What to expect from Apple's 'Time Flies' September 15 special event

It’s September and Apple is all set to blow our minds – or at least try to – with tomorrow’s special event. Titled ‘Time Flies’, the event is set to take place around the usual time that the tech giant often releases info about new iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads, and other items in their smart device line-up. With so much to offer new info on, what exactly should you expect out of this upcoming Apple special event? Let’s take a look.

New iPhones… maybe?

This is usually the perfect time for Apple to reveal new iPhones and while we reported several days ago that we thought we might see the new iPhones revealed during today's event, it looks like this particular gathering might focus a bit more on the Apple Watch and other devices.

According to The Verge’s CEO, and several other journalists out there, this event won’t touch on new iPhones at all. In fact, they aren’t even set to be revealed until October. We did know that Apple had delayed the iPhones – which they’ve touched on before – citing Covid-19 as the cause. Of course, we could still see a reveal during the event, but we already know that iPhones are set up to go on sale at least for another few weeks, so we’ll just have to wait and see.

iPad Air redesign

It’s also possible that we might get to see a new iPad Air, which reportedly is getting a redesign to make it look more like the iPad Pro. The reports come in via Bloomberg. The biggest change in the iPad Air appears to be the top and bottom bezels, which will offer a much thicker look compared to past iPad Air devices.

iPad Air 4
Touch ID
via 小红书 pic.twitter.com/2jc09uAKUY

— DuanRui (@duanrui1205) August 27, 2020

A rumored manual for the iPad Air might have leaked online in late August, which gives a glimpse of the new device’s look and overall design. These leaks are still yet unconfirmed, but we could be looking at the official reveal of the iPad Air 4 during tomorrow’s special event.

Apple Watch Series 6?

Of course, the title of the event, Time Flies, definitely seems to indicate some kind of setup for the Apple Watch. It was only a matter of time until the Apple Watch 5 was replaced, and new metadata discovered by developer Guilherme Rambo in the event’s YouTube video page seems to include keywords for “Apple Watch”, “Series 5”, and “Series 6”.

Interesting metadata in that pre-event YouTube video page #AppleEvent (Link: https://t.co/8TOYXfsh8z) pic.twitter.com/wim1fGQtNh

— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 8, 2020

This has, of course, led many to speculate that we could be getting our first look at the new Apple Watch Series 6. We’ve already had a glimpse at what watchOS7 will offer, including customizable watch faces, a new Activity app, and native sleep tracking. Bloomberg also reported that Apple is working on a replacement for the Series 3, which will be a lower-end Apple Watch priced at a more affordable buy-in. The metadata also includes notes for "iMac", "Macbook", and "Macbook Pro", so we could hear more about those, too.

iOS 14 release updates, please

iOS 14 has been in beta for a good couple of months now, which means we could be getting closer and closer to a release. While reports seem to indicate that the new line of iPhones won’t be announced during this September’s livestream event, we could see the official release date of iOS 14 and iPadOS 14.

The new operating systems bring a ton of functionality and quality of life improvements to Apple’s smart devices, including picture-in-picture, an app drawer, and more. Of course, Apple could hold on to iOS 14 and release it at a later date – like when the new iPhones arrive. That’s usually how things work anyway, so we wouldn’t be surprised to see it replicated here.

Aside from that, it is possible we could see announcements about other Apple products – such as subscription services and more. The general consensus thus far seems to point to an event focused mostly on the Apple Watch lineup, with very little to talk about in regards to the new iPhone 12s that users are no doubt waiting to hear more about as time goes on. Either way, we’ll be monitoring the event closely from here at Shacknews, so stay tuned to our Apple topic for the latest news and information.

Josh Hawkins

Guides Editor

Joshua holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and has been exploring the world of video games for as long as he can remember. He enjoys everything from large-scale RPGs to small, bite-size indie gems and everything in between.