The Apple September 2023 event is almost here. The annual event is happening on September 12 this year and we’ve got the details on how to watch along live.
The event should see the launch of the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max as Apple attempts to dominate the smartphone market. On the wearables side, the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2 should arrive. The wildcard hardware for the event is the iPad mini 7, so tablet fans may have something to cheer about too.
The event will be broadcast live from Apple Park, so if you want to see it live with us then keep reading for how to watch and when everything kicks off. If you can’t watch along for any reason we’ll be bringing you the latest as it happens with our live blog and full coverage on each new product.
How to watch the Apple September event 2023: Wonderlust
Apple’s September 2023 event will kick off live from Apple Park in Cupertino on September 12 starting at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT, 6 p.m. BST).
The easiest way for most people to watch the event will be via Apple’s YouTube channel and they have helpfully already created the placeholder link, so you can even let YouTube remind you when it goes live or just return to this page to watch the video.
If you aren’t a YouTube fan then you can either tune in on any Apple device via the TV app or Apple typically provides a dedicated link to the event stream at the top of the Apple Store.
What’s coming at the Apple September event 2023: Wonderlust?
While the flood of leaks has given us a pretty clear picture of what to expect at the event, Apple doesn’t give any indication as to what’s coming, and while the event invite sometimes offers clues, the Wonderlust image isn’t particularly helpful. C’mon Apple, Google just pre-announced everything coming on October 4, doesn’t that sound like fun?
Regardless we can be pretty sure about what’s coming, so here’s a quick rundown of the devices to expect.
iPhone 15
The iPhone 15 is the main event with a new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max (or is it Ultra?) all expected. The big news for all four models is the rumored move to USB-C from Lightning. While it’s sure to garner lots of wailing and gnashing of teeth, it will have been 11 years to the day since Apple switched from the 30-pin to Lightning on the iPhone 5.
As for specific updates for each model, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will mirror the design of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus almost exactly with one major exception: the Dynamic Island. While we are still waiting to see the usability of the Dynamic Island take off, most will be happy to wave goodbye to the notch. The base models are getting a significant primary camera upgrade with the move to a 48MP sensor, perhaps the same one used in the iPhone 14 Pro last year. Last, but not least, the non-Pro models will get the A16 chip from last year’s Pro models.
Moving on to the 15 Pro and Pro Max, there are some exclusive updates for the latter, but let’s look at the uniform upgrades first. Apple is introducing LIPO (low-injection pressure overmolding) displays to the iPhone for the first time, which will allow for much slimmer bezels, giving the Pro models a superior screen-to-body ratio. Both Pro models will also adopt a titanium chassis, which should reduce the weight of both phones while maintaining the same or better durability.
The A17 Bionic should be powering the Pros and this isn’t one of those incremental bumps, this is the big move to a 3nm chip that we’ve been waiting for. This should not only deliver a solid performance bump, but more crucially it should offer improved efficiency, solving the battery life complaints that we had with most of the iPhone 14 models last year. The Pro phones are also ditching the mute switch in exchange for an “Action Button” that can handle user-customizable functions.
Finally, let’s take a quick look at the camera upgrades coming to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max. The most notable is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is the introduction of the first periscope zoom lens on an iPhone. This should take the 15 Pro Max’s optical zoom to 6x, up from 3x on the previous Pro Models (and still on the 15 Pro). There is some conflict on whether the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max will both get an upgraded 48MP ultra-wide sensor as well to match the primary sensor, which in turn may be moving to a larger 1/1.14-inch sensor that could push its low-light capabilities even further. If all of these upgrades are real, the iPhone 15 Pro Max could finally reclaim the title of best phone for photography to go with its seemingly unstoppable run as the best phone for video.
While the upgrades to the 15, 15 Plus, and 15 Pro aren’t bad, if you’ve ever had the slightest thought of purchasing a Pro Max, this looks like one of the best years to take that leap.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2
For wearable fans, we are expecting the Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2. There are no visual updates expected for either model, with the same sizes and designs as last year. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 may offer a new black option to go with the original stainless steel.
The big upgrades are coming inside the watches with performance and sensor upgrades designed to improve the overall experience. Some of this will be the result of the first upgrade to the Apple Watch chipset since the Apple Watch Series 6 in 2020. A rumored new heart rate sensor should improve the overall accuracy of the heath data, which has become the core of Apple Watch.
AirPods Pro
Don’t get too excited, while it’s rumored that we’ll get an AirPods refresh at the September event, it may just be moving the AirPods Pro case to USB-C. None of the leaks have suggested any additional hardware upgrades. The AirPods and AirPods Max will reportedly get a similar update early next year.
iPad mini 7
It seems less likely that we’ll get the iPad mini 7 at the September event as the event draws near and we aren’t seeing a significant influx of rumors regarding the tablet. However, we’re not giving up hope yet, so here’s a quick look at what we expect for Apple’s tiny tablet.
We aren’t anticipating any major design changes for this generation, with the possible exception of some new colors. As for spec upgrades, the biggest move could be a jump to A17 Bionic from A15 on the iPad mini 6. Just as we covered on the iPhone 15 Pro models, this 3nm chip should not only offer a fairly significant performance enhancement but also superior battery life due to the efficiency improvements.
The big lingering question is whether the iPad mini 7 will also get an upgraded display, a 120Hz Pro Motion doesn’t appear to be in the cards, but something to correct the jelly scrolling effect that frustrated some users on the mini 6.
Our resident iPad mini fan recently wrote up his hopes and dreams for iPad mini 7, which includes a somewhat more rational price for the diminutive tablet down to at least a $399 starting price. We’ll keep our fingers crossed for iPad mini 7 fans, but be prepared to possibly wait until early next year.
