All new products at a glance: what we expect from the Apple keynote today
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On Tuesday, October 13th, 2020, the time has finally come: Apple will most likely present the iPhone 12. Besides the smartphone, however, other new products could await us.
At 6 PM London time next Tuesday, October 13th, Apple invites us to another online event. As usual, there will be no official announcements before the presentation about which products will be shown. While some things are considered very safe, such as the new smartphones, there are only rumors what other accessories could be shown.
iPhone 12: four new smartphones in three sizes
The main attraction this time is without doubt the iPhone 12. Some observers believed last month that there would be no September event without the iPhone - despite all the reports that the smartphones would start late - but now in October, the time has finally come.
A total of four new iPhone models are expected. The first one will be the "iPhone 12 mini", which will have a 5.4-inch display. The regular "iPhone 12" and "iPhone 12 Pro" will each have a display with a diagonal size of 6.1 inches. At the top end, a 6.7-inch model, the "iPhone 12 Pro Max", is expected.
All models are said to have in common that they have an OLED display, 5G, and Apple's new A14 chip. One of the most important differences between the normal and Pro models will probably be the camera on the back.
Here it is! Official iPhone 12 Pro chassis leak. Confirms mostly same camera with new LiDAR placement, flat sides, magnet cutouts & smart connector-like 5G antenna? This seems to confirm the 6.1 Pro model will get LiDAR too. October can't come soon enough. pic.twitter.com/YifSX7SWxh
— EverythingApplePro (@EveryApplePro) September 11, 2020
While iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 12 are expected to have only two cameras, iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are expected to have three different cameras. In addition, a LiDAR scanner - as in the current iPad Pro US - is to be integrated into the camera hump. In the past, however, the rumor mill did not completely agree on whether or not only the iPhone 12 Pro Max will receive this sensor.
While many users, especially after the presentation of the iPad Air 4, would be happy about a Touch ID sensor due to the Coronavirus, it is unlikely that Apple will fulfill this wish. The development of the iPhone 12 began long before the current pandemic and the masks associated with it. The iPad Air 4 uses the fingerprint sensor instead of Face ID to reduce costs.
The exact timing of the launch is also uncertain. Some observers again expect a staggered availability. For example, some models may not go on sale until November, while others are expected to be available in October. According to current rumors, the first shipments of the iPhone 12 mini 5.4 and iPhone 12 6.1 are supposed to be on the road since October 5th.
iPhone 12 prices are expected to start at $649 or $699. For comparison: The current iPhone 11 costs at least $699 in the USA.
In addition to the pure hardware, Apple may also demonstrate a number of new software features that may be exclusive to the iPhone 12. For example, new features in connection with the mentioned LiDAR scanner would be conceivable.
AirPods Studio: over-ear headphones from Apple
One product whose existence has been repeatedly reported for many months is new headphones. Apart from the well-known beats, Apple does not want to offer only in-ear models of AirPods in the future. Instead, Apple itself will offer an over-ear model of the AirPods Studio headphones.
More images pic.twitter.com/kRI0M5eSF4
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 16, 2020
One of the special features should be automatic recognition of the left and right ear. This means that it should no longer matter which earpad is placed on which ear - the headphones will detect the ears automatically.
Some rumors spoke of two different models. In addition to a sporty model, which has breathable materials, Apple should also work on a "premium version" with leather-like materials.
However, Jon Prosser reported just a few hours ago that the new headphones would not be announced at the event after all.
AirPods Studio
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) October 9, 2020
The renders that I shared last month seem to be the luxury variant — made of leather/metal.
I’m being told they’ll retail for.... $599
There will be another sport-like variant made of cheaper materials for $350.
They WILL NOT be at the October 13 event. https://t.co/awunRlGrD4 pic.twitter.com/le2cfmlC9P
AirTags: Tile competition from Apple
With the AirTags Apple could stir up the market of keychain finders. The small tags could compete with the well-known plastic chips from Tile. There have been rumors about how the AirTags should look and work for quite some time.
More images pic.twitter.com/Y5Rn1YEgyp
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) September 14, 2020
Thanks to the integration of Apple's AR features in combination with the UWB chips currently included in iPhone 11 and Apple Watch Series 6, the search for the lost keychain could be much easier.
Unfortunately, there is also bad news about the AirTags. The small tags are also not to be presented on October 13th, but, according to Prosser, not until March 2021.
So, about AirTags.
— Jon Prosser (@jon_prosser) October 9, 2020
This one hurts my heart...
I’m being told that Apple has pushed back the announcement and launch of AirTags to March of 2021. https://t.co/xtUvCAFmoE pic.twitter.com/DIUlcp01Xy
HomePod mini: shrunken Siri speaker
Another new product in the audio field could be a new HomePod. Current rumors, however, do not speak of a direct successor of the already known model, but of a shrunken version.
there is no HomePod2 this year
— 有没有搞措 (@L0vetodream) October 7, 2020
only have mini one
So instead of a HomePod 2, a HomePod mini is expected. However, little is known about the exact features and any differences - with the exception of its smaller size - so far. To save costs, Apple could reduce the number of integrated speakers. The price of the HomePod mini is said to be $99.
New Macs: Apple Silicon and macOS Big Sur
Unlikely, but not entirely impossible, is last but not least the introduction of the first Macs with Apple Silicon. For example, new models of the MacBook family equipped with Apple's own processors would be conceivable. However, many observers expect Apple to save this announcement including the presentation of macOS Big Sur for another event in November or December.
It is of course also possible that Apple will use the entire event exclusively to demonstrate the features of the new iPhones. In the end, these keynotes are "only" video presentations. The usual hurdles and requirements that a real live event entails do not exist in Corona times. Accordingly, there is no requirement that the event must have a certain length. Other accessory products could therefore be announced afterward, for example in the form of just a press release.
