Apple Event 2023: 5 key things to watch out for

USB Type C support: 

Apple is reportedly shifting to USB Type-C with the iPhone 15 series due to EU regulations. Standard iPhone 15 models may have limited charging speeds with Apple-certified cables required and only the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will come with the faster data transfer speed.

Apple has traditionally favored proprietary ports like the Lightning port, but the EU has been advocating for greater standardization in device connections. As a result, USB-C has become a prominent industry standard, and Apple’s decision can be interpreted as a response to these regulatory pressures.

iPhone 15 series:

The star of tomorrow’s Apple event will be the four new iPhones launched this year – the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

While the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus models are expected to arrive with a glass back and aluminium sides, the higher-end Pro versions will reportedly feature a switch to a titanium design, which is expected to make the phones more durable and around 10 per cent lighter, according to a Bloomberg report.

Meanwhile, the Pro models will be powered by the new A17 chipset built on a 3-nanometer process, which is expected to result in improvements in performance and battery life, while the base variants could come with last year’s A16 chipset.

In addition, Apple is also said to have used a manufacturing process called LIPO, or Low Injection Pressure Overmolding, on the Pro versions to make the bezels around the screen thinner and improve the screen size.

Apple watches:

Apple is planning to release updates to two of its watch lines this year – the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra. The Watch Series 9 is expected to be available in 41 millimetre and 45 millimetre sizes, while the Watch Ultra 2 is expected to be available in 49 millimetre sizes.

The new watch lines are also expected to keep the same look as last year’s models, while featuring some basic design changes, Bloomberg reported.

Apple Airpods:

Apple has plans to convert its Lightning-based accessories to this updated standard. One of the initial products in this transition will be the widely acclaimed AirPods Pro. Additionally, Apple aims to introduce USB-C charging for its regular AirPods and AirPods Max, with a likely timeframe for implementation by the following year.

The earbuds are not expected to see a major hardware upgrade, but some new features could be added via a software upgrade, such as the ability to mute and unmute Air Pods, a conversational awareness feature that silences media when people start talking, and more.

iOS 17 launch date:
Apple is likely to announce the release schedule for iOS17, iPadOS 17, watchOS 10 and tvOS 17, which were unveiled at the company’s WWDC 23 event in June this year. 

Updated: 12 Sep 2023, 07:58 AM IST