September and the release of new Apple products are drawing nearer.
As you’re reading this, I’m probably sitting on the beach drinking a mojito, enjoying one of the final weeks of summer. We’ll all be entering the most thrilling four months of the Apple calendar when I get back. Though mostly quiet, the past week still offered news and compelling predictions about our favorite technology company and what’s to come. Here is a summary of everything that happened in Apple land this week.
What is significant about September 6?
We still have about a month until the first of what will presumably be two Apple fall events, as we recently reported on our iPhone 14 prediction page. The iPhone 14 series and Apple Watch Series 8 should be unveiled at that event, which could take place on Tuesday, Sept. 13. New iPads and Macs should be announced sometime in October.
As it did with the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June, Apple may invite some press representatives to both events, but the majority of the activity will be recorded and streamed globally on Apple TV, Twitter, and the Apple website. Because of this arrangement, Apple can take its sweet time and wait a few more days before even announcing the September event.
If the iPhone event is on September 13, then we can anticipate hearing about it on Tuesday, September 6. The new Apple Watch series and iPhone 14 should be available for pre-order starting on Friday, September 16, with a debut date of September 23.
This past week, we learned some information about the iPhone 14 series that wasn’t unexpected. Apple is anticipated to raise the price of the iPhone 14 Pro series phones by about 15%, said Apple insider Ming-Chi Kuo.
Currently, the standard iPhone 13 Pro costs $999 in the US, while the cheapest iPhone 13 Pro Max costs $1,099. These figures might increase to about $1,150 and $1,265 each. These figures appear exorbitant even given that many parts of the world are experiencing near-record levels of inflation right now. However, since the launch of the iPhone 11 Pro series in 2019, Apple has never raised the price of the iPhone Pro lineup, so I suppose it’s reasonable.
Positively, there won’t likely be a price increase for the premium iPhone 14. This device should cost $799, just like the iPhone 13 (currently the best iPhone available). Although the iPhone small is probably going to be replaced in the lineup by a brand-new iPhone 14 Max, Apple will still see increased revenue on the standard iPhone 14 series. According to the most recent iPhone 14 rumors, the larger Max model will be on sale for $899, while the iPhone 13 small starts at $699.
iOS 16: Things are becoming odd
We’re virtually done with the iOS 16 beta cycle, and new iPhones should be available in the coming weeks. Apple has typically stopped making significant changes to the software updates by this point in the process. Nevertheless, we were startled by iOS 16 Developer Beta 5 and iOS 16 Public Beta 3. With the release of the iPhone X, Apple removed the battery indication number from the iPhone Home screen. This beta version restores it. Sadly, the initial assessments have been conflicting.
It could be challenging to locate any ardent iPhone users who are dissatisfied with Apple’s decision to change direction and add a battery % figure to the iPhone Home screen. Unfortunately, the new appearance isn’t always a good one. The new design is a little odd because it places a battery number—not the sign—on top of the icon due to spacing concerns.
Here is an example of how the Control Center’s battery indication and the one on the iPhone’s home screen differ:
The new battery icon, according to some iOS 16 beta testers, appears strange on certain backgrounds or in Dark mode. Although I haven’t conducted much testing to back this up, I haven’t encountered such problems.
One more issue regarding the new iOS 16 battery indication has been raised: It is not compatible with various iPhone models, including the iPhone 11 Max, iPhone 12 Max, and iPhone 13 mini, according to some early users.
Although it’s possible (even likely) that Apple will modify the new design before the official release of iOS 16, pay attention.
Leaving through the door…
I’m done, at least for the next few days. As Apple prepares to unveil a number of new products as well as iOS 16, macOS 13 Ventura, watchOS 9, and more, we have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months. Although the battery % sign may not have pleased everyone, there is still a tonne of other great updates coming to the upcoming version of iOS that we can all look forward to. However, the cost of the new iPhone 14 might not be as high.
As always, stay tuned to iMore for the most recent Apple news and excitement while I’m away.
