For many, September is the time of year when the kids go back to school after a long summer break, the time when a chill can start to creep in the air, when the sun gets a little less potent, and when the joys of fall begin to appear for the first time. Increasingly, September is also becoming Apple season, as a new iPhone is often unveiled in this time, and this year seems to be no different. New reports suggest that the iPhone 6—assuming the previously-established naming conventions hold--will get its official unveiling September 9, and with an end to speculation in sight, the final questions are being asked, this time with imminent expectation of an answer.
The generally-asked questions, the ones that have seemingly been around a while, are mostly still in force as of right now. Questions like, just how many iPhones will be unveiled? Reports are still trending toward two, a 5.5 inch model and a 4.7 inch model. The status of the iPhone 5S and the iPhone 5C are both hotly wondered after, though many figure that the standard response will take place: the iPhone 4S will likely be retired and the iPhone 5S and 5C will be converted to budget models.
It doesn't take long for the question of “when” to crop up, either; while we have a good idea of when the next iPhone will get unveiled, when it goes on sale is another matter, as well as where. Last year, when the iPhone 5S was unveiled, the device went on sale 10 days later in several countries, including Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, the U.K., and the U.S including Puerto Rico. It's not likely that Apple will do anything different here, but it's possible nonetheless.
Complementary releases are also an issue here. Apple's iWatch has been a closely-followed topic over the last several months, and some are expecting it to be unveiled as well, particularly if it's being billed as an iPhone accessory. However, the iWatch could easily miss this particular unveiling, as it's not an iPhone or iOS feature, and iPhone unveilings commonly stick to these. Additionally, the idea of a mobile wallet system is also being passed around, and though it may not show up here—much for the same reason as the iWatch—it may show up as it could be an “iOS feature,” which is commonly included in iPhone unveilings by some reports.
Naturally, the only thing that will really tell what makes it to the unveiling and what doesn't is the unveiling itself. Leaks from the supply chain aside, Apple commonly plays its releases extremely close to the vest and doesn't spill much advance information ahead of officially-sanctioned events like this one. But will this be the new year of the iPhone? Will this new iPhone advance Apple's cause and give it a second wind in its ongoing bout with the rest of the market? Can this iPhone maintain its popularity with its user base, a point that some are starting to doubt against new releases from Samsung and upstarts like locally-grown devices?
These and many other questions are likely to be answered in the coming weeks, but until then, we've got a date to save and a wait to endure, and on the other side, answers.
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