Apple’s 2016 Keynote Is Tomorrow: Here’s What You Need To Know So Far

Apple’s annual September keynote address will be on Wednesday, September 7, at 10 a.m. PDT (1 p.m. EDT). The event will herald in the iphone 7, as well as several updates to Apple’s various operating systems and it’s music subscription service, Apple Music.

What We Know So Far About The iPhone 7, 7 Plus

Eager consumers should know that the design of the new smartphone is close-to-identical to the iPhone 6s; some noted aesthetic changes include a streamlined antenna and a more prominent camera. The most dramatic functional change of course is the removal of the industry-standard audio-jack. The larger camera hints at greatly improved phone-camera capability, with an improved flash, for starters. Tech Crunch has suggested that the push for iPhone camera quality comes with a goal to render DSLR photography obsolete (unlikely), with the advent of high quality, always-in-you-pocket cameras; This is not so far-fetched of an idea, if you have seen the growing number user-snapped photography ads placed by Apple on nearly every New York City subway platform. A rumored dual-lens camera system could allow for better picture options in low-light, and multiple camera angles. Improvements in the camera also point to a faster processor, with the AppleA10 chip marking a dramatic improvement in processing speed at a time when mobile devices are getting faster with each upgrade. Faster speed also comes with increased memory; the 16GB option for storage will likely be phased out for a phone with 32GB, 128GB or possibly 256GB of file space.

There are smaller updates to features on the device that all point towards improved performance. The home button may be getting a Taptic Engine, allowing users to push for feedback the same way Mac trackpads function. The screen will have a wide color gamut, along with a True Tone Display, making sure the white balance matches the environmental light around the phone.

Apple will wrap up the upgraded iPhone in a piano-black shell that is supposedly waterproof.

More Details On iOS10

iOS10’s biggest change-to-date is an overhaul of Siri, which includes Siri extensions. Extensions will allow users to expand their voice-commands to calling rides, or even paying people in Venmo.

An additional recently announced update is the ability to have customized widgets available from the lock screen. Most importantly, Apple is breaking down many of the barriers previously held against third-part developers, allowing new minds to further push the capabilities of the new device.

Apple Watch 2.0

Apple Watch is getting it’s firs major update in 18 months. The anticipated features include a GPS chip, a faster processor, a slightly bigger battery to run all of this as well as a slimmer display to compensate for the bigger battery, according to Tech Crunch. The tech blog also believes that this watch will focus more on the average consumer, over the high-end luxury wearables that have been popping up with increasing popularity.

The live stream of the Apple Keynote is available here.