It’s almost here, the moment we’ve been waiting for. Apple will be holding a big event on Tuesday, and MacTrast will be covering it and reporting all there is to report. But what can we expect on Tuesday? Will the big reveal just be a couple of new phones and that’s it, or does Apple have a few surprises up their sleeve? Here’s what is probable, possible, and improbable for tomorrow’s 10AM PT/1PM ET event.
The Dead-Solid Locks:
iPhone 5S
Big surprise, right? We can expect the iPhone 5S to look much like the 5 did on the outside, with the possibility of a much-rumored “champagne” color in addition to the traditional white and black models. New features should include an upgraded camera with a dual-LED flash, a faster A7 processor (possibly with 64-bit processing power), a larger battery, and most likely a 128GB storage option.
Just in case you think we’ve forgotten; yes, the iPhone 5S will most likely include a fingerprint scanner built into the Home button. There are just to many indicators pointing to “yes” to ignore that.
iPhone 5C
Apple’s much-rumored “budget model”, the iPhone 5C should make the scene at tomorrow’s event.
The cheaper phone should be available in multiple colors, and will feature a plastic back face. As for specs, it’s expected that the iPhone 5C will match the specs for Apple’s previous flagship model, the iPhone 5. The major difference will be the back face, which will be made of plastic, part of Apple’s attempt to lower costs on the new model.
The iPhone 5C should come in at around $400 – $500 off-contract, and could possibly be offered “free” with a 2-year contract.
The Full Introduction of iOS7
We got a peek at iOS7 back in WWDC, and Jobs knows we’ve gotten plenty of looks at every icon and menu item in the new OS since then. The new iOS, which has been overhauled graphically and has seen many added features that many of us have been longing for, should get an official release date on Tuesday.
The new iPhone should have iOS 7 already installed, and if the past is any indication, existing iPhone users will get to install it on their devices a few days before the new phones hit the pavement.
While Apple hasn’t been shy in showing off the new version of iOS, its always possible they may unveil a few new features or tweaks at Tuesday’s shindig.
The “Hey, It Could Happen!” Items:
A New Apple TV
While all new hardware is really iffy, we could see a new software update unveiled for the old square hockey puck. New features, and possibly some new channels might be in store on Tuesday.
My one special wish to the Apple Gods: Please let us have a developers SDK! Turn the coders loose on the Apple TV! Let’s have some fun!
New iPods
The iPod touch could get a spec bump, with last years iPhone processor, and maybe a better camera. Some new colors to set it apart from the new iPhone 5C might happen.
I know someone says it every year, but this could be the year we wave a fond farewell to the iPod Classic. Sure, there are plenty of people who love the huge storage on the Classic, but with the advent of iCloud, and the possibility of even more onboard storage on the iPhone and possibly the iPod touch, well…
The “No Way Man!” List:
New iPads
Nope, not at this event. Apple’s past record tells us to expect new iPads in October. With the possibility of a new thinner full-sized iPad, and a Retina display model of the iPad mini all but certain, the new iPads will be a big enough deal that they’ll get their own coming out party sometime in October.
New Macs
We’re not seeing this as a happening thing on Tuesday either. The Mac Pro has already been announced at this year’s WWDC, and is expected to be released “in the fall.” That means sometime after October, so it’ll probably be a few more months until the official release. No announcement on Tuesday.
The MacBook Pro and iMac lineups are expected to get some upgrade love via Intel’s Haswell platform, but Apple doesn’t usually make a big deal about upgrades unless it’s an entire redesign, ala the thinner iMacs awhile back, so… We’re not seeing it as a happening thing.
The iWatch
Stop saying things like that, you just made my milk shoot out my nose… And I was drinking Coca-Cola! Nope, the “iWatch” won’t be held aloft triumphantly on Tim Cook’s wrist as he exclaims, “THIS… IS… IWATCH!” It’s been accepted by most that the iWatch, if it ever does hit the market, will do so sometime in 2014. So, no, not gonna happen.
Let’s Wrap it up
So, it looks like we can expect two new iPhones, possibly a few new tweaks to iOS 7, and a new software update for the Apple TV. The folks from Cupertino may sneak an updated iPod touch in there somewhere too.
I for one hope we’re wrong, and Apple pops a big surprise in there somewhere. Something to get my Apple fanboy blood circulating, and give me the urge to go stand in line outside my local Apple Store. I really miss that, don’t you?
