On August 24th, well-known technology informant Mark Gurman quoted unnamed sources as saying that $Apple (AAPL.US)$ it is planned to hold the largest product launch event of the year on September 10th, when Apple will release the latest iPhone 16 series, the new generation of Apple Watch, and new AirPods.

Although the official release date has not been announced, Mark Gurman stated that he obtained this information from internal sources and it is expected that the media invitation for the new product launch event will be sent out as early as next week. After the launch event, it is expected that the iPhone 16 will go on sale on September 20th, and the official versions of iOS 18 and macOS 15 Sequoia will begin to be pushed before September 20th. Mark Gurman also posted this information on his personal social media earlier.

According to Mark Gurman's estimate and previous patterns, Apple's new Macs are expected to be released in October. Gurman said that the Mac mini is expected to be the most anticipated Mac with the M4 chip this year, and Apple is also expected to release new MacBook Pros. He also stated that Apple is expected to release an upgraded version of the MacBook Air in the spring of 2025, while the Pro version of the Mac desktop will be released later.

In addition, according to Mark Gurman's latest disclosure, Apple has arranged to hold a special mandatory meeting for all Apple retail store employees on the evening of September 12th or the morning of September 13th local time. Apple also plans to make Apple Intelligence a key part of selling iPhones in stores this autumn, and has begun training retail employees to understand these features.

Analysts believe that this presentation is crucial for Apple, as the sales of Apple's smart phones and wearable devices have been sluggish in recent quarters. It is expected that the new iPhone 16, set to be released on September 20, will mean that some of the device's revenue will be included in the current quarter (Apple's fourth fiscal quarter). Previously, Apple expected sales in the fourth fiscal quarter to increase by about 5% compared to the same period last year. Larger sales will occur in the next quarter, just in time for the holidays. Analysts predict that revenue for this quarter will increase by 7%, reaching $128.4 billion.

It is worth mentioning that, according to several previous reports from tech media outlets, a leaked image of an alleged Apple event invitation circulating online suggests a new 'desert gold' color scheme with a vague Apple logo. At the same time, the theme of the event is "Ready. Set. Capture." This may imply that the new phone will have a dedicated camera button.

Although this information has aroused widespread attention and speculation, Mark Gurman stated on August 20th that Apple's event invitations never leak in advance, such leaks are almost impossible. Despite the attempt of the leaker to release this information under an authoritative name, the real invitation and official information will only be confirmed at the formal event.

The 'Apple Intelligence' AI suite will be the focus of attention

Since completely revamping the iPhone series in 2020 with new designs and 5G connectivity, Apple has not made any major changes. Mark Gurman believes that this year's release of the iPhone 16 series will also continue this trend, with little change in appearance and functionality compared to the previous generation products. The four new models are likely to be called iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, and 16 Pro Max.

The highlight of this year will be the new Apple AI function suite - Apple Intelligence, which will support the iPhone 16 series and last year's iPhone 15 Pro. The new generation chip A18 and memory upgraded to 8GB to support running Apple Intelligence. In terms of other features, the non-Pro version of the iPhone 16 will add an action button, while the Pro version will add a camera button similar to a DSLR camera on the right side, supporting autofocus and shooting, and zooming in and out via a sliding button.

In terms of appearance, Mark Gurman believes that another change may only appear on the Pro model, where the screen will be slightly larger. The screen of the regular Pro will increase from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, while the Pro Max screen size will increase from 6.7 inches to 6.9 inches. In terms of color, the Pro version will update color choices, including the return of rose gold.

Mark Gurman believes that although these upgrades may be a good choice for users with older iPhones, they may not be necessary.

Furthermore, Apple's wearable devices will see bigger changes. The Apple Watch Series 10 model will be thinner but with a larger screen. At the same time, Apple is revamping its AirPods product line with new low-end and mid-range versions, providing noise cancellation for the first time on mid-range AirPods, and updating the entry-level model for the first time since 2019.

It is understood that Apple's Mac mini is about to receive a highly anticipated major update. Developer test logs seen by Bloomberg show that Apple has intensified testing for four new Mac models to ensure compatibility with third-party applications. The Macs featured identifiers "16,1", "16,2", "16,3", and "16,10".

Mark Gurman believes that the Mac mini, equipped with the M4 chip, will be the most noteworthy Mac this year. On August 11th, he mentioned that the new Mac mini model will be much smaller than the current version, possibly only half the size of the current version, and will come in two versions: M4 Pro and regular M4. Mark Gurman wrote: "As far as I know, the low-end model will start shipping from suppliers in August, while the M4 Pro version will be ready by October. The new design will mark the first overhaul of the Mac mini since the Steve Jobs era in 2010."

Editor/Somer