Apple is slated to unveil its latest iPhone and a slew of other new hardware on Monday during its biggest product launch event of the year.
The event, held at Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California, features the tagline “It’s Glowtime” with the company’s logo surrounded by a colorful aura. New colors for the iPhone and other Apple products are rumored to be coming.
Apple’s fall product launch has become one of the company’s most important annual events as it typically showcases a series of new devices and sets the tone for the holiday shopping season, Apple’s busiest and most profitable period. These new products are routinely the cause of immense speculation inside the tech industry and among the company’s fans.
In the lead-up to the event, reports around Apple switching from LCD to OLED screens, and rumors of a dedicated photo button circulated widely. Early coverage of the event also predicted that the tech giant would expand on its AI “Apple Intelligence” features.
Earlier this year at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company announced a range of ways that it intended to integrate AI features into its products and services. One of the biggest reveals was a partnership with OpenAI to merge ChatGPT technology with Apple’s Siri voice assistant, with executives promising a more “natural” mode of interaction.
Apple’s announcements at its WWDC event and promises to include more artificial intelligence were a pivot for the company after it held off longer than competitors such as Microsoft in debuting consumer-facing AI tools. The company’s hesitancy to roll out new generative AI features had previously been a source of frustration for investors and analysts awaiting the company’s release of its own take on the technology.
Apple’s share price has risen considerably this year as market enthusiasm for generative AI and revenue growth has buoyed big tech stocks. The company has struggled with a global downturn in smartphone sales in recent years, however, as well as the rise of rivals such as Huawei in key markets, particularly China. Huawei is expected to release its own line of new products within hours of Apple’s event.
Also looming in the background is the Department of Justice’s sprawling antitrust lawsuit against Apple, which alleges that the company built and maintained an illegal monopoly over the smartphone market. Apple has rejected the allegations in the case, which could take years to be decided.