It’s finally official. Apple will hold its September event on September 9, 2024, live from the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino. So, what can we expect from this event? The usual.
The September event from Apple typically introduces the new iPhones, new Apple Watches, and sometimes new AirPods. In this post, we’re going to round up everything that we expect to see Apple announce at this event in just a couple of weeks time. So here’s everything you need to know.
The significance of September 9
Apple rarely does events on Monday – aside from WWDC keynotes. Going back to 2017, Apple has held their iPhone event on a Monday exactly 0 times. It’s most often on a Tuesday in the second week of September – except for 2020 when the iPhone actually launched in October, but Apple still held an event in the second week of September.
So Apple opting for a Monday event this year is a bit strange. But the day of the week isn’t what you should be paying attention to. Remember, this is the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch. On September 9, 2014, Apple announced the Apple Watch, which was the first big new product category launch for Apple in about 5 years, at the time. So it’s quite obvious that is why Apple picked September 9, 2024 for the Apple Watch 10 launch.
Apple iPhone 16 series
Obviously, the main event of this event is going to be the iPhone 16. Once again, we are expecting four models from Apple this year. That’s the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. The Pro models are actually expected to gain 0.2 inches of screen this year and be slightly larger. The big reason for this is so that Apple can fit more inside the phone, like larger camera sensors. Remember, the iPhone 15 Pro Max launched with the new folded tetraprism camera that can do 5x zoom, while the regular Pro model was stuck with 3x optical zoom. Between the slimmed-down bezels and the new cameras being added, it’s going to be a really nice upgrade this year.
Apple is also expected to be expanding the Action Button across the entire iPhone 16 lineup. This was only available on the Pro models last year, and we’re also rumored to be getting a second button, called a Capture Button. This would be dedicated to launching the camera, and the reason for this is to get more people shooting spatial video that can be watched on the Vision Pro.
As far as pricing goes, we are expecting it to remain the same this year. That would put the iPhone 16 at $799, the iPhone 16 Plus at $899, the iPhone 16 Pro at $999, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max at $1,199. Last year, Apple removed the 128GB model of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, raising the starting price, but technically not raising the price in general. It wouldn’t be too surprising to see Apple do the same with the iPhone 16 Pro so that both Pro models start at 256GB.
Apple Watch Series 10
The Apple Watch Series 10 is also expected to make a big splash at the ‘It’s Glowtime’ event on September 9. Many rumors have claimed that the Apple Watch Series 10 will get a meaningful screen size bump to 45mm and 49mm, respectively. Making the larger size the same as the Apple Watch Ultra 2. Other rumors point to the Apple Watch Series 10 being thinner than its predecessors. Which given the larger watch, that shouldn’t be too hard to do, unless Apple adds a larger battery – they won’t.
Finally, the Apple Watch Series 10 is set to make all of your previous bands obsolete. Apple has long wanted to change up how you attach bands to the Watch, to free up some space inside the watch. And this year, they are expected to launch the new magnetic system for the Apple Watch Series 10. But it does also sound like this might not be ready in time for Series 10, and launch a bit later on, on Series 11 or later.
Apple Watch Ultra 3
The third-generation Apple Watch Ultra is also set to be unveiled at this September event, and rumors suggest that we could finally get more case color options. Though, last year it was rumored that we would get a black option, but that never came to fruition. Other than that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 doesn’t seem to be getting much of an upgrade this year.
Apple has, reportedly, been working on new health tools for both Apple Watch models. This includes a blood pressure monitor, sleep apnea sensor and glucose monitor. The latter is something a lot of companies are working on but haven’t been able to achieve yet. While the Galaxy Watch Ultra does sport the blood pressure monitor and sleep apnea detection already.
Apple AirPods 4
Apple doesn’t typically upgrade their AirPods every year, however with the AirPods Pro getting updated with USB-C earlier this year, it’s likely that the regular AirPods are next in line to get USB-C. Apple is expected to replace the AirPods 2 and 3 with new mid-range and entry-level AirPods 4 options in September. They will sport updated designs, and potentially some new colors. The mid-range AirPods 4 is also expected to sport active noise cancellation, which is currently only available on AirPods Pro.
How to watch Apple’s ‘It’s Glowtime’ event
The iPhone event is set to happen on September 9, and start at 10AM PT. That would be 1PM ET for those on the east cost, and 7PM CEST for those in Europe. It will be livestreamed across every platform you can imagine, including YouTube. You can also watch it via the Apple TV app, and on Apple’s website.
The keynote typically lasts about an hour to an hour and a half. The video is likely to be pre-recorded; we heard earlier this week that Apple was already recording the event. Those in attendance at the Steve Jobs Theater will get hands-on time after the video ends.
