Today at 10 am (Pacific) Apple will hold a special media event at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. The invite sent to the media says simply that, “It’s almost here.” Here’s what I see being announced:
The next gen iPhone, of course, is a no-brainer. The only shock will be if Apple doesn’t announce a new version of its smartphone. I’ve long doubted that it would be dubbed the “iPhone 5,” but now it seems obvious that it will be. Why? Look carefully at the graphic from the media invitation …
The iPhone 5 will sport a slimmer form factor wrapped around a 4-inch Retina display; that’s up from the iPhone 4S’s current 3.5-inch offering. It will pack iOS 6, a quad-core A6 processor and a 9-pin dock connector that — for better or worse — replaces the current 30-pin standard. I also expect the iPhone 5 to support compatibility with LTE networks in the U.S., Europe and Asia. I’m not anticipating it, but I’d love to see an iPhone with 128GB of storage.
I also expect Apple to update its iPod line-up. I expect the iPod shuffle to get very minor updates — perhaps nothing more than new colors. Rumors say that the iPod nano will get a substantial revamp with a taller design and Wi-Fi support. I’m doubtful about this — unless Apple also plans to roll out an iPod watch (an “iWatch”).
The iPod touch line is also rumored (see 9to5Mac.com) to be getting new price points and perhaps some configuration tweaks. Most likely (per my crystal ball) is the addition of iOS 6, new colors, the 9-pin connector dock and a model with 128GB of storage.
I don’t expect any new Mac announcements at today’s media event. That said, I do expect new iMacs and a 13-inch Retina display MacBook Pro to be announced quietly (as in a press release only) anytime between now and the end of September.
I also don’t expect an iPad mini announcement today. One is coming, but don’t look for it until another Apple media event in mid-October.
Of course, all these are merely educated guesses on my part. Check back later today for our coverage of the Apple event to see how right — or wrong — I am.
— Dennis Sellers