Apple Special Event Confirmed, Predictions, Plus Leaked Images of New Devices Revealed

NEWS: 09.05.18- The Apple special event next Wednesday, September 12 — along with details of what can be expected to be announced by the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech giant — has been confirmed by CNBC (the business-oriented cable channel of NBC News).

The article, written by Sara Salinas, came by way of a Facebook post last Thursday by NBC Bay Area (the San Jose, Calif.-based NBC owned and operated television station in the San Francisco metropolitan area) which linked to the story that was republished on its own website.

Salinas reported that Apple is set to reveal its latest line-up of products as announced in an invitation to the media.

“The company’s annual September event serves as the introduction to new iPhone models and upgraded gadgets before inventory hits the shelves but this year’s unveiling is rumored to be impressive even by Apple’s standards,” wrote Salinas.

The announcements of the day apparently will not be exclusive to the new iPhone. In addition, according to Salinas, upgrades to just about all of Apple’s products are expected by news outlets and analysts, from the iPad, and Apple Watch to the MacBook Air and Mac mini.

Specifically in regard to the Apple smartphone, citing a report from Bloomberg, she wrote, “Apple is expected to announce three new iPhone X models: a sequel to the current model with the 5.8-inch OLED display, a larger version with an OLED 6.5-inch display, and a cheaper version with a 6.1-inch LCD screen. The 6.1-inch model will use aluminum instead of steel casing to keep costs lower.”

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This would corroborate previous rumors that were discussed in an article here in this column on August 24.

Speaking of rumors, every invitation sent out by Apple to the media has a unique theme and is believed by many to have a hidden message that is purported to give clues as to what might be announced, adding more wind to fan the rumor mills and this year is certainly no exception to the rule.

The day after receiving an invitation to the Apple special event, Macworld magazine analyzed the invite titled “Gather round” and staff writer Michael Simon provided the following 10 predictions as suggested by the theme.

• a round Apple Watch
• a new Mac Pro
• the return of the puck mouse
• over-ear headphones
• a new Home Pod
• a new Apple Watch charger
• AirPower
• homage (and Goodbye) to the Home button
• Apple Car
• the return of the headphone jack

The predictions by Simon, while educated guesses, are pure speculation with the common denominator being all circular items which revolve around the official teaser for the Apple special event.

Scott Budman, business and tech reporter for NBC Bay Area News, who received an invite and will be attending the Apple special event next week, spoke to MacPrices for this story — an expert himself on Apple, Inc. having covered the company for the past two decades — and said that he would like to see lower-cost options for the iPhone, iPad, and the Apple Watch for people who want to go mobile but don’t have the budget for it.

“Because expectations are now so high for Apple, both on the consumer side and stock market side, I expect this event to feature a lot of product upgrades,” said Budman. “We’re almost certain to see phone upgrades – both to take advantage of the popularity of the iPhone X, and to stem the tide of competition from the likes of Samsung.”

He added, “Given the slow progress of many wearable companies, I also expect Apple to aggressively promote its Watch, to try to get more market share in the wearable space.”

On the same day news of the September 12 Apple special event was confirmed, new leak images surfaced, showing the next generation of both the Apple Watch and the two OLED iPhone models.

The 9to5 Mac website revealed an exclusive first look at the Apple Watch Series 4 that has a larger display. Also, in another exclusive, the site published what they believe will be a 5.8-inch and a 6.5-inch (the plus sized version) device dubbed the “iPhone XS” according to the August 30 report.

In a separate article, Benjamin Mayo of 9to5 Mac reported that there will be a livestream on the web for the September 12 Apple special event.

To view the images of the Apple Watch Series 4 and the iPhone XS, check out the video on YouTube by 9to5 Mac.

And to watch the livestream of the Apple special event, “Gather round”your Mac or iOS device next Wednesday and make your way to the Apple Events webpage on apple.com which should have an active link to the September 12 keynote by Apple CEO Tim Cook and crew as the event draws near. The event will originate from the new Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino beginning at 10:00 a.m. PDT (1:00 p.m. EDT).

Plus, be sure to consult MacPrices for the latest prices and deals on all of the new products that Apple announces next week!
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UPDATE 09.12.18: Follow this Direct link for life coverage of today’s Apple special event – https://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2018/

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