Last-Minute iPhone 6, iWatch and iPad Rumor Roundup

The rumors have been floating around for months and the big day is almost here.

Just as Apple’s made its bones by simplifying technology, let’s boil down the nearly endless supply of rumors to paint a general picture of what we might expect to see from the company’s September 9 media event.

The Event Will Be Streamed Live Online

This one is most definitely not a rumor, and it’ll result in the rest of these rumors either being proven true or laid to rest starting at 1pm Eastern on Tuesday, September 9 when Apple CEO Tim Cook takes the stage at the Flint Center in Cupertino, CA. Fun fact: Steve Jobs launched the Mac from the Flint Center 30 years ago.

You’ll be able to watch the event live online, broadcast directly from Apple’s site at Apple.com/Live. There will also be roughly 1.2 bajillion liveblogs of the event going on at the same time. Visit just about any tech site to follow along.

New iPhones

All signs point to two new iPhone models, a 4.7-inch version and a 5.5-inch version (current iPhone models sport 4-inch screens).

For those of you with small hands, there will reportedly be a one-handed mode that rejiggers the interface slightly so you can reach everything (Samsung has a similar feature on some of its larger phones). The 5.5-inch iPhone’s more expansive display may take advantage of apps in an iPad-like fashion by leveraging iOS 8’s upcoming dual-pane feature.

The phones will apparently sport slightly curvier designs than past offerings and support tap-to-pay features, up to 128 gigabytes of storage (current models max out at 64 gigabytes) and a built-in barometer that ties into health and location apps.

There’s no great consensus on launch dates for either phone, though it’s believed the 4.7-inch version might launch first, with the 5.5-inch version to come along later this year. For recent launches, new iPhones have typically been available within a couple weeks of being announced, so perhaps the 4.7-inch version would roll out sometime in September.

There have also been some rumblings about the phones packing nearly unbreakable displays made of sapphire crystal, but well-connected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes the screens aren’t ready for such large displays. He thinks they’ll be present in Apple’s rumored iWatch line, though (more on that next).

The iWatch

Apple will reportedly be showcasing its long-rumored smartwatch, though it’s believed the device won’t be available for purchase until next year. Features apparently include a curved, rectangular screen made of impact-resistant sapphire crystal, tap-to-pay functionality, eight gigabytes of storage, health-tracking sensors and two screen sizes. It’s been reported that battery life might not be anything to write home about.

No word on firm pricing, though $400 has apparently been bandied about, with murmurs that pricing might not even be discussed at Apple’s media event.

New iPad Air

Alongside the new iPhones, Apple will reportedly be rolling out its followup to the iPad Air. It’s believed to be similar in design to the previous model, with the addition of a faster processor, the iPhone 5s’ fingerprint sensor and a gold color option. Apparently the iPad Mini line might not get a whole lot of attention but some models may get the fingerprint sensor as well.

Sources: 9to5Mac.com (here, here, here, here, here and here), New York Times, Re/code (here and here), Wall Street Journal, The Information, AppleInsider

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