Prepare Yourself for Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) Newest iPhone

Labor Day tends to mark the end of summer… students going back to school, vacations coming to an end, and the time to embrace the cooler weather.

Another event that tends to take place at the end of summer is a keynote from Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which we usually expect sometime in September. This year’s keynote carries a lot more weight seeing as it’s the 10th anniversary of Apple’s first iPhone debut.

There have been a lot of rumors and “leaks” this summer, as per usual. One thing a lot of people have been talking about is whether Apple would even be able to deliver a new iPhone in 2017, or whether would it miss a huge opportunity to take advantage of holiday sales and in return miss on meeting (or exceeding) its end-of-the-year revenue goals. 

We’ve known an iPhone 8 has been in the works for some time now, but one thing still lingers on everyone’s mind: Will Apple be able to deliver a product that will finally bring some excitement to a market that’s becoming very limited in its growth?

Apple officially announced that it will have its keynote event on Tuesday, September 12th.

The event will take place at Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. This is the first-ever event at the brand-new Apple location.

Critics and users alike are intrigued by what Apple will unveil. And, frankly, Apple needs to bring something to the smartphone market besides minor upgrades to its current phones.

One notable rumor is that the new iPhone 8 line will have three tiers, as per usual. The first tier could have a price tag that starts around $999 with 64 GB. The next tier will have 256 GB and a price tag of $1,099.

Last but definitely not least, the high-end phone in the iPhone 8 line will have 512 GB and an astounding price tag of $1,199.

If you were to tell me 10 years ago when I was paying $499 for Apple’s first-generation iPhone that I would possibly be paying $1,199 for a new phone, I wouldn’t have believed you for a second.

Sure, the phone will have more space, but it’ll need that extra space to ensure it can run its new operating system properly.

Of course, with a price tag so high, we can only expect that there will be some new features to make it all worth it.

Right now, the rumors that have been circulating include “new” features that aren’t really quite new. These new features have been on Android phones for some time now — features like OLED screens, curved glass, a dual-lens camera, and wireless charging.

To any ordinary smartphone consumer, these features might seem miniscule and don’t really warrant the high price range, but what people may fail to realize is that the technology inside these phones continues to significantly improve. This is actually an advancement for the smartphone market, but to the typical consumer, it doesn’t seem like much.

Regardless of the rumors, there’s still a lot of interest coming from consumers. Brand loyalty might play a big role in that interest, but another huge factor is that everyone wants to own a smartphone they feel is built with integrity and that will last, and that’s what Apple is known for.

Market research firm 451 Research reported that 52% of people planning to buy smartphones in the next 90 days said they would buy iPhones — the highest percentage since 2010. 

Some additional rumored specs of the new iPhone include:

• Apple A11 chip
• Rear-facing Touch ID sensor
• iOS 11 with improved Siri interactions
• Face-scanning technology
• Vertical dual cameras on the back of the phone
• Support for LTE speeds up to 450 Mbps

At the end of August, the IDC research firm reported that it’s expecting Apple’s iPhone 8 to “spur a major upgrade cycle” in 2018 that will drive iPhone shipments up by 9.1%.

So, not only will the holiday season bring in massive sales, but they will also continue throughout 2018 as well. Demand will be strong.

The sparked interest for Apple’s new iPhone has resulted in strong demand for the phone, which has had an effect on Apple’s stock for the better…

The rise in Apple’s share price has resulted in a 36% increase in the company’s market capitalization.

However, I briefly mentioned earlier that there’s a chance the new iPhone won’t be in production in time to make the holiday season, or at least that there might not be enough phones to fill the demand. Some market analysts have suggested that the iPhone 8 could be delayed by weeks or even months because of rumors that Apple is having a hard time integrating its Touch ID fingerprint reader into the screen.

We’ll get some more solid information during Apple’s keynote next Tuesday, September 12th. If Apple production is delayed, it could result in some very disappointed shareholders.

Prepare Yourself for More Than Just a New iPhone…

The new iPhone 8 line won’t be the only thing Apple will be debuting on September 12th.

It’s also rumored that the company will be revealing a new smartwatch, a new Apple TV box, and possibly more information on its recently announced smart-speaker, the HomePod.

Apple has been working on upgrading its Apple Watch, and the company is expected to announce the Apple Watch 3. We could see two different versions of the Apple Watch 3. One is said to be an upgrade to last year’s watch, incorporating a better processor and possibly a better watch screen.

The other version will be equipped with 4G LTE. No longer will Apple Watch wearers have to have their iPhones nearby to operate some of the watch’s features. This might be my favorite upgrade! As an Apple Watch user, I find it annoying to not being able to perform a variety of tasks, like reading a text message or checking the weather, because I’m not within range of my iPhone. 

Usually new Apple Watches are released in the spring, but we could see these two versions sometime before the end of 2017.

There’s a lot to pay attention to during Apple’s keynote event next Tuesday, September 12th! To find out firsthand which rumors are true and which are false, you can watch the event live at 10 a.m. Pacific Time here.

Until next time,

Monica Savaglia
Wealth Daily