Four things to expect from the Apple launch 2015

PUBLISHED08/09/2015 | 13:00

1Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California

Tomorrow, Apple will unveil a plethora of new products at its main annual launch in San Francisco. Here are the four main things to expect from the launch.

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1. iPhone 6S

Apple will almost certainly launch upgraded iPhone 6 models, probably called the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus.

Using the same sized screens, leaks strongly suggest that the new models will have better cameras (12 megapixels rear and five megapixels selfie) than existing models. This makes sense: Apple is currently spending a fortune on billboard posters all around the world promoting photographs shot by ordinary people on their iPhones.

The new phone is also said to include ‘force touch’ functionality, currently used on the Apple Watch. This allows the phone to tell when you’re putting more pressure on the screen to control something: it could be used to make menus or options appear.

The new phones may have a slightly thicker frame, both to house beefed up features and put a definitive stop to any accusations of ‘bendgate’.

They’re also expected to come in at least one new colour, with ‘rose gold’ featuring prominently in most rumour blogs.

2. New large-screen iPad

It now looks very likely that a brand new iPad will be introduced, one with a much larger screen (13 inches) and more power. Dubbed by analysts and bloggers the ‘iPad Pro’, the machine is expected to be pitched more at business users than ordinary punters. To put the screen size into context, 13 inches is the same size as a large MacBook Air or a standard MacBook Pro.

The thinking here is that iPads — and all tablets — have fallen off significantly in sales as larger-screen phones steal much of their functionality. At the same time, Apple has been doing deals with companies like IBM and Cisco to try and embed the iPad deeper into corporate and enterprise computing.

3. Apple TV

What’s also likely is an updated Apple TV set-top box that may have a new focus on gaming and apps. The device's remote control is also expected get an upgrade, with a touch pad and motion sensors so it can double as a video-game controller, according to TechCrunch.

Apple’s long term ambition is to try and enter the TV streaming market in some way. However, film and television studios are very wary of loosening control on their content. Many say that they do not want TV to become commoditised in the same way music was 10 years ago. That means that Apple has struggled to strike deals with premium studios and TV companies like HBO.

4. Other things

There are some indications that Apple may be introducing a new phone, effectively replacing the iPhone 5C and 5S as the junior model in the range. We can also expect to hear more about iOS9 and new features such as ad-blocking. And there may be updates to Apple Watch accessories.

http://www.independent.ie/business/technology/news/four-things-to-expect-from-the-apple-launch-2015-31510254.html

http://time.com/134575/best-streaming-tv-boxes/

https://www.roku.com/roku3-vs-appletv - 2014

New Apple TV 2015 release date rumours | New interface based on iOS 9 | Will be gaming deviceHere's everything you need to know about the next Apple TV, including Apple TV release date rumours, feature rumours and UK price rumours. Plus: the Apple TV's new, revamped interface, based on a modified version of iOS 9.

by Karen Haslam | 07 Sep 15

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When will the Apple TV be updated? Is it worth buying an Apple TV now, or will a newApple   TV  come out in 2015? And why is Apple taking so long to update the Apple TV?

We've been waiting since January 2013 for Apple to update its Apple TV, some would say 2012 (which is when it last had a significant update), so it's no surprise that there are so many rumours surrounding the new version of the Apple's set-top box. We've got release date rumours and speculation about new features that the device needs if it is to compete with the alternatives to Apple TV, especially here in the UK. We'll update this story as more Apple TV information becomes available, so be sure to check back from time to time.

It looks like Apple will announce the new Apple TV at the iPhone event on 9 September. It may just be in the nick of time: Apple needs to revamp its Apple TV soon. According to a report, the device has slid in popularity and is now the fourth most popular set top box. Parks

Associates estimates suggest that in the US last year the Apple TV was less popular than Amazon’s Fire TV, with streaming-TV box maker Roku and the Google box ahead of them. 

Read: How to watch the iPhone launch livestream

Latest: Apple TV announcement will lead on gaming

A New York Times report claims that gaining will be the key selling point of the Apple TV. NYT sources suggest that “Apple is expected to make games a primary selling point of its new Apple TV product.”

Many of the components necessary for gaming will come with the device, according to the NYT sources - including more power for better graphics. There will also be a new remote that could double as a controller and an app store to buy and download games.

Regardless of Apple’s success with games on iOS, the big games console makers aren’t concerned. The graphics in the new Apple TV will be no match for these devices. However the Apple TV may be popular with casual gamers.

However, Apple could make a lot of money from entering this market. Total revenue from console games is expected to be more than $27 billion this year, according to the NYT report. 

Latest: Modified version of iOS 9 interface developed for Apple TV

It's widely rumoured that the Apple TV will get a revamped interface when it's updated this autumn: one that's more like the iOS platform that runs on iPhone and iPad than the custom Apple TV interface the device runs currently.

According to 9to5Mac, the Apple TV will run a version of iOS 9 that's been modified and optimised for TV. It will also be significantly brighter than the old interface, the site predicts:

Along with the iOS-like interface will come a dedicated App Store for the Apple TV - so you will be able to run iPhone-like apps on the device - and that also suggests that third-party games could start arriving on Apple TV. Which leads us to our next rumour…

Read next: How to update your iPhone or iPad to iOS 9

Latest: New iOS-style interface for Apple TV - concept images

An artist has come up with a concept interface for the new Apple TV, based on iOS 9.

Andrew Ambrosini has imagined what the interface might look like if the rumours are correct and Apple does produce a version of iOS 9 for the Apple TV.

Features that we might gain on the Apple TV should the rumours about it running iOS be true, we can expect to see iOS like menus of apps, Siri integration, and even the picture-in-picture video functionality that is coming to the iPad in iOS 9.

Ambrosini envisages an iPad like layout of app icons and even a lock screen, just like the one you have on your iPhone.

Ambrosini’s designs incorporate Martin Hajek's new hardware concepts as well.

Latest: New Apple TV will support third-party wireless Bluetooth games controllers

While lots of attention has focused on the redesigned Apple TV remote that we're expecting this autumn, 9to5Mac's report suggests that the new Apple TV could also support wireless Bluetooth games controllers made by other companies.

It's predicted that controllers with console-standard features - joysticks, pressure-sensitive buttons and so on - will be supported by the Apple TV's software.

The report contradicts earlier rumours, however, by insisting that Apple TV controllers won't include sophisticated, Wii-esque motion-tracking features. (They may support simple motion control of the tilt-to-steer variety, though.)

The bundled remote is expected to feature a touchpad, incidentally, and would presumably make a serviceable controller for simpler games. But proper dedicated controllers by third parties, as on the iPhone and iPad, opens up greater potential in the gaming sphere.

Latest: New Apple TV to feature 'Made for Apple TV' shows

Opinions are mixed on whether Apple will unveil a TV-streaming service alongside the new Apple   TV   device : a companion service to Apple Music for which two logical brand names - Apple TV and Apple Watch - have already been taken by existinghardware   products . (We think Apple Play would work quite well, or Apple Video.)

What is more generally agreed upon is that some kind of streaming service is in the pipeline, whether we'll see it in September or in the following months.

Most intriguing of all? Apple is understood to be working on (or commissioning) its own TV projects, much as Netflix has done. Sources now report that the company was one of the bidders when Clarkson, May and Hammond pitched their follow-up/rival to Top Gear (a programme which was picked up by Amazon Prime in the end), but why stop there? We hope Apple buys up the rights to a new tech-focused series of How It's Made, and gets Jony Ive to do the voiceovers.

Latest: New Apple TV will be 'twice as expensive as current Apple TV'

With all these appealing new rumours, one less pleasing snippet has started doing the rounds: the new Apple TV's price. It's expected to cost from $149 to $200   in the US , which is twice its current price, so expect a similar jump in price in the UK (where it currently costs £59).

It's true that £118 isn't a huge amount of money for what would be a hugely expanded device, with gaming, smart home control and a

proprietary streaming service among the expected new areas that the Apple TV will cover; but Apple tends to steer clear of price rises on existing product lines. Maybe now would be the time to rebrand the Apple TV to reflect its greater scope - we'd vote for Apple Home.

In the rest of this article we examine all the rumours that have built up over the weeks and days since Apple last updated the Apple TV...

At Hulu, Distad oversaw content distribution and subscription initiatives. Now the focus has expanded to more than TV content. The Apple TV's support for apps and games made by thirdparty software developers as well as the redesigned remote control could broaden the device's appeal to make it more of a competitor to the Xbox, the PlayStation and the Nintendo Wii U. "More interesting than content deals is what happens in the app store," said Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies. < .. 

Read more at:http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/48863667.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/upgraded-apple-tv-aims-to-make-itself-at-home-in-the-living-room/articleshow/48863667.cms

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces Apple Watch , which he is wearing on his wrist, on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in Cupertino, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

On Sept. 9, Apple is holding an event at the Bill Graham

Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, where it will

presumably unveil its new flagship iPhone as it has done in

years past.

It's an announcement we've been expecting for months;

Apple has held press events to introduce its newest

smartphone to the world every September since 2012.

But what makes this event different is that analysts and

industry watchers are expecting the company to talk about

more than just its new iPhones and the updated software

that's launching for it soon.

Next week, there's a chance we'll hear about a handful of

new devices that give us an idea of what Apple's product

road map will look like for the rest of the year.

Some of these will likely be incremental updates to Apple's

existing products, while others will represent new

categories for the company. Apple teased its event with an

invitation that reads, "Hey Siri, give us a hint," hinting

that its virtual voice-activated assistant will play a big role

in what we're going to see on stage.

Based on media reports and predictions from analysts,

here's a look at what to expect.

The new iPhone

Unbox Therapy

A reportedly leaked photo of the new iPhone 6s' shell

alongside the current iPhone (not affiliated with Apple).

Apple's new iPhone will undoubtedly be the headlining

announcement at this event. The company is said to be

announcing two new iPhones on Wednesday, which may

be called the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. The 6S will

likely have a 4.7-inch screen while the 6S Plus will

probably be larger at 5.5 inches like the iPhone 6 Plus.A pressure sensitive screenThe biggest improvement will be the addition of Force

Touch to the iPhone's screen. This is Apple's pressure

sensitivity technology that the company debuted in the

Apple Watch and its new MacBooks. It's probably going to

work differently in the iPhone, as 9to5Mac's Mark

Gurmanrecently reported.

Force Touch on the iPhone will be more about shortcuts

since its screen is much larger than that of the Apple

Watch. Some analysts have expressed skepticism on

whether or not Force Touch will be enough of a draw to

motivate consumers to upgrade.A new cameraThe other big addition that's supposedly coming to the

new iPhone is a much better camera. The main camera is

expected to come with a 12-megapixel sensor and a five

element lens, which we reported last month. A 12-

megapixel camera would be a big jump from the current

iPhone's 8-megapixel camera.

It essentially means the next iPhone will come with a

sensor that's capable of taking in more light, which means

image quality will get better. Reports have also said the

new iPhone will be capable of shooting 4K video.The front-

facing camera is getting some improvements too. It'll have

a 5-megapixel sensor rather than a 1.2-megapixel

sensor, according to   the usually accurate KGI Securities

analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, and it'll likely have a flash.Other stuffOther general additions we may see in the new iPhone

include a faster processor and a new rose gold color

option. Apple is also said to be using the same aluminum it

uses for the Apple Watch Sport for the casing of its next

iPhone, which will make it more durable.

Apple will also probably talk about when its next major

software update for the iPhone will be released. Apple

unveiled iOS 9 in June, but it usually waits until it reveals

the new iPhone to say exactly when the update will launch.

A refreshed Apple TV

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Apple hasn't updated the Apple TV in years, but it sounds

like the company is going to announce a new model next

week. The most important changes will reportedly include

a new design, faster components, a revamped remote

control that includes a touch pad as well as physical

buttons, heavy Siri integration, its own App Store, and

support for gaming.

The software is said to look a lot like iOS 9, which means

navigating the Apple TV will feel a bit more like using your

iPhone. Gurman notes that Siri will be the primary way

you interact with the Apple TV. There will reportedly be a

button on the new Apple TV remote that launches a

microphone for voice commands.

There's also some speculation that the new Apple TV will

have a passive listening feature similar to the Amazon

Echo, as Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster points out.

This means you might be able to activate Siri to execute a

command by simply saying "Hey Siri" rather than pressing

a button.

Based on reports, it sounds like Apple is going to position

its new set-top box as a multimedia entertainment center

for your living room rather than as just a streaming

device. For instance, one report from Gurman says Apple

is going to make sure the box is compatible with Bluetooth

gaming controllers. This hints that you'll be able to

download games directly from an app store onto the

streaming set-top box.

The Apple TV's new capabilities will come at a price. The

new device is reportedly going to cost $149, compared to

the current model's $69 price.

Siri will be a focus point

Screenshot

As the event's invitation suggests, we're probably going to

be hearing a lot about Siri at Apple's event. Siri is

expected to be a big part of the Apple TV. Munster, for

instance, thinks that you may be able to use it to control

any device you have in your home that are running on

Apple's HomeKit framework.

Beyond the new Apple TV, Apple has made it clear that

Siri is a big part of the iPhone's future as well. One of the

most notable additions to come with iOS 9, for instance,

is Apple's new version of Siri, which can offer up

suggestions about who you want to contact, places nearby

that you might want to visit, and more.

We're bound to hear more about how Siri ties into Apple's

products in new ways at the event.

Apple's super-sized iPad and a new iPad mini

Martin Hajek

A concept of what the new iPad Pro could look like (not

affiliated with Apple)

Here's one way Apple's September event may be different

than those in years past: the company may introduce new

iPads. Usually, Apple holds a second event in October to

take the wraps off its new tablets, but Gurman reports that

it's going to happen in September this year.

Specifically, Apple will reportedly unveil its much-rumored

iPad Pro and a new version of the iPad mini. The iPad Pro

is expected to be Apple's biggest iPad yet - reports have

suggested that it will come with a 12.9-inch screen with

Force Touch compared to the current iPad's 9.7-inch

screen. Apple seems to be tackling the enterprise and

productivity-focused crowd, as Gurman reports that Apple

is making its own stylus and keyboard for it too.

Although Steve Jobs famously hated the idea of using a

stylus with a tablet, Apple has tested multiple prototypes

for a stylus designed to work with the iPad, as we reported

last month. Apple has also been testing its larger

iPad since as far back as 2012, we also reported in July.

If Apple does unveil a larger iPad, we can probably expect

to see some of Apple's enterprise partners on stage to

showcase how its apps will work on the larger tablet.

The new iPad mini, comparatively, is expected to have a

thinner design than the current model and updated

internal components.

Some Apple Watch updates

Business Insider / Matt Johnston

We probably won't see a new Apple Watch model just yet,

but Gurman reports that we'll see new watch bands for the

current watch. These will probably include sports bands in

new colors, and possibly a new gold casing for the Sport

model.

Apple will also likely talk more about its new Apple Watch

software: watchOS 2. It brings significant improvements to

the watch, including the ability to run apps natively on the

device itself. Apple has previously said that the update will

launch in the fall, but hasn't said exactly when. We're

expecting to hear an official launch date at the event.

http://www.businessinsider.in/Apple-is-about-to-hold-the-biggest-event-its-had-in-years-heres-what-to-expect/articleshow/48861688.cms

http://www.apple.com/in/appletv/what-is/