Apple Officially Announces Sept 9 Event: FINAL UPDATE

| iPhone 6 | iWatch | iPad | HealthKit | HomeKit | iOS 8 | A8 |

FINAL UPDATE:

I will be going dark on Apple news and rumors following the revelation of Apple's intense secrecy and security surrounding tomorrow's event. It should be a heck of a show and I am ready to enjoy all the surprises to the fullest extent.

Until then.

Update 7:

It's looking more and more likely that we'll actually get to see something very different and new from Apple, even if other companies have already had a crack at this particular market (read: smart watch). NEW leaks today, direct from confidential manufacturer slides, point to Apple's most ambitious project to date, no contest.

iWatch:

• Will include both a microphone and a speaker
• Will include Siri support (whether that's through the phone via connectivity is a mystery, though if previous rumors of 8gb on-board memory and 512mb RAM are true, we may see the dawn of a Siri that is at least partially free of network support)
• It may run 3rd party apps and get its own app store (!)
• Will be water resistant for 200 feet (standard for watches)
• Will have more than a day of battery life
• More confirmation of a flexible screen
• (Side note: Apple has invited many design and fashion A-listers to tomorrow's event, presumably to display to them Apple's new, fashionable wearable)

The slides in question, from which this information was gleaned, indeed lines up with Quanta slides -- the company thought to be supplying the iWatch for Apple. Images are below.

Gallery

iPhone:

We've got more information about the iPhone 5.5" that seemingly confirms the final battery size as being just over 2,900. Still, we've seen surprisingly few bits of the 5.5" iPhone, which leads me to believe that we may not have it available to us at the same time the 4.7" iPhone is released upon the public (likely a week after the Sept 9 event).

More updates as they are available.

(This may constitute the final update before tomorrow's event unless there is a major break in the news. Also please note the purposeful exclusion of a more significant leak -- a Chinese review of the iPhone 6 -- as it is believed to be an elaborate fake.)

Update 6:

New news from who knows who (reported by the New York Times) --

iWatch

According to sources, the Apple's highly anticipated wearable may be more meaningful than we thought. Previously, it was reported that the watch itself wouldn't even be announced, but now we've received some new information contrary to that report. According to recent sources, the iWatch may include --

• Flexible, OLED display covered in flexible sapphire crystal
• Wireless charging (Apple experimented with solar charging but the tech is just not there yet -- yet)
• It will track movement and user health data more accurately than any wearable out there
• NFC on board, with 512mb RAM and 8gb of storage
• Size rumors range from 1.2" to 1.3" to 2.5" screens (with multiple options in screen size depending on the wearer's preference)
• May come in around $400USD
• Jony Ive, Apple's lead designer, is so confident in the device that he was quoted as saying (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Switzerland is f****d."
• It's likely this is Apple's most ambitious project to date

If they can pull all that off, while still delivering at least a day or more of battery life, I'll be surprised and impressed. The smartwatch world hasn't been lit up yet, and has in fact set up on a tee this wearable opportunity for Apple -- and it seems they're stepping up to the plate in a big way.

iPhone 6

• Both the 4.7" and 5.5" versions will come with a "one-hand-mode" that users can switch on and off
• Mobile payment system will be the killer app utilizing NFC, Bluetooth, and TouchID for the best mobile security solution in mobile payments

Both the 5.5" iPhone and the iWatch may get debuted, but it's likely both will not be available until after the 4.7" iPhone has been on the market for a few weeks (if not until the end of the year, sadly).

iPad

Updates have been reletively quiet in regards to the iPad, which typically sees a refresh after the iPhone launches (Apple's iPhone typically gets the newest tech first before it trickles down to their other product lines). Rumors talk of an iPad announcement, featuring Apple's new (rumored to be truly killer) A8 SoC, 2gb RAM, and a gold option.

All good news, very exciting.

Update 5:

We are now just a week away and have started to come across more definitive parts for the rumored 5.5" model, including this 2,915mAh battery. This would put it in line with some of the higher end android flagships in terms of battery life and may result in some never before seen runtime for Apple's mobile phone.

And we've got a new video showcasing what the next iPhone may actually look like again and this time we get to see it side by side with the 5s.

Last juicy tidbit -- another report regarding the iWatch: It looks as though the iWatch may not be announced on September 9th because it has only recently gone into testing phases (the stage before an initial manufacturing run begins). If true, it's too bad, because I was really hoping Apple was building that large structure next to the venue for the purpose of housing an indoor track and other fitness equipment so folks could try the iWatch out right then and there (before a 2015 launch).

Update 4:

From left field comes Feld & Volk with some very interesting video of what they're reporting is a fully constructed (or at least nearly fully constructed) iPhone 6. My immediate thought -- the pictures do not do this phone justice.

In videos, it's very appealing and the edges aren't nearly as gaunt and metallic as they appeared at first glance with other parts we'd been privy to. I imagine that perhaps what we're seeing is a polished part vs a production part.

Other interesting tidbits -- It's being said now that the 5.5" iPhone 6 won't be introduced at the September event for reasons not fully known, but it's no surprise. While we've seen leak after leak of 4.7" parts, we've seen little to nothing regarding the 5.5" model -- a sign that it's likely not in mass production. Which leads to the next tidbit.

The iWatch is likely going to be debuted alongside the iPhone 6 as an accessory type object, but will likely not ship until early 2015 -- or perhaps in very limited quantities this Fall. Again, the lack of leaked parts reveals perhaps that it has not yet been put into production. Rumors state that the difficulty making the wearable have slowed things down quite a bit -- a rumor I'm quite fond of because it leads me to believe the iWatch may incorporate design elements or capabilities that no other wearables have even flirted with. Very exciting.

Update 3:

We have a little more information in the way of photography and speculation from the famous John Dalrymple of LoopInsight. His analysis is likely accurate, which removes a bit of mystery from the situation, but still leads me to believe Apple is planning for something bigger than is typical.

Apple is constructing its own building on the Flint Center grounds as part of the event. It seems to me that this could be the hands-on area that Apple typically has for attendees after the event.

Credit John Dalrymple @ LoopInsight

Some images from Dalrymple are featured below, click for a larger version of each one.

Gallery

The potential take-away from this Apple event vet is this--

"...Apple has held three events at the venue over the years and they have been huge."

Update 2:

ENORMOUS Mystery Object

According to MacRumors, Apple is building some mystery structure reaching a monstrous three stories tall. You can see the image below:

What it is nobody knows and the scads of people guarding the object are replying with the same phrase, "We are not at liberty to discuss that due to client wishes." As if the iPhone 6 announcement itself wasn't big enough news, this has certainly upped the allure of the event a few notches.

Location, Location, Location

The event will be held at Flint Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of De Anza College in Cupertino -- notably the place Apple first introduced the Mac. It's believed that the announcements coming on September 9 are so significant that they're returning to where the revolution truly began 30 years ago and it is certainly a compelling argument. If they were going to introduce a new revolution upon the world, this 2,000 seat center is the place to do it (it's many times larger than where Apple typically holds product announcements).

Update 1:

iPhone 6

• Will likely come in two sizes, 4.7 and 5.5 (the latter may be delayed)
• Will likely come with a new A8 processor (how big a jump this will be is TBD)
• Will likely have upgraded camera internals that may protrude from the back
• Will likely have a significantly upgraded design
• Will likely be lighter and thinner than previous iPhones
• Will likely be equipped with a larger battery
• May have a sapphire screen or some combination of sapphire and glass
• May have NFC built in for a new mobile payment solution detail
• May come with a 128gb internal storage option
• Some say it may have a barometric pressure monitor on board

iWatch

• May come with a fully sapphire glass screen
• More details as they become available...

Examining the Invitation

Invitations for major Apple events always hint at what is to come. I find the text, "Wish we could say more" compelling because it may point Siri enhancements that may directly relate to an Apple wearable device. Siri is a useful tool that I tend to rely on most days of the week for reminders, timers, alarms, calendar events, texting while driving, emailing while driving, and having the former two read to me while driving. (Pipe Dream Scenario: Apple's recent partnership with IBM runs deeper than we all knew and Siri is retired in place of Watson for Apple's digital assistant.)

Hope the iwatch is actually true. Hope that they bump up the internal storage, so 64gb = 32gb price. Ran out of space just storing music on 16gb... sad I know.

@Bikouchu35: I agree. I hope 32gb is the new low storage spec.

The latest update is perhaps the most significant of all (Update 4) and it includes possible video of a constructed iPhone 6.

Great. Now i have to decide if i buy the new one as it comes out or hold off for the bigger one.

I'm kind of in the same situation. We'll see what actually happens a week from Tuesday.

Great announcement from apple, I really like to use these updates of Apple. Its every features and performance is really great. I have some other but I always like to update myself from latest technologies and announcements.

I guess its really happening @musicalmacLink

4.7 hands down for me. Theres plenty of big screen powerhouse smartphones, but smaller ones are harder to come by.

I was pretty jelly when the s3 first came out, I think that screen size would be perfect. While the s5 looks too big now. I can go even smaller since I want to retain that one hand use practicality and not a phablet.

Very excited to see what they announce. I don't have my phone upgrade anyway but I always like watching or hearing about their conferences. I'm not that interested in the iPhone 6 simply because I think all the leaks have let out the interesting things like the design, but do want to hear more about its features. I'm also interested to see what approach they take with the different screen sizes. I think rumors keep flip flopping if they'll announce and sell both the 4.7" and 5.5" models at the same time or if the 5.5" version is getting delayed.

I'm more interested to see if they announce any iWatch details. I'm sure they're making one at this point the question just comes if they'll reveal it alongside the new iPhone or save the announcement for a later date.

Even before release, an apparent iPhone 6 (4.7 inch) breakdown video (Russian with English subtitles) has emerged:

Assuming this is the iPhone 6, the hardware looks great. The rounded edges on the chassis and the display remind me of various Nokia devices (e.g. Lumia 920), which is a good thing, as those devices felt very comfortable in the hand.

@NVIDIATI: Yes, thank you for linking that video. I'll add it to the OP. And I agree, my skepticism regarding the aesthetics has been largely erased now that we've seen polished parts assembled. It looks like a sharp phone and I expect to pick up the black version.

I have to admit, that design looks very sleek and a lot better than I anticipated. Seems like Apple took a page from Nokia going with less bezel and have pure black technology with its iOS 8. That's a good thing as having a black background does indeed save more battery life compared to an all white screen. I feel that camera looks a little bulged, but it must have 6 lense tech for better picture taking and better zooming features....

Oh, and that NFC tech? It seems like its located on that apple logo, pretty clever!

Congrats Apple, you made me think that this iPhone 6 will be an instant hit, especially with its great cosmetic changes.

@FireEmblem_Man: Yeah, it's interesting that the camera pokes out from the back of the phone, which leads folks to believe it's quite possibly magnetic for camera attachments.

People are already in line for an iPhone 6. I think there's more buzz around this iPhone launch than any launch prior. It'll be a very interesting September 9.

@musicalmac: Like I said, it could mean better zooming possibly more MP's or something to reduce noise while zooming for better details

Update 6:

New news from who knows who (reported by the New York Times) --

iWatch

According to sources, the Apple's highly anticipated wearable may be more meaningful than we thought. Previously, it was reported that the watch itself wouldn't even be announced, but now we've received some new information contrary to that report. According to recent sources, the iWatch may include --

• Flexible, OLED display covered in flexible sapphire crystal
• Wireless charging (Apple experimented with solar charging but the tech is just not there yet -- yet)
• It will track movement and user health data more accurately than any wearable out there
• NFC on board, with 512mb RAM and 8gb of storage
• Size rumors range from 1.2" to 1.3" to 2.5" screens (with multiple options in screen size depending on the wearer's preference)
• May come in around $400USD
• Jony Ive, Apple's lead designer, is so confident in the device that he was quoted as saying (and I'm paraphrasing here), "Switzerland is f****d."
• It's likely this is Apple's most ambitious project to date

If they can pull all that off, while still delivering at least a day or more of battery life, I'll be surprised and impressed. The smartwatch world hasn't been lit up yet, and has in fact set up on a tee this wearable opportunity for Apple -- and it seems they're stepping up to the plate in a big way.

iPhone 6

• Both the 4.7" and 5.5" versions will come with a "one-hand-mode" that users can switch on and off
• Mobile payment system will be the killer app utilizing NFC, Bluetooth, and TouchID for the best mobile security solution in mobile payments

Both the 5.5" iPhone and the iWatch may get debuted, but it's likely both will not be available until after the 4.7" iPhone has been on the market for a few weeks (if not until the end of the year, sadly).

iPad

Updates have been reletively quiet in regards to the iPad, which typically sees a refresh after the iPhone launches (Apple's iPhone typically gets the newest tech first before it trickles down to their other product lines). Rumors talk of an iPad announcement, featuring Apple's new (rumored to be truly killer) A8 SoC, 2gb RAM, and a gold option.

All good news, very exciting.

Update 7:

It's looking more and more likely that we'll actually get to see something very different and new from Apple, even if other companies have already had a crack at this particular market (read: smart watch). NEW leaks today, direct from confidential manufacturer slides, point to Apple's most ambitious project to date, no contest.

iWatch:

• Will include both a microphone and a speaker
• Will include Siri support (whether that's through the phone via connectivity is a mystery, though if previous rumors of 8gb on-board memory and 512mb RAM are true, we may see the dawn of a Siri that is at least partially free of network support)
• It may run 3rd party apps and get its own app store (!)
• Will be water resistant for 200 feet (standard for watches)
• Will have more than a day of battery life
• More confirmation of a flexible screen
• (Side note: Apple has invited many design and fashion A-listers to tomorrow's event, presumably to display to them Apple's new, fashionable wearable)

The slides in question, from which this information was gleaned, indeed lines up with Quanta slides -- the company thought to be supplying the iWatch for Apple. Images are below.

Gallery

iPhone:

We've got more information about the iPhone 5.5" that seemingly confirms the final battery size as being just over 2,900. Still, we've seen surprisingly few bits of the 5.5" iPhone, which leads me to believe that we may not have it available to us at the same time the 4.7" iPhone is released upon the public (likely a week after the Sept 9 event).

More updates as they are available.

(This may constitute the final update before tomorrow's event unless there is a major break in the news. Also please note the purposeful exclusion of a more significant leak -- a Chinese review of the iPhone 6 -- as it is believed to be an elaborate fake.)

Fanless Macbook Air with Retina Display using the latest 14nm broadwell chip.

Something along those lines has been rumored for quite some time. Or a MbA that includes both an Intel and AX insides.

The ASUS UX305, in the 13-inch form factor, is exactly that (swap OS X for Windows), and it's due out before the end of the year. So there's a good chance you might see something similar from Apple.

Gallery

Known specifications:

• Windows 8.1
• 13.3 inch 3200x1800 matte display
• Intel Core M (Broadwell Y with Intel HD5300 graphics)
• 128 GB or 256 GB SSD
• HDMI, 802.11ac WiFi, 3 USB ports, 3.5 mm headset jack, SD card slot
• 10+ hour battery life
• Aluminium construction
• B&O audio
• <0.5 inches thick (world's thinnest 13.3-inch laptop) | 2.6 lbs

If Apple chooses to wait for Broadwell U (coming Q1 2015), then the device is not likely to be fanless, but a reasonable boost in performance/battery could be expected. Apple currently uses Haswell U in their 2014 MacBook Air.

That would be quite bizarre, I would see no benefit in adding iOS to an OS X device with a laptop form factor.

I'm going dark until ~2PM CST tomorrow after Apple's event ends. I want to enjoy every surprise they have in store.

Specwise, iPhone 6 is not good. 1gb of ram? Thats like 100mb increase from iPhone 5.
A rehash of chips and camera really.
Apple Payment, Apple Wallet, NFC... I don't know anyone who uses those things much.. mobile banking, yes.
Im no business guy, but the shares for Apple went down for those who care.
They will still rake in money from the isheep crowd.

It is more of a fashion accessory as opposed to a technical marvel.

I think the Flagship android phones are the real winners this time round.
(Note 4, Z3, HTC One, G3, heck even Nokia Lumia range has its perks)

That watch looks like it is marketed at 10 year olds. iPhones normally run smooth and do things well so I guess the specs don't say it all with those things.

The 20 nm A8 SoC (with 1 GB RAM) inside of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus is said to offer a 25% increase in CPU performance and a 50% increase in GPU performance. The SoC performance jump is much smaller than the move from the A6 to the A7, but the focus is on keeping down power consumption.

Here are some unofficial benchmarks that display Apple's claim of 25% more CPU performance:

GeekBench 3 Single Thread

• A7 - 1304
• A8 - 1633

GeekBench 3 Multi Thread

• A7 - 2345
• A8 - 2920

Still waiting on official benchmarks.

Stuck between iPhone 6 and 6+. Guess I'll be going to an apple store to handle them before I make a decision.

It certainly does! The Icon/930 has a higher PPI than the iPhone 6 and the new update Denim will give it support for faster camera shutter speeds and 4k recording support. Also, nothing beats Nokia's Camera's and despite Apple finally adding their version of Pure View (6 lens), Nokia still wins with cropping images and zooming!

The iPhone update is about what we expected, and it's nice to see the bump in battery life on the 6+. I'm excited to learn more about the A8 and M8 and the move from >1 billion transistors to a near double 2 billion transistors and how they all work. Apple cited longer battery life with peak performance during the keynote, something we could all appreciate.

The watch was also not a surprise, but the way it works certainly was. I think the digital crown is brilliant and it's going to make the currently available smartwatches seem like a chore rather than a convenience. Flick flick flick flick flick vs a single finger scroll. Pretty savvy design. I know we all wanted battery life stats, and we all did, but hopefully we'll learn more about that in the coming months.

Either way, I can't wait for someone to tear into both the Apple Watch and iPhone 6/+ (lookin' at you, Anand).

The iPhone 6 has shown up on Basemark X 1.1 with a rather underwhelming score. Basemark X is a benchmark for measuring gaming performance and is based on Unity 4.2 (a popular engine for mobile games).

Basemark X 1.1 (medium)

• iPhone 5S (iOS 7 & A7) - 20253
• iPhone 6 (iOS 8 & A8) - 21204

Basemark X 1.1 (high)

• iPhone 5S (iOS 7 & A7) - 13404
• iPhone 6 (iOS 8 & A8) - 15621

Compared to the A7 inside of the iPhone 5S, the A8 offers a 4.5 % gain in the medium benchmark, and a 14.2 % gain in the high benchmark.

When Apple claimed a 50% increase in GPU performance, I could only assume they used GFXBench (still waiting on results for this benchmark), or something other than Basemark X 1.1.

Disappointed with the ppi for 4.7, but I'm getting that anyway. Apple seemed to dropped the ball on the specs race, I know teh efficient OS, but I still want some bragging rights with all these rabid Android defectors breathing on my neck. Seems like they gimped the small model to give the 5.5 the sales boost. I also hoped for more MP again for more bragging!! Than again I just want better low light pictures/video.

I'm not hating on the 5.5, but I would be laughing at all the users that plunge straight into the bigger model without experiencing bigger phones before. Its going to be huge!

The iPhone 6 has appeared on GFXBench showing a ~38% improvement in the Manhattan Offscreen benchmark.

GFXBench 3.0 Manhattan Offscreen (1080p):

• iPhone 6 (A8) - 1103 Frames (17.8 Fps)
• iPhone 5S (A7) - 796 Frames (12.9 Fps)

@NVIDIATI: Is that the normal iPhone 6? Some other benchmarks point to the 6+ being clocked higher.

Yes, that's the standard iPhone 6.

Unofficial results on GFXBench for the iPhone 6 Plus show a slightly higher score between 1149~1158 Frames (18.5~18.7 Fps). This would result in a 43~45% increase over the A7.

@musicalmac Just to follow up, the iPhone 6 Plus now has an official score on GFXBench of 1153 Frames (18.6 Fps).

Chipworks has also revealed that the A8's GPU is 4 cores. This would suggest that it's the PowerVR 6XT GX6450 (4 core), and not the rumoured GX6650 (6 core). This also explains the minor speed bump in GPU performance. There is always a chance that Apple might use the GX6650 inside of an A8X for the upcoming iPad Mini and iPad Air.

Probably heading to the store tomorrow to touch em. Can't wait for the contract to be over this month :)

I'm uber bummed out by the ram and ppi for the small one. Still I bet the upgrade would be nice from the 5 vanilla.

@Bikouchu35: I'm going from a 4s to a 6+, I'll probably order it today. I have a trip towards the end of October and I hope the phone comes in by then.

I anticipated the 6 feeling better in my hands than the 6+, but the rounded edges on the 6+ make it feel much more manageable than I had imagined, especially compared to phones with more squared edges. And the screen on the 6+ is really, really impressive because of the polarizer and because they've removed so many layers from the construction that it looks like images and text almost sit on top of the display rather than being behind glass. It's very much like using my iMac (only the screen is 5.5" instead of 27").

It's pretty cool.

Actually, I've had a change of heart -- and a change in phone. I decided to go with 128gb iPhone 6. It's plenty big and I'm getting a new iPad soon anyways, so the phablet thing became far less important.

And what a beauty it is. :)