The next iPhone is finally here. The Wall Street Journal has reported that a September 12 iPhone 8 event will take place, as the Californian corporation finally takes the wrapper off the device designed to mark the tenth anniversary of this hugely influential piece of technology.
Huge iPhone release
It is generally believed that Apple will do something outstanding with the iPhone 8 in order to acknowledge this landmark in the history of its most important product. Although the iPod set Apple on the way to financial recovery, it is the iPhone that has come to define the company over the last 10 years.
With this in mind, the September 12 iPhone 8 event will likely be an extravaganza, with the company expected to announce possibly the most important iPhone release in Apple’s history. Additionally, a raft of other products are expected to be on show, and the confab will undoubtedly be one of the technology highlights of the year.
Early start
Apple has yet to confirm this event, but the likelihood is that it will be held in San Francisco and kickoff at 10am local time. This was the case with the iPhone 7 unveiling last year. While the OLED iPhone 8 will definitely be the highlight of this conference, those present may also witness some other products airing for the first time.
Firstly, Apple will announce upgraded iPhone 7S devices at the September 12 iPhone 8 event. These will feature minimal design changes in comparison to the iPhone 7, but benefit from upgraded specs. This would represent the first time that Apple has released three smartphone products simultaneously, and will clearly be a key pillar in its sales strategy for the coming months.
New Apple Watch
It is also believed that Apple will reveal an Apple Watch with an LTE chip, which will enable the smartwatch to run completely independently from a smartphone. This will be a major achievement for the Apple Watch range, as previous versions have been criticized for being too reliant on the iPhone. Despite this perspective, Apple dominates the smartwatch market place, with the Apple Watch responsible for around 95 percent of sales overall.
As has also been reported previously, Apple will unveil a 4K Apple TV set-top box at the September 12 iPhone 8 event. This technology will move the Apple service into the next generation, with 4K video content becoming far more mainstream now. Apple has also announced a raft of new content for the Apple TV box, as the Californian corporation aims to catch up with the market leaders in this niche.
TV whispers
A few sources have also suggested that Apple will launch an actual physical television set at the San Francisco conference, and that this will measure 6-inches. However, although Apple has been linked with the production of a TV in the past, this seems highly unlikely.
There is no doubt that Apple has tinkered with this prospect behind the scenes, with CEO Tim Cook even speaking publicly on the matter. But the plans were seemingly shelved a couple of years ago, with the subject never having really entered the public domain since then. It seems implausible that Apple would suddenly resurrect this prospect, particularly at a major event intended to focus on the next generation iPhone 8.
One product that will be updated at the September 12 iPhone 8 event, though, is the HomePod, Apple’s forthcoming home speaker system. While the actual product is unlikely to be unveiled in September, it is expected that the presentation at the conference will include an introductory section to this artificially intelligent device.
There is no doubt that the iPhone 8 will be the most important release in the iPhone family for many years for several reasons. Firstly, Apple is still hugely reliant on the iPhone series in revenue terms, yet the bottom is beginning to fall out of the smartphone market. Technological advances are delivering ever diminishing returns, and there hasn’t been a major innovation in mobile technology for several years.
Declining sales
This has been reflected in the diminishing sales of the iPhone over the last twelve months, although it should be emphasized that this has been a very minor decline. But Apple needs to demonstrate that there is still considerable life in the iPhone project, even as it attempts to diversify its business by producing new revenue streams.
Apple also needs to deliver a device that gets people talking, and makes the company appear an innovator at the cutting-edge of technology once more. While the popularity of Apple devices is not in doubt, there has been a feeling in recent releases that they have been rather conservative. With the iPhone 8 expected to feature a wraparound display, an effective rebooting of the iPhone concept, it seems that the developer recognizes this reality.
New features
Aside from the new display, when the September 12 iPhone 8 event rolls around it is anticipated that there will be some intriguing functionality included in the next gen smartphone. Central to this will be augmented reality technology, intended to deliver both gaming and security features. Apple’s hierarchy has been extremely positive about the potential of AR, and it seems that Apple is fully committed to supporting and delivering it.
Furthermore, Apple has been beavering away behind the scenes on a new dual-camera, which will deliver an entirely new system for improved low-light shooting. This will be accompanied by a raft of spec increases, while the fingerprint scanner of the previous iterations is expected to be integrated within the display of the device.
Apple may also embrace the curved screen revolution that has been so successful for Samsung, while the iPhone 8 has also been linked with a new all-glass design. The price tag of the handset could be rather hefty, though, with recent reports suggesting that the basic model will be available at $999. The most expensive iPhone 8 could touch $1,200.
Nonetheless, this won’t dissuade keen Apple fans and consumers all over the world from tuning in to the September 12 iPhone 8 event.
