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We’ve mentioned already that we think AirPods Pro 2 are likely to appear tonight, but lots of people would also be interested in AirPods Max 2. Apple’s over-ear headphones are high-priced, but those who’ve tried them (including us) think they’re well worth the money – but they’re two years old now, and the world of headphones moves fast, and there are lots of AirPods Max 2 features we’d like to see Apple add.
Sorry to disappoint, but we think it’s very unlikely that they’ll appear tonight. The simple main reason is that there’s been a complete dearth of leaks. Apple isn’t the super-tight ship it used to be, and new products always find their way into the hands of online leakers. But there’s been nothing about AirPods Max 2. Nothing. The last really notable leak was in 2021, and the news was “There is no news”.
Apple has filed a patent since then that hint at touch controls to maybe replace the Digital Crown (opens in new tab), but patents often come to nothing.
There’s been a three-year gap between the October 2019 launch of AirPods Pro and the expected launch of AirPods Pro 2 today – so with the original AirPods Max having appeared in the 2020, maybe a 2023 launch is most likely for the next version. In which case, we’re in for a year of leaks between now and then, so there’s that to look forward to…
Gareth is getting some well-deserved shut-eye ahead of the main event later today, so in the meantime your Senior Phones Editor, Alex Walker-Todd (you can call me Toddy), is here to take the reins from the other side of the Atlantic to guide you through all of the hottest Apple-centric reveals in the closing moments before Tim Cook and pals step out on stage.
As this live blog is now an international effort, lets touch back on the iPhone 14’s potential satellite connectivity. While Bullitt may be in a strong position, it’s Huawei of all companies who has swooped in at the eleventh hour to showcase its new Mate 50 range (opens in new tab) with, you guessed it, satellite connectivity.
The Huawei Mate 50 and the Mate 50 Pro will apparently be able to send text messages without cellular signal by turning to China’s BeiDou satellite network instead.
Pretty cool stuff and a feather in Huawei’s cap in spite of the challenges the company has faced over the last few years in the mobile space.
Now I’m left wondering what the iPhone-equivalent version of this will be. iMessage over GPS? FaceTime over GLONASS? This development just raises more questions than it answers.
We’ve already mentioned some of the rumored new features of AirPods Pro 2 here, but the big question has been over how likely they are to appear at this event. It would be a big break with tradition for Apple to reveal an upgraded AirPods model at the September event, and we explain why here – but the gist is: every recent AirPods launch has happened in October or later, since they’re such a huge Christmas hit. So when the first stories of a September launch started swirling, we thought they were madness.
Well, it’s looking strongly like we were wrong. Aside from regular Apple leaks fountain Mark Gurman saying outright that they’ll come (opens in new tab), we’ve also now have information that makes us all-but-certain that something audio-related is coming at the September 7 event, and the AirPods Pro 2 seem most likely.
It’s possible that it could be the HomePod 2 that’s long been tipped, or even the next Apple TV 4K that’s also said to be in development – but there have been relatively few leaks about both of those, so we suspect they’re a little further off.
One of the big elements that we think Apple is going to make a big deal about today is the satellite connectivity of the iPhone 14 Pro range, using a new Qualcomm modem to function outside of network signal.
A UK firm, Bullitt, is claiming to have stolen a march on the tech – and will do it better, thanks to more ubiquitous coverage.
If you’re wondering what satellite connectivity will bring – well, think of it as 5G on steroids, available anywhere in the world. However, it can only carry small amounts of signal and it’s pretty expensive to do, so don’t think that this will replace cellular towers.
If you want to get a better flavor of what satellite connections would bring to a smartphone, then check out the BBC’s rundown.
I’m really hoping that the Apple Watch Pro is a device that gets people going in the fitness world to a level that Apple has never managed: there’s such scope there and we need to see more of it realized.
So one of our intrepid writers has been researching the key factors that are helping Garmin win at the moment in the premium smartphone market and come up with three good ideas on what we need to see from Apple today (opens in new tab) regarding its powerful new wearable.
I’m most in favor of the route planner – if Apple can build something like Strava and Garmin (and you have to have the Premium tier for the former), where you can build a route based on popular tracks, this could really be a statement of intent from the brand.
Interested in finding out about what the iPhone 14 colors are going to be? Well, we’ve been snooping around and decided that these are the most likely hues, with purple being the big star in 2022.
A little bit of digital imagery later, and we’ve got some galleries that can show you what the phones might be like in a range of color, which we’ve got safely stowed away in our iPhone 14 colors roundup.
But here’s a sneak peek on what the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro would look like in purple:
We haven’t really talked much about the AirPods Pro 2 yet, have we? Their presence is pretty likely at this event, with multiple sources confirming that they’re coming – even though it would be a pretty weird turn of events to see them landing outside of October.
There’s one rumor about the new AirPods Pro that’s got me though: while we expect them to have better noise cancelling, support for Lossless Audio yada yada yada, they could also become hearing aid alternatives for those with aural issues.
The image above, leaked by MacRumors back in 2021, shows two things: speakers in the bottom of the case and a small lanyard clip.
Now, the speakers could (and should) be for the Find My feature; where the case will emit a louder sound so you can find them. But the lanyard clip is weird… unless those holes are also microphones and the case can pick up sound to relay to the ears, allowing those hard of hearing to be able to interact better with their surroundings.
In which case, suddenly wearing them around the neck makes a lot of sense…
I’m not certain about this leak, as nothing has really come forward to corroborate it besides some more renders landing online, but this could have real power for Apple if it comes off.
Remember how Apple removed the charging brick from the box with a new iPhone a couple of years ago?
Well, it’s been fined in Brazil over $2m for not selling iPhones with a power brick, according to Reuters (opens in new tab).
The ruling states that Apple can no longer sell any phone that doesn’t ship with a charging brick, which started with the iPhone 12.
Now, Apple’s defence here has been that most people already have a charging brick at home, that there are millions out there and making more will damage the environment.
“At Apple, we consider our impact on people and the planet in everything we do. Power adapters accounted for our biggest use of zinc and plastic, and taking them out of the box helped reduce more than 2 million metric tons of carbon emissions – the equivalent of taking 500,000 cars off the road a year,” Apple reportedly told TechTudo (translated).
“There are billions of USB-A power adapters already in use around the world that our customers can use to charge and connect their devices. We have already won several court rulings in Brazil on this matter and we are confident that our customers are aware of the various options for charging and connecting their devices. We will continue to work with Senacon to resolve their concerns and we plan to appeal this decision.”
Do you agree with Apple’s move to take chargers out of the box? Should it be the decision of the consumer to have one in at no extra charge, seeing as the phones still cost the same without them?
Importantly: will it put you off buying a new iPhone? Remember to Tweet me @superbeav with any correspondence.
While we’re on something of a roll, let’s talk about a leak that’s appeared in the last few hours – but you’ll need a bit of background first:
One of the main differences when it comes to the iPhone 14 vs iPhone 14 Pro is expected to be the engine inside. Strong rumor has it that Apple, for the first time, won’t put the new chip it’s developed into all the new phones.
That’s right, according to leaks, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus won’t be getting the new A16 chipset, but will instead get last year’s A15.
Will that matter in real terms? Probably not, but people like to feel they’re getting the latest, newest thing, when it comes to buying the latest iPhone.
Well, the rumor from the Wall Street Journal (opens in new tab) suggests that the iPhone 14 will get an ‘enhanced’ A15 chip… which I believe will allow Apple to call it the A16, and the more powerful A16 chipset in the iPhone 14 Pro will get something with a different name… maybe the A16 Pro, Ultra or X.
Either way, it looks nailed-on that Apple will launch the iPhone 14 with a lower-power engine, but one that’s got enhanced graphical powers over last year’s model.
Shall we move onto the Apple Watch Pro, the device I’m personally most interested to see? Set to come in either 47mm or 49mm sizes (which would make it rather large on the wrist, but would allow for a 1.99-inch screen) you can see in the renders from 91 Mobiles (opens in new tab) (and there are more through the link that it’s got an extra bump on the side too.
And, for the eagle-eyed of you who clicked through, there’s another button on the other side too. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, as these are renders based on ‘industry sources’ so it could be nothing more than whispers.
But the larger device with the easier-to-press buttons does dovetail with the running watches that I’m constantly testing – you can’t gave flush keys when you’re trying to stop the clock the second you think you might have got a 5K PB.
Let’s start with one of my favorite leaks: the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, and the fact they won’t be coming with the notch, but instead two cut outs, one in the shape of a small pill and the other in the shape of a punch hole for the front camera.
I was a bit dismayed at the asymmetry of this when I first saw renders, but recent ‘insider developer information’ from the MacRumors forums has pointed us to this above image from Anonymous A.S., who claims that software will join the two holes together, with the space in between apparently used as notifications lights to let you know when the mic is in use, for instance.
The same leaker also suggested that this smaller cutout would see a return of the ‘original’ battery percentage… we can but dream, eh? Rather than just guessing how much is left, based on a small picture.
It’s worth pointing out these are very much renders based on a description, but they’re some of the better ones we’ve seen.
Well, we might be starting early with this live blog, but there’s a sense that this is going to be one of the bigger Apple launches, both in terms of fanfare and the amount of things we’re going to be seeing.
I’m going to be with you the whole way – we’ve been live-blogging the top rumors that have emerged this week, so if you bookmark this page you’ll get all manner of insight, analysis and the latest leaks as the event draws near.
We’ll start off with some topline information on each of the new products that we’re expecting, build up with all the latest leaks as they occur (and, we know, they will… although we doubt Apple will accidentally Tweet out the phone, as it did with the iPhone 7) and obviously… let you know when Tim Cook wakes up.