It could be the first show of REAL innovation from Apple post-Steve Jobs. Apple sends invitations to an event on September 9. Talk of the town is Apple is pregnant with a watch AND the new iPhone 6 to be delivered at the same time. Congrats, it could be twins (or triplets even)!
Update: Apple publishes a live streaming link of the September 9 press event, which means you can watch the event live as it happens. And the New York Times basically upstages Tim Cook to confirm 2 new iPhones and a watch will be unveiled. Somewhere up there Steve Jobs is shaking his head.
Front page news:
Apple making it rain, with shares of AAPL touching an all time high AGAIN today on release of press event details for a September 9 gathering that *could* deliver more than just the next gen iPhone. Apple is always pregnant with several pipeline progenies. Every fall around this time, the Cupertino company refreshes its iPhone, so we expected a new handset – or two (one with a 4.7 inch display and one with a 5.5 inch display) to be birthed in the next month.
But If the rumors are true, Apple could unveil a new product line: the Apple wearable watch, possibly dubbed “iTime” based on a patent Apple has – providing a much needed shot of momentum for its pipeline, its image and a show of innovation in the era after Steve Jobs.
Basically, this is going to be the most important quarter for Apple in years.
Reading between the headlines:
As you can read, the wording in Apple’s invitation was cheeky – cheekier than ever, if you ask me – leaving more room for interpretation than in the past.
For consumers, the next few months could make Apple lovers fall in love all over again. It’s like a much needed vow renewal after 15 years of marriage, just to keep things interesting. [blocktext align=”center”]”I promise to love and cherish my Apple products until my dying day”[/blocktext].
For Apple, getting a new iPhone out year after year it critical to its bottom line, as iPhone sales account for over 50% of revenues for the company. This new phone won’t just be a modest adjustment but could have some real upgraded features including possibly:
– 2 bigger models (one 4.7 inches and the other 5.5 inches, more of a Phablet)
– Slimmed down thickness (thanks to removal of the headphone jack)
– Wireless charging (based on patent filings)
– A tougher sapphire screen (preventing the need for screen replacements for the clumsy)
– More memory, better camera, upgraded software
But the water cooler talk will really be about the iTime watch, which could come out at the SAME time as the iPhone 6, based on reports. According to patent details the plans show Apple is not just planning a smart watch but also a FitBit type watchband that could make phone calls or text on its own. If and when it does get released, this will be the first device out that wasn’t under the control of Steve Jobs. This device will show us what kind of innovating Apple can do without its chief mastermind and what it is capable of inventing. This will give us more insight into the future of the company more than anything else it has released in the last years, in my opinion. It will be the first show of what the company can dream up on its own.
What’s next:
Watch the rumor mill continue to churn out details and get us more frenzied and confused in the days ahead of the event. Whether the September 9 event comes with twins (2 phones) or triplets matters. If we get triplets, Apple will have hit it out of the ball park. Even if we get 2 new iPhones, hope remains alive for the October wearables event. We Apple watchers may want one big fireworks display, but for Apple, it may be better served by drawing out the suspense with shareholders reaping the benefits (read: profits). Either way, start saving up now.
