Apple Wonderlust Event Bingo
The annual iPhone event is upon us... time to make predictions, manifest desires, and play a round of Bingo during Apple's Wonderlust event.
Apple has announced their annual iPhone event on Tuesday, September 12, 2023. The event is rumoured to feature updates to the iPhone, Apple Watch, and maybe a few more of Apple's products (though probably not any Macs, which may/may not be slated for a separate event sometime in October). As I've been apt to do, I've created a BINGO board featuring my picks for what we might see at Apple's Wonderlust event. The selections are a collection of rumours and a few of my personal wish list items for the event. So sit back, play along, and enjoy the event!
Note: These picks were made during the week of August 27, so some of these might have changed, confirmed, or debunked in the time between when I wrote about them and the event.
The Bingo Board is available to download as a PNG or PDF, and for the first time, I’ve added a more printer-friendly PDF so you don’t end up using all your toner on this card. Special kudos to Dylan who first inspired me to begin making these board with his own creations.
Wonderlust Bingo Board
iOS & iPadOS 17 Released on Monday, Sept 18.
Based on everything I've seen about how the iOS & iPadOS betas are progressing, I think it's safe to expect iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 to launch on the same date this year (guessing September 18). Staggered launches have only happened twice in the past four years, first in 2019 when iOS 13 launched on September 19 and iPadOs launched on September 24, and in 2022 when iPadOS 16 launched over a month later than its iOS counterpart.
Here’s a history of the past 7 iOS release days:
iOS 10: Tuesday, September 13, 2016
iOS 11: Tuesday, September 19, 2017
iOS 12: Monday, September 17, 2018
iOS 13: Thursday, September 19, 2019 (iPhone)
iOS 14: Wednesday, September 16, 2020
iOS 15: Monday, September 20, 2021
iOS 16: Monday, September 12, 2022 (iPhone)
iPhone Pro Max gets a Periscope Camera
This year, the tentpole feature rumoured for Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to be a periscope camera. To increase the iPhone's zoom, Apple is expected to adopt a periscope lens that stacks the camera components vertically and refracts the image down the phone's height. The camera is expected to be a feature exclusive to the top-tier Pro Max, and I'd anticipate a bit of a price bump. As for zoom, I've read rumours that suggest anywhere within the realm of 6-10x optical zoom (iPhone 14 Pro currently does 3x).
Reference:
https://www.tomsguide.com/opinion/iphone-15-ultra-will-apple-add-enough-new-features-to-justify-the-name-change
A17 is a 3NM chip
New year, new chip. I imagine we'll continue the staggered pattern of having the iPhone 15 lineup get last year's A16 while the Pro line gets a new A17 chip. Furthermore, Apple is expected to launch the A17 with a new 3nm (A16 was 4nm) chip. That often results in faster, cooler, and more power-efficient operation.
iPhone Mute Switch Removed in Favour of "Action Button"
Rumours suggest that after 16 years, the iPhone dispenses with the mute switch. I'm not even sure if phones beyond the iPhone still have those. But the expectation is that Apple is dropping that iconic little switch in favour of a customizable action button that should function a lot like the one on the Apple Watch Ultra to invoke shortcuts, trigger specific actions, and on the iPhone, could be set to serve as a mute button too. Goodbye Mute Switch I toggle on once and never touch again; it's been a good run!
Visit Apple’s Chip Lab
The occasion of a new 3nm A17 chip deserves a visit to Apple's chip lab for the usual parade of unlabeled graphs and flashy performance stats. The cherry on top of this pick would be a Johny Srouji cameo.
iPhone Pro gets Thunderbolt
When Apple debuted the iPad 10th Generation & added USB-C, it limited the transfer speed via the cable to 480Mbps, the same as Lightning. Compare that to Thunderbolt, which gets 40Gbps or 80x faster data transfer. I wouldn't be surprised to see a marquee feature of this year's iPhone Pros be the ability to transfer via Thunderbolt (cue applause from video creators). As for the regular iPhone 15, I don’t think it’ll get capped like the iPad 10, but I don't think it'll get Thunderbolt either; perhaps something akin to the 10Gbps data speed of the iPad Airs USB-C port.
But, as John Gruber has written about on Daring Fireball, I wouldn't expect the iPhone Pro to ship with a Thunderbolt cable. Those cables are thick, expensive and for very niche case scenarios. Instead, I could see Apple shipping a standard USB-C cable with USB 3.1 speeds and selling the Thunderbolt cable separately.
Apple Discontinues & Replaces its Leather Accessories
I think Leather accessories are on the way out. Apple's Leather AirTag key-rings haven't been updated in ages, and Apple's spring colour update forgoed adding leather options. Leather is becoming a more contentious material, and could see Apple wanting to adopt different materials in their products as a result. Recent rumours have hinted at a new pleather or woven-type case material that could be introduced as an alternative tier above Apple's silicon cases.
As for watch bands, I have no idea if we'll see the discontinuation of the Leather Link or Modern Buckle (although there are rumours a woven Modern Buckle-like band is coming). This might be the end of Apple’s leather accessories as we know it.
References:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/03/iphone-15-finewoven-cases-replace-leather/
https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/04/apple-watch-leather-bands-rumor-discontinued/
Regular iPhone 15 gets the Dynamic Island
Rumours going back as far as February have hinted that the Dynamic Island will trickle down from the Pro line to the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus. I was worried about how Dynamic Island would look at 60Hz (the current iPhone 14 frame rate) compared with the Pros 120Hz display. However, when I restricted the frame rate in accessibility settings, the Dynamic Island was still smooth and perfectly functional.
Reference:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/22/exclusive-iphone-15-cads-reveal-larger-6-2-inch-display-dynamic-island-and-more/
iPad mini & iPad Air Updated
I am taking my shot that Apple will quickly update the iPad Air & iPad mini during this September event. I haven't seen rumours suggesting significant updates to the iPad Air or Mini. Still, I could see a situation where both receive modest updates (new colours, new chips: iPad Air to M2, mini to A16 or A17) before the holiday season. It's a good time to also sync the colour lineup with the iPhone 15.
September 04 Update: Based on reports by Kuo & Mark Gurman, this seems unlikely in 2023, but I’m putting it out in the universe to manifest it.
Reference:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/09/04/what-not-to-expect-apple-september-iphone-15-event/
AirPod Max Update Announced
This is one of my dark horse picks for this year's iPhone event. Announced in December 2020, the AirPods Max have gone nearly three years without an update, and products like the AirPods Pro 2 & even the Beats Studio Pros are getting features that further age this $549 pair of headphones.
Apple doesn't have to do much. Build in a USB-C port for charging and lossless playback, update the chips to allow for Adaptive Transparency & iOS 17's Adaptive Audio, bump up the battery life, and make them a bit more sweat-resistant, and you'll have a modest but respectable update to this high-end headphone. I'm okay with keeping the weight and build quality the same.
September 08 Update: Gurman says no.
Reference: https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/08/usb-c-airpods-case-not-ready-this-year/
A New Band Style is Unveiled
Apple is also expected to release a new band style at this year's September Apple Event. Apple has historically introduced new colours at their fall Apple Watch events, and it's not uncommon for Apple to release/discontinue new band styles simultaneously. The last time we got new bands occurred in 2022 with the Apple Watch Ultra, and then back in 2020 when Apple launched the Solo Loops, Leather Link, and Braided Solo Loops with the Apple Watch Series 6.
The new band is rumoured to follow the design language of a Modern Buckle but be made of woven fabric.
Reference:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/09/new-apple-watch-magnetic-band/
Apple Watch Ultra gets a Dark Titanium Finish
With rumours swirling around that the Apple Watch Ultra will receive an update a year after its debut, adding a new colour option could entice new and old buyers to Apple's latest tier of Apple Watch. Previously, Apple offered two titanium variants of the Apple Watch Edition - a natural titanium finish and a darker titanium, so there is precedent. There were reports of Apple originally intending to offer the Ultra in an additional colour variation last year, but production issues eventually delayed its release. Although I prefer the look of raw titanium, the expected darker (rumoured: Black) titanium Ultra Series 2 could look incredible.
Reference:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/01/apple-watch-ultra-2-black-titanium-rumor/
Keynote Runtime: Under 90 minutes
The average runtime of Apple iPhone events from the past six years has been 95 minutes. The shortest was back in 2020 (71 minutes), the longest in 2017 (116 minutes). I'm playing the under and going to make my pick that this year's event slides under an hour and a half in length.
History of Apple iPhone Events & Runtimes:
2022 Apple Event was 95 minutes
2021 Apple Event was 79 minutes
2020 Apple Event was 71 minutes
2019 Apple Event was 102 minutes
2018 Apple Event was 107 minutes
2017 Apple Event was 116 minutes
A Blue iPhone 15 Pro is Announced
Blue is back! Rumours that have leaked so far expect the iPhone 15 Pro's one allowable colour to come in a dark, navy-like blue. For the third time in four years, Apple had chosen to launch a Blue iPhone (with Pacific Blue in 2020 and Sierra Blue in 2021).
iPhone Pro gets a 2TB storage tier
My first iPhone came with 8GB of storage (iPhone 3G), and now we're talking about the possibility of the iPhone 16 Pro getting 256x that amount. It may seem unbelievable to some - I'm currently using less than 89GB - but 2048GB of storage would be a great way for Apple to up their profit margins and an enticing & beneficial tier for those shooting large high-res video.
Reference:
https://www.macrumors.com/2023/08/07/iphone-15-pro-2tb-storage-option/
Apple Announces the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Pro Lines
There's a reason Apple's annual September Apple Event is colloquially known as the iPhone event: because, going back to the iPhone 5 in 2012 (One exception: the iPhone 12 lineup was announced in October), Apple has always aimed to announce their latest iPhones in September. We can safely expect a quartet of new iPhones, including iPhone 15 & 15 Plus & updates to the iPhone 15 Pro & Pro Max.
Gold is Discontinued in the iPhone 15 Lineup
With Apple rumoured to move to titanium on the iPhone 15 Pro, rumours have also predicted the end of a gold iPhone. This colour has been a consistent and popular option since it debuted on the iPhone 5S.
Reference:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/08/24/iphone-15-pro-titanium-no-gold/
iPhone gets USB-C (RIP Lightning)
It's hard to believe that Lightning was introduced over a decade ago with the iPhone 5. At the time, the cable was revolutionary - small, thin, reversible - it was a significantly better cable than the 30-pin adapter and most other connectors on the market. But in the past decade, USB-C has become the standard, and the Lightning connector has begun to show its age. It's time for the iPhone and Apple's accessories to make the shift to USB-C.
Satellite Rescue Stories Highlighted
Last year, Apple announced that the iPhone 14 lineup would receive satellite functionality, the ability to text information to rescue services outside of cell service using GPS satellites. I'm confident Apple's Emergency SOS feature will get some well-deserved airtime highlighting stories about how this technology has aided in rescuing many people over the past year.
References:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/01/27/emergency-sos-satellite-game-changer-canada/
https://tcrn.ch/3uRPxeX
https://9to5mac.com/2023/08/09/family-rescued-wildfires-maui-iphone-satellite/
An AirPods Case is Updated to USB-C
Although I'm not predicting an update to the AirPods Pro 2 or 3, I wouldn't be surprised if Apple introduced a new AirPods case for one or both earbuds with an updated USB-C port. This would be a small step to converting all their accessories to be compatible with USB-C.
A Secret Location is Accessed Via Whimsical Transition
In addition to the expected drone footage around Apple Park, at some point, we'll transition from one place to the next via some fancy corridor, portal, or secret underground tunnel accessed via the fountain inside the courtyard of Apple Park.
iPhone 15 Pro Comes in Titanium
Apple has been toying with titanium over the past few years with its releases of the Apple Watch Edition (brushed Titanium) and later the Apple Watch Ultra (more of a bead-blasted titanium). The metal is far lighter & stronger than SS in addition to being more corrosion resistant, and an iPhone ~10-15% lighter would feel pretty noticeable. In addition to titanium's metallurgical properties, it provides a compelling aesthetic reason for some to consider updating to the next iPhone.
Reference:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/09/08/iphone-15-battery-life-weight/
The iPhone Pro Max Name Remains
I expect the iPhone Pro Max brand to stay put. There's been some speculation about an Ultra tier of iPhone being announced or that the Pro Max will adopt that moniker, but those seem destined for 2024.
References:
https://twitter.com/markgurman/status/1568107855349424128
https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/5/23586459/apple-iphone-ultra-2024-price
iPhone Preorders on Sept. 15, Arrive Sept. 22
It's common for Apple preorders to go live on the Friday following the event, and I predict that this year won't be any different. Will all iPhones be available a week later? There are flip-flopping reports suggesting that because of issues with the camera in the new Pro Max model, it might experience delays into October. However, more recent rumours suggest production is proceeding as planned. I'm betting on all models of iPhone to launch the following week (September 22).
References:
https://9to5mac.com/2023/08/21/iphone-15-pro-max-release-date/
https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/08/28/iphone-15-pro-max-starts-mass-shipments-claims-kuo
Those are my picks for Apple's Wonderlust event. Thanks for playing along, and if all goes according to the rumour mill, I'll be back in October with another round of BINGO ahead of Apple's fall Mac event. I had other picks I wanted to include but ran out of space. But honourable mentions go to:
iPhone Pro Max sees a price increase in at least the US (other iPhone prices remain the same).
iPhones come with colour-matched braided USB-C cables
No additional sensors are added to the Apple Watch this year (but maybe an enhancement on what the sensors can detect).
iPhone 15 Pro gets a smaller bezel.
An Apple service-related announcement is made.
