What to expect from Apple’s September 12 event: iPhone 15, Apple Watch Ultra 2, USB-C AirPods and more

Apple’s iPhone-centric fall 2023 event kicks off in just a few days. We’ve been hearing rumors about what we might see for months now, so we know well what’s coming.

This guide highlights everything we’d expect to see Apple unveil at its “Wonderlust” event on September 12.

Apple will continue with its lineup of four iPhones in 2023, and the standard iPhone 15 models will come in 6.1 and 6.7-inch sizes, similar to last year. The ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus will look nearly identical to the iPhone 14 and ‌iPhone 14‌ Plus, with one major exception – the USB-C port.

Instead of a Lightning port, the ‌iPhone 15‌ models will use USB-C, allowing iPhones, iPads, and Macs to share a charger and charging cable. Apple is making this change due to regulatory changes in Europe that require electronic devices to have standardized charging ports, but USB-C technology will be rolled out worldwide.

Last year’s iPhones continued to have the notch, but that was dropped with the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus. Instead, the new iPhones will use Dynamic Island that Apple first used for the iPhone 14 Pro and ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ Max, freeing up more display space.

While the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus will feature ‌Dynamic Island‌, other display technology like the ProMotion refresh rate and the always-on display will remain limited to the Pro models. There is another small design change related to the glass back. Frosted glass was previously a feature of the iPhone Pro line, but the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus are expected to have frosted glass backs instead of glossy glass backs.

Apple is planning new colors for the ‌iPhone 15‌ series, and so far it has been rumored that we will see blue, a coral cross between orange and pink, hazel, white and black. We can see color-matched braided USB-C cables included with each new ‌iPhone‌.

Camera technology will get a significant update as the ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus use the 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.6 aperture for higher resolution images and improved quality in low-light conditions. weak light. There will also be a 12-megapixel Ultra Wide camera, but this is the same camera on the ‌iPhone 14‌ models that didn’t get the update.

The new Qualcomm 5G modem chip is expected and we could see improved signal, lower latency and better power efficiency. Apple is working on a new A17 chip for the iPhone 15 Pro models, but the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models will feature the A16 chip that’s found in the ‌iPhone 14 Pro‌ and Pro Max.

So far, we haven’t heard any rumors about improvements to battery life, WiFi speeds, or RAM for the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models, and pricing is expected to stay the same.

You can learn more about what to expect from the ‌iPhone 15‌ in our iPhone 15 roundup.

Most of the exciting new changes and feature additions this year come to the ‌iPhone‌ Pro models instead of the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models. Like last year, we’re expecting two iPhone Pros, the 6.1-inch ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and the 6.7-inch ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models are expected to get some minor design updates, with Apple introducing noticeably thinner, curved bezels and a new titanium material for the chassis. Instead of stainless steel, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and Pro Max will feature titanium in colors including silver, titanium gray, black, and dark blue. Titanium will have a more matte finish than stainless steel, plus ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models could be 10% lighter because titanium is heavier than steel.

While there were rumors about volume button changes that Apple was testing, the volume button update was unsuccessful and there will be no changes there. However, Apple is expected to swap out the mute switch with a mute button that has much the same functionality as the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.

Code in iOS 17 shows that this button will be able to enable Silent Mode, activate Camera, enable Flashlight, activate Shortcuts, enable Focus mode, launch the Translate app, start Voice Memos, etc.

Like the ‌iPhone 15‌ models, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ models will have USB-C, but the Pro models are rumored to support faster USB 3.2 (20Gb/s) or Thunderbolt (40Gb/s) transfer speeds. Some ‌iPhone 15‌ models (possibly Pro models) are rumored to support charging speeds of up to 35W.

Apple is making small improvements to the Wide and Telephoto cameras of both Pro models to boost low-light performance, but the main 48-megapixel camera is not expected to see any improvements. The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max will have the biggest new camera feature, a periscope zoom function for the telephoto lens. Optical zoom is currently limited to 3x, but with periscope technology, Apple is expected to increase that zoom level to 5x or 6x.

While the standard ‌iPhone 15‌ models will use the A16 chip, the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max will be equipped with the A17 chip, built on a new 3-nanometer process. This will be the first chip in several years built on a new node, and it will bring notable performance and efficiency improvements. Expect battery life to increase.

Apple will use the same Qualcomm 5G chip across its entire ‌iPhone 15‌ line, and there are also rumors of a new Ultra Wideband “U2” chip that will integrate with the upcoming Vision Pro headset next year. Pro models will feature Wi-Fi 6E, the latest and fastest Wi-Fi protocol operating in the 6GHz band. Up to 2TB of storage is possible, and the Pro models will have 8GB of RAM, up from 6GB in last year’s Pro models.

The ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and Pro Max have a rich feature set and rumors suggest it will increase in price. Many sources say Apple is planning to increase prices but it is still unclear by how much. The new models could be $100 more expensive, with the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ starting at $1,099 and the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max starting at $1,199.

You can find more information about what to expect from the ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ and ‌iPhone 15 Pro‌ Max in our roundup.

There’s a new Apple Watch coming this year, but there’s not much to look forward to with this iterative update. We don’t expect any new design changes or new health-related features.

In fact, the refresh will focus on the internals, mainly the new processor. There will be a new S9 chip built on A15 technology, and it will be the first notable update to the Apple Watch chip since the Apple Watch Series 6.

Performance will be improved on the Apple Watch Series 9, and we may also see increased battery life. The ‌Apple Watch Series 9‌ is also expected to include an updated optical heart rate sensor and a new Ultra Wideband “U2” chip that will deliver better location accuracy.

There could be a new pinkish color for the aluminum version of the Series 9, and Apple may be planning to introduce a new strap with a textile fabric and magnetic clasp. There are also rumors that leather straps are being phased out in favor of more environmentally friendly options.

You can find more information about the Series 9 and what we expect in our Apple Watch Series 9 guide.

The ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ is expected to get a refresh in 2023, but we don’t expect new functionality. The device will have the same S9 chip as on the ‌Apple Watch Series 9‌, an updated Ultra Wideband chip, and a new heart rate sensor, but if there are any other features planned, we don’t know about them.

A leak has suggested the second-generation ‌Apple Watch Ultra‌ could be lighter than the first generation, but it’s unclear whether this is accurate. One change could be a new color option, with rumors pointing towards black titanium.

For more information, see our Apple Watch Ultra guide.

USB-C AirPods

The AirPods Pro 2 are expected to get an updated USB-C charging case to replace the current Lightning case, a change that will coincide with the ‌iPhone 15‌ using a USB-C port instead of a Lightning port.

There will be no other hardware changes included, so count on the ‌AirPods Pro‌ 2 as before but with an updated charging port.

New iPhone case

According to multiple sources, Apple does not plan to produce leather cases for the ‌iPhone 15‌ line but will instead use more environmentally friendly materials.

There are rumors that the new material will be made from textiles and will be called “FineWoven”, but it is unclear whether that is accurate or not.

Other possibilities

With several fall events, there are wildcard products that may or may not be refreshed in September, but this year, we’re not expecting much beyond the ‌iPhone‌ and Apple Watch.

iPad 11th generation

There are no rumors about a new low-cost iPad, but Apple typically refreshes the tablet every year. It’s possible we’ll see an 11th-generation ‌iPad‌, but it’s not guaranteed.

Could arrive later this year

The ‌iPhone 15‌ and ‌Apple Watch Series 9‌ models may not be the last we see in 2023. The first M3 Macs could be introduced before the end of the year, with Apple rumored to be planning plans to introduce the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air, 13-inch MacBook Pro M3 and M3 Mac mini. BloombergMark Gurman says M3 Macs will launch this year, but Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo says no M3 Macs will launch until 2024, so it’s unclear what might happen. happen.

If the new Macs launch in 2023, Apple could hold an event in October or could release the M3 Macs via press release later in the year.

Bloomberg‌Mark Gurman‌ also believes there’s a chance the new iPad Air will be released in 2023. If so, perhaps we could see it in October.

Haven’t arrived yet

With the exception of the 11th generation ‌iPad‌, no other iPads will be refreshed in 2023. The iPad Pro and iPad mini will be updated, but not until 2024.

How to view

Apple’s “Wonderlust” event will begin at 10:00 a.m. PT on Tuesday, September 12. Apple will livestream the event on its website and on YouTube, and streaming will live will be available through the Apple TV app on supported devices.

For those unable to watch the livestream, MacRumors is providing complete coverage of the event on MacRumors.com and MacRumorsLive Twitter accountAdditionally, we’ll take a closer look at all the announcements over the weekend.