Apple's next launch event takes place Monday, September 9 and there's a lot to be excited about. From the obvious launch of the iPhone 16 lineup to the latest updates on Apple Intelligence, we're very interested in what Apple has in store.
But while those aforementioned points are a lock to happen, there's also a lot of uncertainty about what could make the cut and what could get left out during the "Glowtime" event. (That's what Apple's calling it in invites to the September 9 proceedings, at least.) It's also an intriguing date for the tech giant to choose. The last time Apple held a tentpole launch event on a Monday was all the way back in 2010 when Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone 4. And it marks 10 years to the day since Apple revealed the first Apple Watch.
Now it's not exactly clear from the invitation what Apple is choosing to focus on. The best guess is that the "Glowtime" visual alludes to the new glowing visualization Apple will employ for Siri as it rolls out Apple Intelligence integration. When the iPhone's voice assistant is summoned, the screen's bezel will light up with iridescent colors that respond to your voice. It's an animation that will only be present on iPhones that support Apple Intelligence — such as the new iPhone 16 models.
So while it remains to be seen exactly what will be shown onstage at the Glowtime event, here are five of the biggest rumors you need to know about.
1. iPhone 16 Pro goes all-in on AI
This should come as no surprise but the iPhone 16 lineup is going to embrace Apple Intelligence in a big way, and the company has already indicated those AI capabilities will push a lot of people to upgrade. At present, only the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be able to take advantage of Apple Intelligence when it actually launches. Although the suite of AI-infused features won't launch directly with the iPhone 16 series — they'll arrive via a subsequent software update — all the handsets in the range will be capable of running them.
In hardware terms, that'll be down to the new A18 chip and improved Neural Engine on the new phones. However, Apple will still want to create a division between the regular and Pro models so the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max could benefit from an A18 Pro chip and, possibly, some exclusive Apple Intelligence features.
So while any iPhone 16 user will be able to eventually employ Apple Intelligence to do things like create amazing images from text prompts or rewrite their messages and check grammar, there could be some special mentions of Pro-level features we've yet to see.
2. A basic AirPods update
Anyone hoping to see the AirPods Pro 3 unveiled at the Glowtime event may be out of luck. All the audio rumors are pointing to a by-the-numbers update of the standard AirPods in the form of AirPods 4.
According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is believed to be discontinuing AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 this year to have the new model take over as the entry-level option.
From a design standpoint, it's believed the AirPods 4 will merge the AirPods 3 with the AirPods Pro to give us an improved fit but without the replaceable tips. We'll also likely see a new USB-C charging case and possibly two different variants: one with noise cancellation and a lower-cost version without.
The biggest missed opportunity in all this? AirPods Max 2. The company's over-ear headphones are still lingering on as a first-generation product complete with Lightning charging port. If there's one device calling out for an upgrade, this is it.
3. Apple Watch upgrades
On September 9, 2014, Apple revealed the first Apple Watch and, in the intervening decade, the wearable has come to dominate the market. The Glowtime event would seem like the perfect opportunity for a big Apple Watch revelation, but according to the rumor mill, this year will be pretty pedestrian.
We're expecting to see the Apple Watch Series 10 debut with a slightly bigger form factor: the 41mm model will grow to 45mm while the 45mm model will bump up to 49mm. At the same time, the screen should expand but the chassis would be made thinner. There likely won't be any big design departure so all the best Apple Watch bands will still fit.
Meanwhile, newer health features like sleep apnea detection could arrive and we're also likely to see the Apple Watch Ultra 3. There have been few rumors on this but it's expected to be identical to the Apple Watch Ultra 2 but with an upgraded chip.
The most interesting reveal would be the launch of the Apple Watch SE 3, which could bring a lot of great wearable features into an affordable price range for most people. The Apple Watch SE is on a two-year cadence of updates with the first appearing in 2020 and the second in 2022. So the time is right for the Apple Watch SE (2024) to break cover.
4. iPad mini 7...finally?
The iPad mini 7 has been talked about for nearly a year at this point and there's a great deal of speculation about whether or not Apple will unveil it at this event. Not counting the fact iPad mini 6 stock is running low, the diminutive slate was left off the upgrade list at Apple's "Let Loose" event earlier this year.
When it comes to what we expect, an updated iPad mini would be much the same in terms of design and screen — an 8.3-inch display with a 2266 x 1488-pixel resolution and 60Hz refresh rate. But the real changes are apt to be on the inside.
My colleague Jason England goes into more detail here but we should hopefully see a bump in RAM and storage as well as hopefully the A17 Pro chip from the iPhone 15 Pro Max to enable the iPad mini 7 to enjoy the benefits of Apple Intelligence.
5. What's going on with Vision Pro?
You might be forgiven for wondering what's going on with the Apple Vision Pro. We called the headset a "revolution in progress" in our Apple Vision Pro review, but things have been a little quiet of late. We had a release beyond the United States announced earlier this year but there's not been much by way of headline-grabbing news since then.
There has been much talk of a cheaper Vision Pro headset in development at Apple's labs but it's highly unlikely we'll hear anything about it on September 9. According to rumors, this less expensive headset won't be ready until the end of 2025 at the earliest.
However, given the importance of this device to Apple's long-term...ahem, vision, it would seem like some sort of update is warranted for the Glowtime event — even if it's just to tell us about its expansion to even more countries.
At any rate, you'll be able to find out the answer to these rumors and more when the Glowtime event officially kicks off at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. BST.
More from Tom's Guide
- 5 things Apple Watch 10 can learn from Pixel Watch 3
- iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max: 7 biggest rumors
- Should you buy an iPhone 16 or wait for an iPhone 15 price drop?
