Apple Event 9.9.14 Promises To Be Interesting. iPhone 6? iWatch? iOS 8?
Updates to this story
Recently Apple sent out some flashy-looking invites to notables in the Tech industry saying: “9.9.2014 Wish we could say more.”
These cheeky invites got a lot of tongues wagging on what this event would signify.
Given the recent iCloud negative publicity fiasco for Apple (who have stated that their iCloud storage system was not compromised, only user-controlled accounts were) Apple could do with a big win here.
Developments with curved Gorilla Glass and display screens is an area where Apple could get into it with new releases, particularly with the iWatch. The Samsung Galaxy Note Edge is currently being reviewed with its right-side screen than curves over the edge and down the right-side edge of the device, icons and all. Just how useful this is and how many false app loads goes on accidentally is anyone's guess but the technology sure looks sexy which is usually Apple's calling card. Will curved screens enter the Apple range this year?
IPhone 6 – Two is better than one?
The new iPhone to replace the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S has been on the drawing board for a while now. Android owners have been positively laughing at the diminutive 4-inch iPhone form factor when big phones are the “in” thing currently.
In response to criticism, Apple got busy developing two models expected to be significantly larger. These may have 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches screen diameters but as with everything Apple, nothing is confirmed as real until it's unveiled by Tim Cook and the rest of the Apple team on stage on September 9.
A new sapphire crystal screen may be on the cards to further protect the screen from damage. One version of the new iPhone could have 128GB of internal storage which matches the upgraded iPad storage options to buyers. This would be welcomed by users who aren't always connected to cellular wireless technology or who do not want the data costs associated with streaming music from the iCloud.
What is expected is an infinity-pool like screen which almost meets both edges of the device, thereby removing the side bezel almost altogether. The idea behind this is to make the device as small as possible while increasing its screen size overall. Thickness is expected to be quite minimal but what kind of battery this will give buyers remains to be seen as there is only so much one can do in this area.
Biometrics
Health is a big push for many manufacturers including Google, Samsung and Sony with their range of wearables. The use of heart rate monitor sensors in smart phones like the Samsung Galaxy S5 and Note 4 make it possible to track your peak heart rate as you exercise to ensure you stay aerobically-challenged during your workout routine. Apple is widely expected to include new sensors in the iPhone to facilitate both health apps and wearable technologies.
iWatch
The iWatch would put Apple in the market for wearables. But will consumers really want to walk around with a $400 device on their wrist? We know all too well how easy it is to scratch the face of a watch which isn't too difficult to replace the glass front, but not so with a wearable device.
It's obvious that Apple could create quite a stir here combining their health biometrics push and a curved wearable device covered in sapphire crystal protective coating into a single market killer prospect. The wearables so far have been largely uninspiring so Apple could make a real splash with a design that Jonny Ivy could wax lyrically about over video.
iWallet and NFC
News about the iWallet-type app to make digital payments at point of sale checkouts and at other retail buying opportunities is likely to drop at the event. Apple is known to have already struck deals with American Express, Visa and Mastercard relating to payment processing and with Google Wallet and PayPal apps not really having gained market traction yet this is an area where Apple could improve things for the better. Fingerprint authentication using the iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 fingerprint readers is likely to be a key driver here; few Android devices include it.
The NFC wireless standard for transferring payment information could certainly be incorporated into their technology to make their payments compatible with those made by Android-based devices that have NFC. The issue with NFC so far is that only the high-end smart phones include it so it has not gone wide enough to be adopted. Subsequently retailers have not made a big push for it either. Apple is good at coordinating with outside parties to help increase adoption rates and get over bottlenecks so this could be something interesting for them.
iOS 8
The latest release of the Apple mobile operating system iOS is expected to be shown at the event. The new features for iOS 8 will be interesting for pundits to go over. iOS has been roundly criticized for falling way behind in customizable options, lack of widgets and a dismal notification tray. Consumers have been signalling that they like to get creative about how they lay out their smart phone GUI. It remains to be seen how well Apple has been listening.
No New iPad Expected
At the present time, consumers are not looking at the iPad as a potential new product at the September 9 event. With that said, a curved glass iPad would certain raise the bar as most of these types of products have only had smaller smart phone form factors thus far.
The editorial team at Download3K will keep you updated with news from the September 9 event.
Updates to this story
