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"I'll Wait for Next Year"

"I'll Wait for Next Year"

If you don't like leaks, stop reading

Brandon Butch
August 18, 2023

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Good morning! ☀️ *Tim Cook voice*

Major Apple Watch redesign coming, iPhone 15 & 16 leaks, bad news for Apple Card, generative AI, and more!

Estimated reading time: 3.3 minutes

📊 Poll

Last week, I asked: do you enjoy seeing leaks?

Well, got more for ya today

Here were some of my favorite replies:

Yes - “Normally, no. But leaks have been very helpful this year in figuring out my upgrade situation.” That’s a good reason to keep up on the leaks!

Yes - “Love hearing about what to expect since I work for an Apple Store as a technician I like to know what I’m most likely going to have to fix or deal with.” Solid reason to pay attention! You are also probably ahead of your coworkers

No - “It just makes me anxious about the upgrade cycle. I can't stand when the leakers point things right after the new iPhone release.” Ha, I can see that. There’s a new shiny object every year

This week: Do you think Apple’s switch to USB-C will be a big deal to average consumers? Why or why not?

Will USB-C Matter to Average Consumers?

👀 Big Changes Ahead

I don’t normally talk much about products that are over a year away, but the redesigned Apple Watch is worth discussing now. Here’s why:

Apple is planning to completely revamp the Apple Watch in honor of its 10-year anniversary, according to Bloomberg
Apple is now considering a magnetic band attachment system
The watch face is also rumored to be microLED, which has better color and clarity than OLED screens
It may also be the first Apple Watch to feature blood pressure monitoring
Since the original Apple Watch was unveiled in 2014 & launched in 2015, Gurman is unsure whether the Apple Watch X will be released in 2024 or 2025
Meanwhile, Apple Watch Series 9 is "arguably the most minor upgrade in the product's history"
Apple has recently been considering switching the Apple Watch away from an annual upgrade cycle to offer more substantial updates less frequently

Starting with the original Apple Watch, bands have slid into the sides of the chassis and attached with a locking mechanism. Keeping that design the same let the bands stay compatible with old and new models, but it has downsides.

People involved in the development of new Apple Watches say the system takes up a considerable amount of space that could be better filled with a bigger battery or other components.

To that end, the company has explored a new magnetic band attachment system, though it’s unclear if it will be ready or used in the Watch X revamp. Even bigger changes are coming as well: a microLED display that tops the color and clarity of the current OLED screens, as well as a technology for monitoring blood pressure.

Mark Gurman, Bloomberg

So this could mean that your Apple Watch band collection is going to be useless once this new Watch drops.

I’m personally really excited for this change, as the Apple Watch Ultra was the first time I’ve been excited about an Apple Watch since the very first one.

Is this something you’d be interested in?

iPhone 16

Before the iPhone 15 officially arrives, we are now starting to see fresh rumors surrounding the next next iPhone - iPhone 16! Here’s what you need to know:

iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max models will feature Wi-Fi 7
- Wi-Fi 7 devices will be able to send and receive data over the 2.4GHz, 5GHz, and 6GHz bands simultaneously, resulting in faster Wi-Fi speeds & lower latency
The Pros will also have an upgraded 48mp Ultra Wide camera lens
- This will allow the UW lens to capture more light when shooting in 0.5×
Even leakers on X are mentioning how the iPhone 16 Pros will be the ones to wait for, not the 15 Pros coming next month
We’ve also heard that the 16 Pro Max could be the first to feature a super telephoto periscope camera for “dramatically increased optical zoom”

So the iPhone 16 Pros seem promising but as I always say, if you need a phone now, don’t wait for the next shiny feature. Every new iPhone will technically be “better” than the previous one, so don’t trap yourself in the “I’m waiting until next year” cycle.

iPhone SE 4

The iPhone SE 4 is not expected until 2025, but we now have some potential features to look forward to.

The design is set to be based on the iPhone 14
It will ditch the home button for Face ID
Just like all future iPhones, it will adopt USB-C
There will allegedly be an Action button to replace the mute switch
Only 1 rear camera
One of the first iPhones to contain Apple's custom 5G modem

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