This is arsTECHNICA’s prediction for apple’s September event.

On September 12, 2018, Apple will hold an event at the Steve Jobs Theater.

Just as Apple launched the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X and Apple Watch 3 in the same place at the same time last year, we expect this event to be largely focused on the iPhone and Apple Watch.

In this article, we’ll start by talking about Apple’s overall focus and strategy right now, and then take a closer look at each of the products that Apple may announce at this event.

Apple's current priorities and strategyCopy the code

While the iPhone outperformed other smartphones last year, its sales didn’t grow as quickly as they had. There are many factors behind this, and market saturation is one of them.

Apple is sure to set its sights on cars, TVS, and AR glasses, or one of them, though we don’t know which of the company’s internal experiments will actually make it to market. What we do know is that Apple’s services business (which includes Apple News, App Store, Apple Music, iCloud, etc.) has doubled, and the company is investing heavily in AR and machine learning.

Expect those three focuses to permeate every product Apple unveils at the event, just as they are testing iOS 12.

Machine learning drives the key features behind Siri and TrueDepth cameras. AR is the foundation of much of what Apple did on mobile devices last year. Both macOS Mojave and iOS 12 integrate Apple News Stories and other Apple services into new apps and parts of the user experience.

Finally, apple is trying to position itself as a privacy-friendly competitor to the likes of Facebook and Google, as consumers and lawmakers have publicly criticized their data-based business models over the past year. Expect Apple to talk a lot about this at the conference, taking every opportunity to differentiate iOS and the features of its new products from those of rivals. For example, while Apple introduced some new ideas based on machine learning in iOS 12’s photos app and Siri, it was careful to tell customers, partners and media that it would not use their data to test and improve those features.

Here’s a look at what Apple might unveil at the event.

Certain or probable productsCopy the code

Based on apple’s plans and reports from trusted insiders over the past few months, here are some of the products that Apple is sure to unveil at this event.

There are at least two (possibly three) successors to the iPhone XCopy the code

Last year, Apple released the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus share the basic design of Apple’s flagship iphones since the iPhone 6 in 2014 — a faster processor, new augmented reality sensors and support for wireless charging. The latter requires the back of the phone to be made of glass, which doesn’t please users worried about breaking their phones.

The iPhone X is also made of glass, but it brings the most radical innovation to the iPhone line in years. The iPhone X swaps the LCD for OLED, which offers deeper blacks and better contrast, as well as a screen that extends almost from the front of the device to the edge, giving more room for apps. The iPhone X also features The TrueDepth camera, a front-facing 3D camera that offers more advanced facial recognition than any previous phone.

The iPhone X immediately became the world’s best-selling smartphone. So it’s no surprise that Apple is tweaking the design in 2019.

According to multiple reports from Bloomberg, Apple will introduce three more phones at this year’s event, each of which will be closely tied to the iPhone X.

An updated version of the iPhone XCopy the code

One is the closest thing to the iPhone X — it has the same design as the iPhone X, with some additional specs. (We’re tentatively calling the phone the iPhone XS, though its final name hasn’t been revealed yet.) The phone will be powered by Apple’s new A12 processor, which is rumored to be made by the company using a 7nm process. Tech experts and analysts have speculated that the phone could be 20 to 30 percent faster than the previous model, and the iPhone X was already the fastest phone we tested when it went on sale last year.

We don’t know much about the phone, camera improvements are possible, and we’re excited to see updates to Apple’s face recognition technology that will make face recognition faster and more reliable. Apple is making strides in areas such as augmented reality, health monitoring and machine learning.

A larger iPhone X designed using the iPhone XCopy the code

Apple is also reportedly working on a 6.5-inch iPhone X. Aside from its size, the phone is likely to be very similar to the upgraded iPhone X mentioned above, and it will likely be called the iPhone XS Plus. Past Plus phones have had better cameras than their predecessors, so there’s a good chance the iPhone XS Plus has a better camera than the iPhone XS, too. But according to 9to5Mac, the phone will be called “iPhone Xs Max.”

LCD iPhone X designed with iPhone XCopy the code

The iPhone X starts at $1,000, and the OLED display is a major factor in its exorbitant price. We expect the upgraded iPhone X to be priced similarly to the iPhone X, but not all consumers are willing to pay that price for a phone.

Under the direction of CEO Tim Cook, Apple’s strategy for its upcoming iPhone lineup is to offer as many phones at different price points as possible to satisfy demand — a departure from Steve Jobs’ philosophy. Apple is also expected to launch the iPhone at a lower price this year. That also means the iPhone 8 could be cheaper than its current price.

But Bloomberg and other media outlets are reporting that Apple will unveil a third phone based on the iPhone X design that will feature an LCD screen instead of an OLED to lower the price. The phone will also be made from different materials that are cheaper.

We expect the phone to have the TrueDepth sensor array and Face ID, as well as the near-edge-to-edge display design of the iPhone X and two other new iphones this year. Oddly, reports say the phone measures 6.1 inches, somewhere between the 5.8 inches of the iPhone XS and the 6.5 inches of the iPhone XS Plus or Max.

                         Apple Watch 4
Copy the code

It’s almost certain that Apple will announce a new Watch at the event, which is likely to be called the Apple Watch Series 4, and whose flagship feature could be a bigger screen.

People who studied the watchOS 5 beta proved that it will have a screen resolution of 384×480 pixels, compared to the Apple Watch 3’s 312×390, which will allow more information to be displayed on the surface of the Watch. The band is likely to stick with its predecessor.

FastCompany says the new Apple Watch will replace the existing mechanical buttons with solid state buttons that provide tactile feedback, similar to the home button on the recent iPhone or the trackpad on Apple’s macbook. However, subsequent information has cast doubt on this information.

Apple users and some critics have demanded better battery life, as well as more fitness and health monitoring features. For example, the Apple Watch doesn’t support sleep tracking, but some of its competitors do.

IOS 12, macOS Mojave, watchOS 5, and tvOS 12Copy the code

At its annual developer conference in June, Apple unveiled a new operating system for the iPhone, iPad, iPod, MAC, Apple Watch and Apple TV streaming box, which it promised would be available this fall. We’ll probably get an actual public release date for each OS at the September event.

IOS 12 is designed to improve the performance and stability of iphones and ipads, especially older devices. It introduces a new feature called screen time that allows users to monitor and limit their mobile device use or their children’s use.

A new app called Shortcut will allow users to customize their interactions with Siri. It also allows developers to make their apps work directly with Siri as well as Apple’s augmented reality and machine learning technologies. Among many other small changes across all devices, iOS 12 introduces new apps and interactions with the iPad, as well as automatic software updates.

MacOS Mojave introduces a dark mode view operating system that greatly expands existing quick browsing capabilities and related tools.

WatchOS 5 adds a new app called Walkie Talkie that lets users use the watch as a walkie-talkie and introduces a competition feature that helps motivate exercise by competing with friends. It also improved Siri’s dial, introduced new exercises like hiking and yoga, and automatically detected when users started or stopped exercising. Not only that, watchOS 5 also extends the notification feature, bringing the Podcast app and WebKit to the watch.

TvOS 12 further simplifies authentication with cable providers to access certain content, adds Dolby Atmos support, and adds a new screensaver that includes 4K HDR footage from space.

AirPower and AirPods charge wirelesslyCopy the code

Apple unveiled AirPower, a charging pad for iphones, Apple Watches and AirPods wireless headphones, at its September 2017 event. The company initially promised to deliver the product in early spring 2018, but that never happened. We’ll finally get a release date at the September event.

AirPower is based on Qi wireless charging technology and can charge all three of these devices simultaneously.

Some other possible products are the new iPad Pro without a home buttonCopy the code

The iPhone line may not be the only Apple product to fully implement edge-to-edge displays, TrueDepth and Face ID. Bloomberg reports that Apple plans to update the iPad Pro in two sizes, after the current version was released in June 2017. The update focuses on applying the buttonless design of the iPhone X to the iPad Pro and adding a TrueDepth camera for facial recognition.

We found an icon in the iOS 12 beta that appears to show the iPad’s design — with the smallest bezel but no camera notch — that Apple could end up keeping the iPad Pro’s bezel thick enough to accommodate the sensor array without a notch. That said, the beta version of iOS 12 on the iPad moves the information in the status bar to the corner, leaving a spacious space at the top of the device, just as it would appear on the iPhone X.

We’re not sure what the internal structure will look like, but presumably the CPU will be A11X or A12X, both of which can be built based on the 7nm process.

A new MacBookCopy the code

A separate report from Bloomberg says Apple will introduce a new MacBook this year that will combine elements from the MacBook and MacBook Air product lines.

The new design is said to be similar to the MacBook Air, but with a smaller bezel around the screen, and updated technology is likely to include an iteratively improved butterfly keyboard, usB-C/Lightning port, and Retina (HiDPI) display.

Currently, Apple doesn’t offer computers for less than $1,000. This product could solve that problem, and it could also be attractive to educators and students, as Chromebooks have been leading the education industry for the past few years and Apple has been trying to compete with them.

The new Mac miniCopy the code

Bloomberg also reported that Apple is about to launch a Mac Mini. It is understood that the product is aimed at professional users. Its predecessor was an affordable consumer device, originally designed with home theater in mind.

Apple TV 4K and its competitors almost all beat home theater PCS for most consumers, so the new Mac Mini will feature more powerful internal devices that will appeal to software developers.

Like the iPad Pro and MacBook, it could be announced at an event later in September.

Apple's streaming TV serviceCopy the code

Apple is certainly working on a new streaming TV service with a program that uses high-cost original content to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon. Apple has already confirmed some shows, such as a TV series based on Isaac Asimov’s book series.

The service is expected to launch next year. Despite confirming a series of orders, Apple has never spoken publicly about the service. That could change at a September 12 event. Apple has opened an office in Culver City, California, a major hub for TELEVISION, film and new media products in Los Angeles. Apple has been aggressively courting TV talent and producers/writers/show makers to greenlight several shows.

In a recent article about Apple Services, Eddy Cue, Apple’s head of services, mentioned that Apple is considering putting its TV app (currently available on iOS and tvOS devices) outside of apple’s services ecosystem. That means the app will be available on platforms like Windows and Android. Apple took a similar approach with Apple Music.

The service probably won’t be available right away, but Apple will eventually kick off and let customers know what it’s been doing.