Apple iPhone 12 and Watch Series 6 to launch on September 15

The Cupertino-based tech giant will unveil new products virtually

Apple's chief executive Tim Cook speaking at a product launch event in Cupertino in September last year. The company will hold this year's new product launch event virtually because of the Covid-19 pandemic. AFPShow less

Apple will launch its new iPhones and a slew of other products on September 15, the company announced on Tuesday.

"Time Flies. Please join us for a special Apple event from Apple Park," the media invite received by The National said.

The Cupertino-based tech giant is facing delays because of supply chain disruptions caused by the coronavirus outbreak. It officially confirmed production glitches in July when its chief financial officer Luca Maestri said during an earnings call that this year’s launches will be a “few weeks later”.

Here is what to expect from the upcoming Apple event that will be held virtually because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Apple’s first 5G iPhones

The new iPhones 12 series will be Apple's first 5G-enabled handsets.

Fifth-generation components, which promises internet speeds of up to 10 gigabits per second – more than 100 times faster than what 4G offers, will raise production costs by up to $100 (Dh367).

However, the iPhone manufacturer will offset the price by cutting on supply chain expenses as it aims to attract budget-conscious customers, according to analysts.

Many smartphone manufacturers such as Samsung, Huawei, LG and OnePlus already sell 5G-enabled phones.

Last year, all three new models of iPhones were revealed and launched together. AFP

Prices and specs

The entry-level phone in the new series will be 13.7-centimetre iPhone 12 that will be priced at $649, at least $50 cheaper than the entry-level handset in Apple’s 11 series launched last year.

The flagship device of the new series, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, with a 17cm screen, will cost $1,099. The iPhone 12 Max and iPhone 12 Pro, both with 15.5cm screens, will be priced at $749 and $999, respectively.

Battery size will vary between 2,227 milliampere hours and 3,969-mAh. Smaller battery is always a major drawback for Apple users as it’s usually over 4,300-mAh in premium handsets of other companies.

New iPhones without adapter and earbuds

The new iPhones may come without a power adapter and wired earbuds, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at Hong Kong’s TF International Securities.

Removing the in-box accessories will balance the cost of the 5G components and help Apple sell its new iPhones at a lower price, according to Mr Kuo. It will also reduce the size of packaging, thereby cutting down on freight charges.

Cheaper offerings may help Apple compete with rival mid-range smartphones from Samsung and Huawei and meet its goal of 200 million shipments this year.

The cheaper iPhone XR, which retails from Dh1,800, was the best-selling smartphone of 2019, according to the technology researcher Omdia. The company shipped 46.3 million devices of the model last year, surpassing its previous best sales record of 30 million units for the iPhone SE in 2016.

Availability

Apple will begin initial production of its 5G iPhones in mid-September, narrowing the production delay to just weeks instead of months, Japanese newspaper Nikkei Asian Review reported.

Mass production is expected to begin between the end of September and early October.

However, the new iPhones will reach consumers in phases.

The company will start shipping iPhone 12 and 12 Max in the week starting October 19, while Pro devices will be sold in November, according to Jon Prosser of YouTube channel Front Page Tech.

Mr Prosser, who is widely viewed in the technology industry as a reliable source of information on forthcoming products, has more than 284,000 subscribers to his channel.

Last year, all the new iPhone models were revealed and launched together.

Apple displayed a refurbished logo on the media invite. Courtesy Apple

Watch Series 6

Apple, which accounted for nearly half of all smartwatches sold in the first half of this year, will focus more on health-conscious users.

The new smartwatch will come with an embedded sleep tracking feature and an enhanced electrocardiogram (ECG) functionality. The company is also developing an application to accurately measure the blood oxygen saturation levels.

Google-owned Fitbit, one of Apple’s main competitors in the wearable sector, is offering a similar feature but cannot measure the exact oxygen saturation level.

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The rarest Apple collection in the Middle East

Jimmy Grewal sits in front of the incredibly rare Apple I, the first personal computer sold by Apple in 1976. Cody Combs / The National

Apple's first attempt at a laptop, the Macintosh Portable, from 1989. It weighed 7 kilograms, but its battery lasted from 6 to 12 hours. Cody Combs / The National

Left to right: Apple I, Apple II, Apple Lisa, Macintosh 512k. Cody Combs / The National

A closeup of one of the first Macintosh models. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple II (serial #92) has no vents on the casing, making it very rare, unlike the Apple II on the left. Grewal says only approximately a dozen of these ventless Apple IIs remain in existence. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple II was purchased by the American School of Dubai in 1978. Cody Combs / The National

This sticker, complete with typo, shows just how old this Apple II is. Cody Combs / The National

The original 128k Macintosh sits on the top left of this portion of Grewal's Apple Collection. Also pictured just below is the 20th Anniversary Macintosh. Cody Combs / The National

Grewal's collection is still growing, prompting him to move computers to different locatins to make room. Cody Combs / The National

Some of Apple's first attempts at "tower" Macintosh computers, like the Macintohs Quadra, are also in Grewal's collection. Cody Combs / The National

No detail was too small for Grewal in presenting his the Apple products. These cabinets were colour matched to correspond with the original rainbow Apple logo. Cody Combs / The National

Grewal's collection of Apple laptops, ranging from the Apple Duo to the Apple PowerBooks continues to grow. Cody Combs / The National

This unusually large Apple product is a rare Apple Network Server. These ran a Unix-based operating system. Cody Combs / The National

The first Apple LaserWriter, manufactured in 1985, is one of several Apple printers in Grewal's collection. Cody Combs / The National

This Apple Scribe printer utilized special thermal paper. The quality was poor and the printing was slow, but the thermal paper was an innovative idea at the time. Cody Combs / The National

Also in Grewal's collection is an Apple Interactive Television Box from 1994. It was never released. Cody Combs / The National

It's not technically an Apple product, but this NeXT Cube was the computer created by Steve Jobs' company, "Next", after he was fired from Apple in 1985. It's shaped almost perfectly like a cube, was very powerful, but sold poorly. Cody Combs / The National

In Grewal's other office, Apple product cases are used to prop up a coffee table, and various Apple artefacts and photos are displayed on the wall. Cody Combs / The National

This is a rarely used early rendition of the Apple logo. It's signed by Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, and the often forgotten co-founder Ron Wayne. Cody Combs / The National

Inside this original Macintosh 128k, you can see the molded signatures from the original Macintosh team, including the signature of Steve Jobs. Cody Combs / The National

An Apple Dot Matrix Printer, first introduced in 1982. Cody Combs / The National

This rare Apple I was the first product shipped by Apple in 1976. This particular Apple I in Grewal's Dubai collection still works. Cody Combs / The National

This is an original Apple Lisa in Grewal's Dubai collection. It was the first Apple computer to have a graphical user interface. Grewal says approximately 20 of the original Lisa computers remain in the world. Cody Combs / The National