Apple's biggest event of the year is just hours away.
Later today (6pm BST / 10am PT / 1pm ET), the Steve Jobs Theatre will host the highly anticipated launch of the iPhone 14 line-up, which is expected to comprise four models – the iPhone 14, 14 Max, 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
But according to reports from more than one reliable leaker, the new iPhones will share today's spotlight with at least two more new Apple products...
What to expect
iPhone 14
Apple is rumoured to be dropping the 'mini' model for this year's line-up, meaning the 'standard' iPhone 14 will be the entry-level handset.
It's expected to cost in the region of £779 / $799 / AU$1349 (the iPhone 13's launch price), though Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has warned that the lineup's average selling price could rise by 15 per cent compared to the previous one.
Design speculation suggests a 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED screen with a 60Hz refresh rate and 460ppi; a body with titanium edges; the same cutout as the iPhone 13 range; a new A16 Bionic processor (fingers crossed); a bump in battery life; and a dual-lens camera.
iPhone 14 Max
The fourth model in the range instead of the 'mini', the 14 Max is rumoured to share many of the iPhone 14's features but in a larger size, very much splitting the four-strong range into two in terms of capability.
Reported display specs include a 6.7-inch 1284 x 2778 OLED screen with 60Hz refresh rate and 458ppi, which could attract a $100 premium over the iPhone 14. It could also sport a triple-lens camera as opposed to the 14's dual configuration.
iPhone 14 Pro
This is where we could start seeing serious evolution and innovation enter the line-up, as many new features and upgrades are expected to be exclusive to the 14 Pro and the 14 Pro Max below.
These include a new 'punch-hole' display; a more advanced 6.1-inch 1170 x 2532 OLED display with a 120Hz variable refresh rate and 460ppi; a bigger (3200mAh) battery; and slimmer bezels than on its non-Pro siblings.
A thicker camera bump is rumoured to make room for a new 48MP main camera sensor – a big upgrade on the 12MP lens that has been present since 2015 – that will headline a triple-lens arrangement.
The 14 Pro is rumoured to cost $100 more than the 13 Pro, making it $1099.
iPhone 14 Pro Max
According to rumours, Apple fans can expect to pay roughly $100 extra ($1199) for the flagship 14 Pro Max, which is expected to largely mirror the Pro's feature list but come in a larger size, with a bigger (4323mAH) battery. The reported specs include a 6.7-inch, 1284 x 2778 OLED screen with a 120Hz refresh rate and 458ppi.
For a comprehensive round-up of the iPhone 14 rumours in detail, head to our iPhone 14 leaks page.
AirPods Pro 2
Away from iPhones, there are strong suggestions that Apple's next noise-cancelling AirPods could surface at today's event. Previous speculation hinted that the Pro 2's arrival could spill into 2023, but on Sunday Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reported that "Wednesday will be their big unveiling".
This does tie in with Apple soothsayer Ming-Chi Kuo's recent claim that the next AirPods Pro would enter mass production in the "second half of 2022".
Our in-depth AirPods Pro 2 news and rumours page paints a pretty vivid picture of what we can expect from Apple's next AirPods, with possible features including shorter stems and skin-detect sensors (as found on the AirPods 3); a new wireless chip, improving battery life and usability; a taller and narrower charging case; automatic active noise-cancellation disabling; and new fitness-tracking functions.
More 'out there' rumoured features include 'through-body' controls and a new lossless codec, but either way it looks like we're in for a much-needed AirPods Pro overhaul today.
As the original Pros launched at £249 / $249 / AU$399 in October 2019, we can't imagine Apple will deviate much from that price point, and we can only hope that rumours of a $299 asking price are overblown.
Apple Watches x3
Equally potent are rumours of a new Apple Watch. Or rather, three Apple Watches – including the first-ever Apple Watch Pro model. Again, the latest reliable leaks come courtesy of Gurman, who just days ago reported that the Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 8 won't be "significant overhauls", with updates spanning a processing chip upgrade and new health-tracking features (such as body-temperature detection, and fertility-related monitoring for women).
The bigger news surrounds the Watch Pro, which will be a premium fitness watch that goes after Garmin's serious wrist pieces and could cost around $1000. This really could be something different for Apple, as it's expected to introduce an all-new design with a tough titanium casing, a size larger than many people's wrists, a larger battery and low-power mode.
What (probably) won't be announced
Today's event won't stop every Apple rumour mill from churning, though, with some anticipated Apple products poised for future launches...
HomePod 2
Ever since Apple discontinued the HomePod (and actually, even before that), the internet began speculating on the next full-sized Apple smart speaker.
The early HomePod 2 leaks have been rife with predictions of a built-in display to complement Siri voice control; an upgraded processor – the same one expected for the new Apple Watches; and a camera for facilitating FaceTime calls. But it's almost as though not enough rumours and leaks have populated the internet yet to think that a launch is imminent. And besides, reporter Gurman and Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo have both proposed the possibility of 2023 launch dates.
AirPods Max 2
Another one that's likely to feature on Apple's 2023 (or beyond!) roadmap is its next over-ear wireless headphones. That said, Gurman suggested in May that they could be more imminent than that, with an "AirPods Max refresh with new colors" on the way as soon as this fall/autumn. He hasn't pegged them for this September event, though, so perhaps they will arrive closer to the two-year anniversary of the originals, which were a surprise launch in December 2020.
Not much has been leaked about the design and features of any next-gen model, besides a revamped, more substantial case (thank goodness), new colours and perhaps even some gesture controls, though we have an AirPods Max 2 wishlist of our own.
