Apple has announced a special event on 13 October at which it is expected to launch the iPhone 12 and a handful of other products.
The company unveiled a range of new products including Apple Watches and iPads in its September event last month, but for the first time in years it did not released a new iPhone.
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the iPhone launch event in October is being held online – like the September one and Apple’s developer conference in June – and will broadcast at 6pm UK time.
Image: Apple’s September event focused mainly on the Apple Watch
You can follow it live on Tuesday with Sky News, but here’s what to expect ahead of time:
The main invite that has been sent out has the title “Hi, Speed”, suggesting the company is going to be making a big deal out of the inclusion of Apple Silicon – or its in-house developed computer chips – as it did in September for the A14 Bionic, available in the new iPad Air 4.
The chip was described as “by far the most advanced we’ve ever made” with transistors so small they “challenge the laws of physics” with about 11.8 billion packed into a single chip.
“We’re talking about a scale so small, they’re measured in atoms,” Apple said.
It is the first time such a chip has been announced in any product line other than the iPhone, potentially due to the delayed release date which the company warned investors about earlier this year.
According to Apple, the iPad Air 4 is three times faster than the top-selling Android tablet, and six times faster than the top-selling Chromebook. We’ll have to wait and see what comparisons Apple makes with the iPhone 12.
Apple is expected to unveil four devices in three different sizes in the iPhone 12 range.
They are rumoured to include super-fast 5G wireless connectivity for the first time, with the models going on sale to consumers on 23 October.
The smallest device will have a 5.4-inch screen from corner to corner, two will measure 6.1 inches, and the biggest one will have a mammoth 6.7-inch display.
The 6.7-inch version and one of the 6.1-inch models are expected to be Apple’s higher-end devices, potentially called the iPhone 12 Pro range, and feature the latest technology that the company has developed.
These Pro models are expected to retain the triple-lens housing which debuted with the iPhone 11 Pro, while the regular and smaller iPhone 12 models will have a dual-lens set-up for its rear cameras.
It isn’t clear what the smaller iPhone 12 will be called, but there have been some suggestions it might be named the iPhone 12 mini.
Image: Apple could be set to drop the iPhone charger from its next device
Apple is rumoured to have added a new distinctive metal frame reminiscent of that used for the iPhone 4 and the newest iPad Pro models too to differentiate the devices from the iPhone 11 range.
The design is expected to align with that of the iPad Pro, with the stainless steel frame giving the device a square-edged look – although for most consumers these design features tend to be hidden by protective casings.
For months it has been rumoured that the iPhone 12 will be sold without headphones, a charger or a plug adaptor in the box.
The best features are rumoured to be packed into the 6.7-inch device, including a rear camera system which will use lasers to calculate depth information for the immediate environment – opening up a range of new photography and augmented reality features.
Apple is also rumoured to be working on over-the-ear headphones to add to the AirPods family, potentially called AirPods Studio.
Image: Apple will reportedly launch bluetooth-tracker tags
Perhaps the most novel new addition will be the Apple AirTags – similar to the Tile Bluetooth trackers, which can be added to a keyring or other physical items and located using an iPhone app.
Particularly exciting is the idea of an augmented reality tracker, which would enable users to pull up the app on their iPhone and get an overlay of where the tag is located in the immediate environment.
It could be particularly handy if you don’t know which room you left your keys in. But even if the tag has been left further afield, there are suggestions it could be located by other iPhones through Apple’s “Find My” app mesh network.