September 12 tipped as date for Apple's iPhone event

By Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla

September 12th is now expected to be the day for Apple's big iPhone announcement this year accroding to a report from CNBC. Apple usually earmarks a Tuesday in the second week of September to reveal its latest iPhone, the latest iOS 11 features and, most likley, updates to various accessories like the Apple Watch as well as the Apple TV. While many believe that Apple is hoping to host the event at the new Steve Jobs Theatre at the new Apple Park headquarters, Apple may opt to use the San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium where it launched the iPhone 7 last year. 

2017 is the 10th year anniversary of the iPhone, Apple's most profitable product and the lynchpin of the companys multitude of ecosystems which range from apps, streaming music, wearables, fitness, car infotainment, home speakers and set-top boxes.

The next iPhone, or rather, iPhones, have been highly anticipated. Apple hasn't revised the form factor of the iPhone since the iPhone 6 in 2015 which is a small eternity in consumer technology. A new bezel-free design is expected as well as various new features and functionalities that many hope will leapfrog the iPhone over the current batch of Android competitors, many of who have gone premium in features and price, to capture the market the iPhone has steadily dominated since 2007.

We're expected to see more than one iPhone revealed during the event, a possible anniversary edition iPhone as well as an iPhone Pro or iPhone Edition are expected to share the stage with the latest evolutionary iOS standard-bearer.

The look, and functionality of these upcoming iPhones have been leaked consistently by various parts suppliers and Apple's own HomePod firmware which outed various functions as well as the general design of the new iPhone.

Other expected hardware releases include an Apple Watch Series 3, possibly an LTE variant that's somewhat independent from the iPhone. A 4K-capable Apple TV is also eminent, given that various competing products from Roku and Google have had 4K and HDR playback since last year.

More information on the HomePod speaker, possibly focusing on the Siri aspect of the networked speaker, as well as the finer points of iOS 11 are also expected to make up most of the event. September iPhone events set expectations for Apple's biggest quarter, which is the holiday shopping season.

Some analysts are predicting scarcity for some iPhone models, specially the higher-end models. Case in point, Apple's AirPod headphones were revealed almost a year ago and are still in short supply with weeks or sometimes months between availability. Apple has not confirmed the date yet so please stay tuned for updates.