Apple has set the date for the debut of its latest iPhone. The new device, which is expected to be called the iPhone 14 and feature an always-on display, will be unveiled on September 7 at 10am PT. Rumors suggest that the new iPhone lineup will ditch the Mini in favor of a new Max model, joining the rumored iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, and potentially increase the price by around $100 over last year’s. Apple may also have plans to ditch the notch on the iPhone 14 in favor of a hole-punch front-facing camera, at least for the Pro models.
In addition to the iPhone 14, Apple may also use the event to unveil the Apple Watch Series 8, which will reportedly look similar to last year’s model, but will have more health features, such as a temperature sensor, as well as improved durability.
The tech giant invited press to its Apple Park headquarters in California for the event, though it will also offer live streaming on Apple.com and other streaming services. As is typical, Apple didn’t say much in its invitation for the upcoming iPhone event. The invite shows an Apple logo seemingly set against a night sky, suggesting potential camera improvements or last year’s rumored satellite emergency call. The image looks like something we might see from the James Webb Space Telescope, whose stunning pictures have already begun to change the way we see the cosmos since they were first released earlier this summer. Apple teased the words “Far out” in its announcement.
Read more: How to Watch iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8 Launch
New features for both the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch 8 could help Apple stand out from Samsung and other device makers amid what is expected to be stiff competition this year. People are cutting back on technology purchases, leading to surprisingly low sales reports from chipmaker Intel, as well as sudden gaps in the ad business for Google parent Alphabet and Facebook parent Meta. And they are not alone.
Our collective confidence in the economy has hit rock bottom thanks to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, mixed with continued inflation and a looming recession. A study from the University of Michigan found that consumer sentiment is at its lowest point in at least 70 years.
That means Apple will have to fight even harder to win over new iPhone owners. Samsung, for its part, made Apple’s job a little easier by announcing its Galaxy Z Fold 4 and Galaxy Z Flip 4 flagships at their standard prices of $1,800 and $1,000, respectively, earlier this month. It also raised the prices of its Galaxy Watch 5 and Galaxy Buds 2 Pro by $30 each.
Apple is not worried for now. For the past few years, Apple has seen its biggest revenues and profits every holiday shopping season, thanks in large part to the popularity of the 2021 iPhone 13 and 2020 iPhone 12. Previously, Apple CEO Tim Cook cited the improved cameras, long battery life, and well-regarded software as reasons why people continue to choose the iPhone. But he also said that 5G, the super-fast wireless technology that Apple began using two years ago, is likely to prompt even more people to upgrade.
“5G is an accelerator,” he said when speaking to investors on a conference call last month. He added that although the technology is spreading in some places, such as China, the EU and the US, other parts of the world have not started to use it as much. And as 5G expands, he said, “I think there’s reason to be optimistic.”
While the iPhone will be the key product we see at Apple’s event this year, and probably what most people are focusing their attention on, the company is expected to have other devices to show off. These include new Macs with improved chips and new iPads.
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