With the 2018 Apple event looming, Apple are asking us to “Gather Round” as they unveil their new range of iPhone, a new Apple Watch and a new range of iPads later on tonight.
iPhone
It’s one of the most anticipated days on the tech calendar every year and this year we expect to be introduced 3 new iPhones, the iPhone Xs, iPhone Xs Max and the iPhone Xr. Apple basically confirmed this when the names were leaked online.
From render’s we have seen online over the past couple of weeks, it looks like after 11 years, we are losing the Home button, and with that the fingerprint scanner.
“The Phone Xs Max will have a whopping 6.5 inch screen with the Xs coming in at 6.1 inches”
It seems like the 3 new smartphones are all going to be edge-to-edge, similar to the iPhone X design. This will be a big risk for Apple as last year the iPhone 9 Plus was their highest selling smartphone, meaning a lot of their users are still loyal to the Home button, including myself. The iPhone Xs and Xs Max are going to be fitted with OLED screen, while the Xr will have an LCD, so the Xr is likely to be the cheapest option. The Phone Xs Max will have a whopping 6.5 inch screen with the Xs coming in at 6.1 inches, with the Xr measuring 5.8 inches.
They are all expected to have a TrueDepth camera that enables facial recognition. This will likely be powered by an A12 processor. And they may offer duel-sim devices in some regions, which would be a first for them.
In some sadder news, rumour has it Apple are dropping their pressure sensitive 3D Touch feature. As an iPhone 7 user myself, this is by far my favourite feature on the phone. It makes replying to messages and opening notifications so simple, although developers were hesitant in including the feature in their app’s functionality. I for one would be very disappointed to see it go.
“The triple lens will also allow
Apple to take the next step in
Augmented reality”
The iPhone Xs Max’s camera is getting a big upgrade. It will now be a triple lens, with advanced 3D sensing and stereoscopic vision. This will allow the Len’s to take the phono from 2 difference angles and provide more depth in the final product and offer 3x optical zoom. The triple lens will also allow Apple to take the next step in Augmented reality, which they have taken a keen interest in in the past few years.
Some iPhone users over the past few days may also have gotten notifications, showing new features we will see in iOS 12, such as grouped notifications and screen time tracking. This feature will allow you to see what you are doing on your phone, such how much time you spend on social media, messaging and working.
And similar to last year, all 3 devices will be able to charge wirelessly. There has also been whispers that Apple will offer USB type C charging on all the new iPhones.
Apple Watch 4
We are also going to see what is in store for the Apple Watch 4. We will be getting an upgrade in screen size, increasing to 40mm and 44mm, up from 38mm and 42mm. This will in turn offer you a bigger battery topper the new Apple S4 chipset. Apple patents show that they want to implement facial recognition similar to their iPhones, however it doesn’t seem like it will be in this years model.
Some tech head thought that “Gather round” was hiring to a round faced watch, but this rumour seems to have been debunked already. The watch will be able to charge wirelessly, like iPhone, and there are rumours they may release a multi-device charging pad. Meaning you can charge your phone, watch and AirPods at the same time.
It will be available in Space Grey, Silver and Gold and will set you back around 329 euro.
New iPad Pro?
Now while we have already seen a new iPad unveiled this year, fans are still eagerly waiting for the next generation iPad Pro. The first generation was a showstopper and set the template for the next generation in tablets for all of it’s rivals. So the next generation could have a similar design to the iPhone X, meaning it will have facial recognition over a fingerprint scanner. It could be called the iPad X, however we find this unlikely.
The Apple Event will start at 6pm today and they will be streaming it on their YouTube Chanel here.
