Apple's ultimate preview of the upcoming event: What updates will we see next Monday evening?

Just as the U.S. stock market has been falling for the past few days, next Monday night will witness the first major event of this year's autumn in the consumer electronics market - Apple's autumn launch event. Due to the time difference, Chinese investors will see the latest generation of iPhones, AirPods, and Apple Watch updates at 1 a.m. Beijing time on Tuesday. Well-known Apple leaker Mark Gurman has provided a comprehensive analysis of the details of the September event, as well as the release schedule for October and next year in his latest article on Friday. Special release time Apple generally does not hold events on Mondays, but this year is a bit special as there is a lot happening on Tuesday next week. Apart from the "showdown" debate between Trump and Harris, the EU will also decide whether Apple should pay $14 billion in taxes. Of course, Wednesday (September 11th) is also not an option as serious American companies do not hold events on that day. The fate of Apple's iPhone 16 series As a product that accounts for nearly 60% of Apple's revenue, the reviews of the new iPhone will largely determine the stock price performance going forward. As a result, the iPhone is currently the most leaked new product, with hardware updates already revealed. Like the past few years, the iPhone 16 series still consists of four phones: iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max. (Back pictures of the four new phones, source: Apple Hub) As with last year, the changes in the digital version of the new phone are not significant, with the continued use of aluminum bodies and 6.1-inch/6.7-inch screens. To run "Apple Smart", the new generation of iPhone will be upgraded to 8GB of memory and a new chip. The iPhone 16 and 16 Plus will feature the same "action button" as the 15 Pro series, while the rear cameras will be vertically stacked to support spatial video recording. (The mute switch will become an action button, source: Apple Hub) The focus of the upgrades remains on the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, with the most significant change being the larger screens, upgrading from 6.1-inch/6.7-inch to 6.3-inch/6.9-inch respectively. However, with the narrowing of the borders by almost half, the overall appearance looks more fluid. These two phones also have 8GB of memory, but the chip specifications will be higher than the digital series. The imaging function remains the core selling point of the Pro series. The ultra-wide-angle cameras of the two phones will be upgraded from 12 million pixels to 48 million pixels, while the wide-angle lens of the iPhone 16 Pro will also be upgraded to 5x optical zoom, matching the Pro Max. To attract users to spend money, Apple has added a new physical button. There is now a capacitive touch-sensitive button on the right side of the phone for taking photos, similar to a DSLR shutter button - tap to focus, then press to take a photo. Users can also slide on the button to switch between video/photo functions and zoom. There is some controversy as Gurman believes only the two Pro models will have this photo button, while other leaks suggest all four new phones will have it. Finally, Apple's traditional art: color change. The Pro models this time will use gold titanium instead of blue titanium, retaining black, white, and natural colors; while the digital models will replace yellow with white, and add new green, pink, and blue colors. With that, the information about the iPhone 16 ends, leaving some suspense for the event next week - how exactly will the much-anticipated "Apple Smart" turn out. Although most users won't need this so-called "Apple Smart" when these new phones hit the market, and several core features won't be available until early next year, next week will still be an opportune time for Apple management to "promise" exciting new features. Two new AirPods headphones Apple will release two new AirPods headphones next week, which will be the entry-level and mid-range products in this product line. The appearance of the two new models will be similar to the current AirPods Pro, with updated charging cases and USB-C interfaces, as well as improved sound quality. (Concept image, source: Apple Hub) As the focus of shipment, the new mid-range model is rumored to have a "more advanced shell" and speaker, as well as the most important noise-canceling feature. For this product line, a potential major update is in the area of hearing health features. Apple has been working to make AirPods a substitute for hearing aids and devices for hearing tests. However, Gurman also noted that this feature may be delayed and may not be released until later. A new version of the AirPods Pro is currently in development and is expected to be released next year, with upgrades to design and noise canceling features. Apple is also developing new AirPods Max headphones, but due to the large stock of the current generation of products, it may take some time before new products are released. Apple Watch sees a full lineup update For the first time in two years, Apple will update all models of Apple Watch at once next week, including the new entry-level Apple Watch SE, the mid-range Series 10, and an Ultra 3. The biggest upgrade will be for the "Ten Year Anniversary" version of the Series 10, where Apple will offer larger size options and a visibly thinner watch body. Gurman cautioned not to have high expectations for the AI features of the Apple Watch, as even if AI is added in the future, it will be more related to functions like health coaches. Additionally, due to the dispute between Apple and Masimo, the blood oxygen sensing function is unlikely to be restored in the new models for the time being. Similarly, the blood pressure detection function is also unlikely to be launched in the short term. However, this generation of watches will have a significant upgrade in the form of sleep apnea detection. The watch will detect whether the wearer suffers from sleep apnea and provide medical advice. Gurman also warned that the new feature may not be usable at the time of sale. In conclusion, Apple's September event promises to be a significant and exciting event for technology enthusiasts and investors, as the company unveils a range of new and updated products that will shape the market in the coming months.Looking aheadApple will push the entire Mac series to upgrade to the M4 chip. The first to be upgraded will be the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac, but the earliest release date will also be in October. At the October product launch event, there will also be new iPads, including a long-awaited upgraded iPad mini. Looking further ahead, a new iPhone SE with an OLED screen is currently being tested and is planned to be released next year. A new AirTag is also in development and is expected to be released next year. This article is reprinted from Caixin, GMTEight, edited by Chen Yufeng.