Apple iPhone 8 event: What to expect

Apple is all set to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the iPhone with the latest version of the device next week. As is the case every year, we’ll be all over the event and publishing everything you need to know as it happens. Based on all the reports and rumors we’ve heard over the past several months, here’s what you can expect at the all-new Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Cupertino.

The iPhone X – and a couple more

Dutch site iCulture reported recently that Apple’s next handset will be called the iPhone X, in honor of its anniversary. That bucks the numerical nomenclature in a way for the first time in a decade, but hey, it’s a special occasion indeed.

The company is also expected to announce two more iPhones that will likely be dubbed the 7s and 7s Plus; As the names suggest, they’ll be an upgrade over the previous generation in terms of hardware, but might ultimately strongly resemble the 7 with its bezel-heavy front fascia.

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iOS 11

The latest version of Apple’s mobile OS, which has been available in beta since June, will offically roll out to iDevices soon. It’ll bring along a bunch of notable features, including person-to-person payments via Apple Pay, a more natural sounding Siri, a revamped lock screen with a unified Notification Center, seamless live photo loops, a supercharged Portrait Mode, enhanced Apple Maps and more. There are also a bunch of clever interface changes for the iPad that should make it even easier to use.

The big draw, of course, is ARKit, Apple’s new platform that takes advantage of iOS devices’ cameras and sensors to deliver augmented reality experiences. From the demos we’ve seen so far, it looks like a ton of fun, and it’ll be interesting to see what sort of content becomes available to play with it once iOS 11 and ARKit are rolled out worldwide.

Apple Watch 3

The next Apple Watch may not be dramatically different from its predecessor, but it will have one significant change: the inclusion of a SIM slot for standalone LTE connectivity. That means it’ll be able to work independent of your phone, and perhaps even let you make calls.

Apple TV

It’s been two years since the last Apple TV, so we’re expecting the next one to get support for 4K output, and perhaps even HDR for a more vibrant picture. The company has also begun producing its own shows, so we’ll soon see $1 billion worth of content from Apple in the coming years.

macOS High Sierra

Apple announced High Sierra, the latest update to macOS, back in June; it promises faster and more secure browsing with Safari, support for external graphics devices and the Metal 2 API, new editing tools in Photos, a retooled interface for Mail, and an all new file system for quicker processes.

Long shots

iPad Mini

The smaller sibling to Apple’s tablet hasn’t been updated in two years, and people seemed to like that form factor – so we won’t be entirely surprised to see a new iPad Mini with refreshed hardware. We would be impressed that Apple managed to keep it under wraps, though.

AirPods variants

C’mon Apple, surely you can paint your wireless earbuds in more than one color? People have been resorting to custom solutions to get different finishes, so it’s obvious that there’s demand for them. I’d personally like to see them in black, Space Gray and even (RED).

Stay tuned for all this and more from us in tandem with Apple’s event on September 12 at 10AM PT – follow our coverage here. We’re also hosting a live chat during the event, in which we’ll discuss the new products and updates: join us on this page.