New York, USA (CNN)–Apple is expected to launch its iPhone 14 lineup at the company’s annual flagship event on Wednesday.
The event, promoted under the slogan “far out,” will take place at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, and will be streamed live on the company’s website and social media channels.
Featured in this year’s invitation is lighting the sky with the constellation of stars that make up the Apple logo, leading some to speculate that there will be major camera upgrades on iPhones to allow for night or remote shooting. But in typical Apple fashion, the tech giant didn’t give too many details to add to the excitement and urge customers to set the time for the big day.
The event will start at 8pm KSA on Wednesday. Here’s a look at what to expect from CEO Tim Cook and his team.
star of the show
As it has done every year for about a decade, Apple is widely expected to unveil its latest iPhone. It is rumored that the company will debut a 6.7-inch phone not a Pro model, which means it will have a larger screen size, but not a higher price tag. Rumors also suggest that Apple may drop the smaller and cheaper iPhone in the 14 lineup so as not to compete with iPhone SE sales. Expectations also indicate that the latest Pro model has become somewhat slimmer.
Apple watchers are also excited about a potential main camera quality upgrade with the iPhone 14, possibly a phone that can shoot 8K video. If it does, it could be among the biggest changes in iPhone camera quality to date.
How Apple will price the iPhone 14 will already be a test. Economic conditions for both the technology sector and consumers have entered choppy waters. A few analysts have already predicted slight price hikes for the latest and greatest iPhone models. “My expectation is that it’s possible that Apple will have to raise prices,” Ben Wood, chief analyst at market research firm CCS Insight, told CNN ahead of the event.
The regular iPhone 13 non-miniature price currently starts at $799, the iPhone 13 Pro price starts at $999, and the iPhone 13 Pro Max price starts at $1,099. Some analysts expect a price hike of at least $100 on the Pro and Pro Max models. But given the stress consumers are facing, he believes Apple will also do “everything in its power to make that as little as possible.”
Despite rising inflation and other economic headwinds, Cook said in the company’s latest earnings call that there was “no clear evidence” of a macroeconomic impact on iPhone sales yet. This does not mean that the tech giant is immune to the deteriorating economic climate. The company posted a profit decline of nearly 11% in the three months to June, compared to the same period a year ago. The event also comes amid supply chain issues linked to the policy to curb the spread of the coronavirus in China.
Apple Watch, iOS 16 release date, and more
New Apple Watch models are expected to be revealed on Wednesday, including high-end offerings. An official release date for iOS 16 is also expected to be announced, the latest much-touted update that will allow users to customize their iPhone lock screens (as Android does) and features a revamped iMessage.
What you don’t expect
With the new iPhone expected to take center stage, many analysts don’t expect Apple to release new iPads or Mac computers until October. Of course, rumors can always be wrong about these things. Nor is Apple likely to release the much-rumored augmented reality headset.