On Monday 9th September at just after 10am in California, Apple will unveil its latest line of iPhones and Apple Watches. These are likely to take the form of the iPhone 16, 16 Pro, 16 Plus and 16 Pro Max, while the watches could see a slightly different Apple Watch X name – as we saw with the iPhone six years ago.
The new models are going to be great. They'll be faster, brighter, more powerful and absolutely filled to the brim with Apple Intelligence – or AI. None of this will be a surprise though. There will be some nods to impressive features but I'm not expecting to have a jaw drop moment. Unless...
Back in the day, Steve Jobs coined the phrase, 'one more thing', saving the best until the very end of the presentation. It started in 1999 with the Apple Cinema Display for the G4 and was last used in 2023 for the Apple Vision Pro. Could it be used again this year to reveal something unexpected?
Should this happen, there are a few things I'd love to see. Now the Apple Car project has been closed down, there's one less on the list but there's plenty of other things that could make this event really 'glo'.
Apple smart ring
The smart ring is becoming big business in the tech world right now, and Samsung's device is taking all the glory for it right now. It's a market that would make sense for Apple to get into, as it would fit perfectly with the Apple Health ecosystem, and pair with the iPhone and Apple Watch.
There is a danger that it could lead to people returning to regular watches and just using the ring for the health tracking – which is a possible reason Apple is holding back – but it would be a great addition, either way.
Apple folding phone
A folding device is conspicuously absent from Apple's range of iPhones right now – as is a touchscreen Mac – so it can't be long before we see some form of option. An outwardly folding iPhone could offer a screen the size of an iPad mini, while a flip style device could see the return to a truly pocketable iPhone.
Rumours suggest that a flip or folding device is still a year or so away, due to Apple's demands on screen quality, but you never know. Personally, I'd love to see the return of an iPhone mini-style device, but an iPhone flip would be even better.
Homepod Hub with screen
The Homepod looked to be a new venture for Apple, moving into the high-end audio sector and came with hopes of so much more. However, things have gone pretty silent on the audio front of recent. Maybe Apple was just waiting for Siri to be ready to embrace Apple Intelligence.
A voice assistant that is able to do much more is the perfect addition to a HomePod style of product. However, I think what it really needs is a screen. Imagine a HomePod with an iPad attached to it – much like the iMac G4. This display could be used for all of your smart home accessory controls, as well as your music, TV and FaceTime calls.
Vision Pro lite
The Apple Vision Pro is a whole new world of spatial computing and the possibilities for it are huge. However, the current device is bulky and expensive. Apple was rumoured to working on a second cheaper version of the Vision Pro, though it has also been suggested those plans were put on hold.
It's likely to be some time before we can have the kind of computing power of the Vision Pro in something little bigger than a pair of sunglasses. However, there is definitely a market for a smaller lighter model to fill the gap in the meantime.
Apple TV revamp
The current Apple TV 4K is an important device as it bridges Apple's hardware with its equally huge streaming business. The thing is, the design for the Apple TV unit hasn't really changed since it's first release in 2006. Yes, it's got a bit smaller and has gone from silver to black, but it's still a boxy unit with little in terms of extra features.
For years I wished that the Apple TV would allow FaceTime, and now it does by using your iPhone as a camera. However, I feel it could become more of a home hub (perhaps as much as the HomePod) by including an inbuilt camera and hands free Siri control. Maybe the answer is a HomePod / Apple TV combo device?
