Anticipating Next Week’s New Apple Product: What’s in Store?

Anticipating Next Week’s New Apple Product: What’s in Store?

Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has announced an upcoming product launch set for Wednesday, January 19. The most anticipated release appears to be the iPhone SE 4, although there are a few other potential announcements as well. Here’s what you should know.

iPhone SE 4

For over two years, there have been rumors surrounding the iPhone SE 4, which promises to deliver a significant upgrade to Apple’s budget-friendly iPhone option. The reimagined model will feature a new design reminiscent of the iPhone 14, alongside substantial enhancements in internal performance and camera capabilities.

  • A refreshed design eliminating the Home button in favor of a notch and Face ID
  • A18 chip with 8GB of RAM
  • Apple Intelligence integration
  • 6.1-inch OLED display
  • Face ID replacing Touch ID
  • 48MP rear camera
  • 12MP front-facing camera
  • USB-C port for charging instead of Lightning

As reported by Bloomberg, the iPhone SE 4 is highly likely to be the product spotlighted in next Wednesday’s announcement. I am eager to see this device finally released, as it could very well achieve significant success if Apple sets an attractive price.

iPhone SE 4

Possible Release: M4 MacBook Air

The upcoming M4 MacBook Air is set to include several enhancements over the M3 model. The standout feature will be the improved performance and efficiency brought by the M4 chip, which may also lead to better battery life.

Additionally, the M4 chip will allow for a maximum RAM configuration of 32GB in the MacBook Air, compared to the previous maximum of 24GB with the M3 model.

Another notable feature is that the M4 MacBook Air will be capable of supporting two external displays even while the lid is open, a limitation of the M3 model that only allows this when the lid is closed.

While the M4 MacBook Air has been anticipated to launch soon, the timing—whether it will debut next week or later in the spring—remains uncertain.

Possible Updates: iPad Lineup

Apple is in the process of developing two updates for its iPad range. The first is the iPad 11, set to be an upgraded version of its most cost-effective tablet. This new model will feature a notable performance enhancement with the inclusion of the A17 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM—an upgrade from the A14 Bionic chip and 4GB of RAM in the iPad 10. These improvements will enable Apple Intelligence capabilities on the most affordable iPad.

Moreover, Apple is also producing a new version of the iPad Air, which will primarily be a basic update with an upgrade from the M2 chip to the M3 chip.

Possible Release: ‘HomePad’ Smart Display

A brand new product is anticipated to join Apple’s collection this year. As reported by DMN last September, Apple is in the process of creating a new smart home command center equipped with a square display and an A18 chip designed for supporting Apple Intelligence.

Further reports from Bloomberg by Mark Gurman indicate that this device will feature a 7-inch display and be roughly the size of two iPhones placed side by side, with a thick bezel surrounding the screen.

The device is designed to be wall-mounted and will come in both silver and black color variants. Additionally, there are indications that there will be bases with extra speakers suitable for placement in areas like the kitchen, nightstand, or desk.

Initially, Apple aimed for a March release for this smart display, but recent updates suggest it may be launched later than originally planned.

Upcoming Software Betas

Lastly, we are still looking forward to the next round of software betas from Apple across its platforms. iOS 18.4 is expected to introduce several new features related to Apple Intelligence, such as personalized Siri interactions, on-screen awareness, and enhanced in-app functionalities.

  • Personal Context Understanding: Utilizing the on-device semantic index provided by Apple Intelligence, Siri will be able to comprehend personal data from emails, messages, photos, calendar events, and files. For instance, when you ask, “What was that movie Jamie recommended to me?” Siri will retrieve the relevant message from your conversations from the previous week. Moreover, when filling out a form and saying, “Add my passport number here,” Siri can extract this information from a saved photo of your passport.
  • On-screen Awareness: Siri will be equipped to understand and respond to content visible on your screen. So, if a friend texts you about a new coffee shop nearby, you can ask, “How long would it take to walk there from home?” and Siri will understand your request.
  • In-App Actions: Siri will support a variety of new functions across both first- and third-party applications. For example, while editing photos, you can say, “Make this photo warmer,” and Siri will adjust the picture in the Photos app. After editing, you can then command, “Add this to my ratatouille recipe note,” and Siri will effortlessly switch between apps to complete the task.

Bloomberg has noted that the first beta for iOS 18.4 could be released as soon as next week. Additionally, updates for iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 are also expected.

Conclusion

I anticipate that next week will be centered around the introduction of the new iPhone SE 4. This is a highly awaited addition to Apple’s product lineup that will bring Apple Intelligence to a more accessible price range. Some readers of DMN who are interested in the latest hardware may view this as a less exciting announcement, but it holds significant importance in Apple’s market strategy.

Considering last year’s timeline, we are indeed behind schedule for the first iOS 18.4 beta release. Whether or not this will happen next week remains to be seen.

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