yosemite
Unlike iOS 8, we probably won't see the final version of OS X Yosemite yet. Although the two operating systems are closely related in their latest versions, it appears that Apple will not release them at the same time. The desktop system, unlike the mobile one, is still undergoing an intensive beta phase, so we can only expect its arrival in the coming months. Along with that, Apple could also introduce new lines of Mac computers.
New Macs
The potential introduction of new Macs is closely related to the aforementioned OS X Yosemite situation. Apple apparently has plans to show off more new computers this year, but it shouldn't be today. Especially the Mac mini and iMac desktop models are already looking forward to the update.
New iPods
A big question mark hangs over iPods. Some talk that after two years, Apple is looking to revive its still declining music player segment, which seems to be running out of steam. However, the option that the logical successor of iPods would become a new wearable device, which could be profiled in Apple's portfolio just like iPods up to now, also sounds logical. One thing is for sure – iPods are only minimally discussed in connection with today's keynote, and Apple apparently does not even plan to devote much time to them.
New iPads
In recent years, we have always received new iPads shortly after new iPhones. These devices have never met at a joint keynote, and it can be expected that this will continue to be the case. Although there is talk of the possibility of introducing a new iPad Air, Apple will probably keep it until next month.
The new Apple TV
Apple TV is a chapter unto itself. Apple has reportedly been developing a "next-generation TV" for several years, which could change the current TV segment, but so far such a product is only a matter of speculation. The current Apple TV is already quite outdated, but if Apple really has a major new version ready, the "hobby product" will probably go unnoticed today. At the same time, it is hard to imagine that Apple would present more than two new essential products in one.
Beats headphones
Although Beats has only been under Apple for a few weeks, it is possible that at least a brief mention of headphones or other products of this company, which Apple left to operate independently after a major acquisition, will be made. There was often talk of the performance of one of the co-founders of Beats, Jimmy Iovine or Dr. Dre.
I miss the mention of iHome and healthkit, some smart home and security HW could be introduced, we still don't know what the white box in the hall is.
The beauty about the iWatch is that no one knows what the product will bring and what it will look like.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the iPhone 6...
Well friends, I don't know what others think about it, but I find the design of the new iPhone to be quite bad. 5s was better. Somehow, in the back of my mind, I'm still hoping that the "leaked parts" just won't be real and the new iPhone 6 will look significantly different. Because like seriously? Those white lines? Pop up camera? Who's supposed to like it? I simply do not believe that Ive would have designed this, at least for me, really disgusting piece of HW.
On the other hand, I'm looking forward to the iWatch. As Denis already wrote, we don't really know anything about them and it smells like the real Apple. :-)
So I basically hope that it will be as it is. I agree with the lines and the camera, but I'm looking forward to it being rounded and not having sharp edges, so it will hold better. That's also why I didn't switch from 5 to 5s, but to 5c. I hope they solve the "one hand interface" too, that would be nice
I also welcome rounded edges, that's true. After all, almost any wrapper could solve my problem, but I'd really hate to. I'm going to surprise myself tonight. :-)
I see it similarly... If it's really that ugly, then only the case will solve it... I honestly only liked the design of the iPhone 5/5S, no other, so it was just an exception :-(
Njn, but buy a mobile phone for 20 liters and hide it in a case? :)) to be honest, if I don't like the 6's appearance or hardware, I plan to buy a discounted 5S
I agree, 4/4s probably won't have anything in terms of appearance. For 5/5s, they just stretched it out and I didn't like that, because the ratio of width and length is not "it". And when I saw 6? The only thing that caught my attention is the display size. So maybe it will be a surprise.
Error in the text – the iPhone 6 cannot be thinner than the 5S by six millimeters, not even allegedly. There would be almost nothing left of him.
Perhaps Apple deliberately let the leaked photos leak so that there could be discussions about it and to heighten expectations and surprises from the real design of the iPhone 6, otherwise it's disgusting what they would send for sale...
I'm afraid that Apple didn't plan this, because as soon as these components were leaked on the net, Apple hired other people to prevent the leak in China
http://jablickar.cz/jablecny-tyden-22-2014/
Apple TV - will they add control via iWatch?
Cinsky simultaneous dubbing was not expected by anyone today :)