More than just the iPhone 16: Apple’s secret plan for September 9

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Apple will be unveiling the new iPhone 16 in just a few days—that much is already certain. But is there perhaps more? Which other product announcements are likely, and which are less likely? The current state of the rumors provides some clarity. Apple will definitely not be satisfied with the iPhone 16 alone.

Apple event: Not just the iPhone 16
The date and time are known. Apple is hosting a special event on September 9, and everyone knows new iPhones will be on display. But is that all? Probably not. Here is a summary of the products that we are almost certain to see:

iPhone 16: Apple plans to unveil four new models again. The two Pro versions are likely to be the focus of particular attention. Their screens and housings will be slightly larger. The 6.1 inch will become 6.3 inches, and the 6.7 inch will become 6.9 inches. This year, all variants will have the same action button as the iPhone 15 Pro (Max), and a new side record button will be added. This moves the iPhone 16 closer to a “real” photo and video camera.

Apple Watch Series 10: An “Apple Watch X” may be hiding behind the new Watch 10, as Apple unveiled the world’s first Apple Watch on September 9, 2014. But apart from a narrower case, it’s better not to expect too much from the possible anniversary model.

Apple Watch Ultra 3: The third generation of the Apple Watch Ultra is likely to be even more boring. There are hardly any reports on it so far. Apart from an update under the hood, however, no visible innovations are unlikely.
AirPods 4: The presentation of the fourth generation of AirPods is also fairly certain. Two versions will replace both the older AirPods 2 and the current AirPods 3.

These announcements are on the back burner
We are still unsure about the following new products:

Apple Watch SE: A new smartwatch for entry-level users would actually be in rotation, but it is not yet certain. There has recently been speculation about an affordable plastic version, but will we get to see it yet? Nobody knows at the moment.

iPad mini 7 and iPad 11: New models of iPads are also expected; after all, none of the current models are compatible with “Apple Intelligence.” However, there is no guarantee that Apple will simultaneously show the successors to the smallest and cheapest iPad, the iPhone 16. Another event or a silent announcement during the fall is more likely.

No more chance for September 9
It is better not to expect further products to be announced on September 9. These will either come later in the year or 2025 at the earliest:

M4 Macs: New models of the MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac with the new M4 chip are still expected in 2024. However, Apple will present these separately, either in October or November.

AirPods Pro 3, new HomePods: Apart from the AirPods 4, Apple is unlikely to introduce any new headphones in 2024. We also won’t see any new smart speakers, possibly with a display, at least not in September.

Cheaper Apple Vision headset: The Apple Vision Pro is unsuccessful. Apple is, therefore, pinning all its hopes on a cheaper version of the “spatial computer.” But this won’t come until the end of 2025 at the earliest, or perhaps not until the year after next. It is neither a topic for the iPhone keynote nor for this year in general.