It’s here. After weeks of speculation Apple has confirmed it will be announcing a new product on September 10 – and all bets are on the new iPhone.
The invitation to the annual media event features the traditional clue about what products will be unveiled. The Apple logo is featured alongside several bright circles with the text, “This should brighten everyone’s day”.
The text seems to confirm the impending release of a cheaper iPhone in various different colours, as recent leaks have suggested.
This year is a big opportunity for Apple, but it also represents a crucial turning point. With Samsung putting more and more pressure on the company’s market share and sales, and investors growing weary of slower growth rates, Apple is seen as needing a new product that will shock the market.
That’s unlikely to occur. Instead, Apple will most likely debut a new version of the iPhone, along with the cheaper version in a variety of colours.
Rumoured projects such as the iWatch or a television won’t make an appearance.
But that doesn’t mean a new smartphone doesn’t keep the market on its toes – the iPhone market is still huge and the mainstay of Apple’s revenue.
So with that in mind, here are five things we can expect from next week’s announcement, which will occur on the morning of September 11, AEST:
So many leaks have come forward in the last week or so that the iPhone 5C is all but confirmed. The cheaper, plastic version of the phone will most likely debut next week – and not a moment too soon.
The cheaper iPhone will give Apple a leg-up in China, where Samsung has already established a foothold. Providing a cheaper, more accessible iPhone may give the company a fighting chance among lower-income households and developing nations – which could allow it to reach those growth rates investors love.
Apple purchased a biometric scanning technology company last year, and all signs point to a thumb scanner on the next iPhone. The trend in security has been moving towards two-factor authentication for some time. Having a scanner on the next iPhone could start a trend among other smartphone makers and bump up the level of security we use on our personal devices.
Although Apple is still working on some sort of television product behind the scenes, there still could be some movement on a television-related product. The Apple TV has proven more popular over the past year, so a move such as extending app development for the device could be on the cards.
As the smartphone market matures, there are now few differences between hardware models. Choosing a model simply comes down to preference for a user interface or design.
But not when it comes to the camera. The iPhone still has the best camera in the smartphone market, and Apple will surely build on that success by focusing on a new lens in the 5C.
This won’t be a reinvention. This won’t take the iPhone and completely change it – that’s what the new iteration of iOS is for.
Instead, we’ll see a slightly better phone with a better, cheaper and faster processor, but not too much faster.
As the market has matured, the smartphone itself becomes less important than the software it runs. So the iPhone 5S will be an improvement, but a revolution? Not quite.
Patrick Stafford is a freelance journalist and a former deputy editor of SmartCompany.
