Apple has announced that it will hold a “Far Out” special event at 1:00 am Beijing time on September 8. The company will not revert to the old pattern but will rather stick to the new online launch event. At this event, the company will not only release the iPhone 14 series, it will also launch the Apple Watch Series 8. Furthermore, the company will officially announce the details of the new iOS 16 system. Unlike the iPhone 13 series which retains the pricing of the previous generation, the iPhone 14 series will be different. There are reports that the iPhone 14 series will come with some price increase.
The most recent information regarding the iPhone 14 series is on its price in China. According to a Weibo tech blogger @李安Angangah, the 2022 iPhones are already on pre-sale in offline stores. In fact, some images have been circulating in China showing the prices of the iPhones. Not surprisingly, the early scalper prices are basically sold at increased prices. However, one thing to notice is the addition of the new “Plus” model and not the “Max” model. There were confirmations that Apple will ditch the mini model and replace it with a Plus or Max model. It appears that we will be having the Plus model and not a Max model.
iPhone 14 series prices
In terms of price expectations, the pre-sale price of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 starts at 6,699 yuan ($971). However, the pre-sale price of the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus starts at 7,399 yuan ($1072). The pre-sale price of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 Pro starts at 9,899 yuan ($1435) while the pre-sale price of the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at 10,899 yuan ($1580). Nevertheless, we can notice that the prices of the iPhone 14 series are still very expensive. Thus, it may be better to wait for the official prices before making a decision. It is also important to note that it may be very difficult to get this smartphone after launch.
Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo previously predicted that rising prices of components in the iPhone 14 series and the popularity of the iPhone 14 Max (or iPhone 14 Plus) will increase the average selling price this year by 15%. Market intelligence firm TrendForce said Apple is expected to tread cautiously with modest price increases given the sluggish economy and a slump in the smartphone market. According to predictions, the average price of the iPhone 14 series will increase by about $50.
The iPhone 14 Pro model has a new “pill + single punch” screen to replace the notch screen. The Pro series will also come with the faster A16 Bionic chip. However, the regular non-Pro models will come with the older A15 Bionic processor. The iPhone 14 series will also come with faster memory, upgrades to a 48-megapixel rear camera, support 8K video recording, and AOD screen display showing time and date.
Gizchina News of the week
Apple AirPods Pro 2 wireless earphones will launch with the iPhone 14
Apple has announced that it will hold a “Far Out” special event at 1:00 am Beijing time on September 8. The devices that have been making the rounds to launch in this event are the iPhone 14 / Pro series, Apple Watch Series 8, and the official version of iOS 16. However, in a recent Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman outlines his ultimate expectations for the event. Notably, Gurman expects Apple to announce the AirPods Pro 2 wireless earphones at the event.
“I reported last year that the new AirPods Pro would be released in 2022, and now I’m told Wednesday will have their big unveiling,” Gurman said.
The news broke that the new AirPods Pro 2 is equipped with an upgraded H2 chip. This new chip will significantly improve the audio quality, extend battery life, and improve charging box support for Find My. Furthermore, the chip will also enhance in-ear detection, fitness tracking features, and more. Back in 2020, Gurman and Debby Wu said that Apple had tested a more compact design for the new AirPods Pro that would eliminate the stem under the earbuds, similar to the Beats Studio Buds headphones. However, recent rumours suggest that the AirPods Pro 2 won’t have any major design changes.
Apple AirPods Pro 2 rumours
Rumour has it that the AirPods Pro 2 charging case is still 21.38mm deep, 46mm high and 54mm wide. For comparison’s sake, the current AirPods Pro charging case is 45.2mm tall and 60.6mm wide. 9to5Mac sources have confirmed that the next-generation AirPods Pro, code-named B698, will be equipped with the next-generation H1 chip, Apple’s self-developed audio processor. Additionally, references to LC3 codec support in the AirPods Max Beta firmware suggest that the AirPods Pro 2 will likely support Bluetooth 5.2.
This codec will bring greater stability and efficiency to wireless headphones. Not only that, but this new standard will help AirPods Pro 2 improve the sound quality of voice calls and songs. Furthermore, it will also help the AirPods Pro 2 to support higher bit rates. While the Bluetooth Low Energy and LC3 codecs don’t promise “lossless Bluetooth,” they certainly improve sound quality considerably.
In May of this year, Ming-Chi Kuo predicted that the wireless earphone charging case would still be equipped with a Lightning port for charging. Ming-Chi Kuo said, “Apple is testing the iPhone 15 with USB-C port charging. When (or if) the iPhone switches to USB-C charging, Apple will also transition AirPods and other accessories to USB-C”. Recently, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said that the Apple AirPods Pro 2 would come with a body temperature sensor as well as a heart rate monitor function. But now, it seems none of these features will be present in the AirPods Pro 2.
