MacRumors

For the past several months, rumors have provided a glimpse of what to expect at Apple's special event on Wednesday. Now, we may know of at least one category that won't see any stage time tomorrow.

The Verge, citing a source close to the situation, reports that Apple does not plan to announce any new hardware from its Beats subsidiary at its "Gather Round" event at Steve Jobs Theater on Wednesday. The only new headphones expected are an updated pair of AirPods with "Hey Siri" support.

If the report is accurate, that means Apple fans should keep their expectations low for any new Beats headphones, or a lower-priced HomePod rumored to arrive in the form of a Siri-enabled Beats speaker.

Apple acquired Beats for $3 billion in 2014, and since then, the company has routinely refreshed the headphone lineup. However, it has yet to do so in 2018. The current lineup revolves around the Beats Solo3, Powerbeats3, and BeatsX, released in 2016 with Apple's W1 chip for easy pairing.

Beats also launched Studio3 over-ear headphones with the W1 chip in 2017, followed by urBeats 3 with a Lightning connector, but for the most part, the headphone lineup is nearly two years outdated.

With so many rumored products in Apple's pipeline through the remainder of this year, it's not much of a surprise that Beats might not see any stage time at its September event. The keynote is expected to revolve around new iPhones, Apple Watch Series 4 models, new AirPods, and AirPower charging mat availability.

It's unclear when Beats may be updated next. Apple certainly has enough on its docket for an October event, if it holds new iPad Pro models with Face ID and a wide range of new Macs until then, and perhaps it could fit in some Beats announcements too. Or, a simple press release would do the trick.

One wildcard is rumored Apple-branded, high-end over-ear headphones, which Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said could be released in the fourth quarter of 2018 at the earliest. Apple could certainly unveil the headphones tomorrow, although we've heard nothing specific to suggest that might occur.

Apple's keynote begins Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, at Steve Jobs Theater, situated on its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event, with a live blog starting around 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time, and live tweets via @MacRumorsLive.

Apple will be live streaming the event on its website and Twitter.

Apple has confirmed that it will live stream its "Gather Round" event on Twitter, in addition to Apple.com as usual.

Wednesday will mark the first time Apple live streams an event on Twitter. Apple has been gradually expanding the ways that people can watch its live streams over the past few years, making them viewable in Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge, in addition to its own Safari browser across Mac, iPad, and iPhone.

The keynote can also be live streamed via the Apple Events app on Apple TV. On the fourth-generation Apple TV and newer, the app is available from the tvOS App Store. On the second- and third-generation Apple TV, the app appears on the home screen automatically within close proximity of events.

Apple's keynote begins Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at Steve Jobs Theater, situated on its Apple Park headquarters in Cupertino, California. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of the event beginning around 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time tomorrow, accompanied by live tweets via @MacRumorsLive.

7-Eleven today announced that Apple Pay and Google Pay are accepted at nearly all of its 10,000+ locations across the United States, following a rollout that began in August.

While many 7-Eleven retail locations have already started accepting Apple Pay, the rollout will continue throughout the month of September until "most U.S. stores" support the payments service.

"The ability to pay with their smart device gives consumers one more reason to shop at 7-Eleven," said 7-Eleven CDO and CIO Gurmeet Singh of the Apple Pay launch.

7-Eleven also highlighted some of the technology improvements that it has introduced recently, including the 7-Eleven NOW app for placing on-demand orders with Apple Pay as a payment option, the 7Rewards loyalty program that allows customers to earn points for purchases, and the 7-Eleven Bot on Facebook Messenger to allow customers to get quick answers to questions.

Apple CEO Tim Cook first announced in July that Apple Pay support would be coming to 7-11 retail locations in the United States, and the wide availability of Apple Pay at 7-Eleven comes just in time for the launch of Apple's new 2018 iPhones.

To use Apple Pay at 7-Eleven stores, customers will need an iPhone 6, 6s, 6, 7, 8, 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, SE, or X, and/or a compatible Apple Watch model.

Along with 7-Eleven, popular drugstore chain CVS, once an Apple Pay holdout, is also expected to begin accepting the payments service this fall.

Apple has recently been sending out surveys to customers who purchased an iMac Pro, asking them about which features drew them to the pro-level machine and what they like or dislike about the iMac Pro.

Some of the survey questions were shared on Twitter, with customers asked to point out some of the most important iMac Pro features, like Thunderbolt 3 ports, Xeon W processors, T2 chip, external display support, and more.

The iMac Pro was a precursor to a new Mac Pro, which Apple first announced in April 2017. Apple is working on a high-end high-throughput modular Mac Pro that will facilitate regular upgrades to meet the needs of Apple's pro user base.

Apple has a dedicated team working on the Mac Pro, and Apple executives have said that Apple is committed to making the machine the highest-end desktop system able to handle VR and high-end cinema production. Apple has even put together a "Pro Workflow Team" to tailor the Mac Pro and other Apple products to professional users, and that team could potentially be behind the iMac Pro survey.

Phil Schiller and Craig Federighi admitted last year that with the 2013 Mac Pro, Apple designed itself into "a bit of a thermal corner" given the restrictive size of the trash can-shaped Mac Pro and its inability to handle the thermal capacity needed for larger single GPUs. Apple learned from that mistake and is this time aiming for a machine that will better accommodate future upgrades and high-end hardware.

Apple plans to release the new Mac Pro at some point in 2019, so a launch is a ways off, but it's possible Apple will be ready to share additional details about the machine this year when new Macs are unveiled either in September or October.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has issued a new research note today, obtained by MacRumors, that outlines several predictions about Apple's upcoming products, including new iPhone, iPad Pro, Apple Watch, and MacBook models.

Kuo expects Apple to replace Lightning with a USB-C interface on 2018 iPad Pro models, with an 18W power adapter in the box. That sure sounds like the next iPad Pro will have a USB-C port, instead of a Lightning connector, but to play devil's advocate, there's a chance he is just referring to a USB-C charger.

In addition to Face ID support, we expect the new iPad Pro models' main upgrade to include replacing Lightning with a USB-C interface and bundling with a new unibody design 18W power adapter, which cancels the removable plug design…

Kuo adds that 2018 iPhone models will retain the Lightning connector and remain bundled with a 5W power adapter, not the widely rumored 18W power adapter with a USB-C port, which could be for 2018 iPad Pro models after all.

His research note with TF International Securities adds that Apple's widely anticipated lower-priced MacBook may replace the current 12-inch MacBook. Again, the wording is somewhat ambiguous, so it's unclear if Kuo means the 12-inch MacBook will be refreshed, or if it will be entirely replaced.

Kuo expects the new lower-priced MacBook to support Touch ID fingerprint authentication, but without a full-out Touch Bar, which remains exclusive to select 13- and 15-inch models of the 2016 and later MacBook Pro:

The new low-price MacBook may replace the position of the current 12" MacBook. We expect this new model to support the Touch ID but it will not have the Touch Bar. Everwin Precision is the main beneficiary because it is the first time this company will enter the Mac casing supply chain and its shipments account for 20% of the new MacBook model's D parts.

As far as the Apple Watch Series 4 lineup is concerned, Kuo believes all models will feature ceramic backs, whereas GPS-only Series 3 have composite backs. Kuo also believes Series 4 models will have electrocardiography (ECG/EKG) functionality.

The new Apple Watch models will have narrower bezels, support electrocardiography (ECG), and all be equipped with ceramic backs (currently, some models are equipped with composite backs). We believe the new Apple Watch models will attract more users on supporting ECG. The ECG supplier is Osram (LED design)…

Kuo also said production of the rumored 6.1-inch iPhone with an LCD has been postponed to late September to early October due to quality issues with the assembly and display, echoing a report from Mark Gurman earlier today.

Last, Kuo still expects Apple's long-awaited AirPower charging mat and new AirPods to be released by the end of the year.

Just two days before Apple is expected to unveil new iPhones at Steve Jobs Theater, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman has outlined the potential names of the devices, along with his other expectations for the media event.

Gurman believes Apple will introduce three new iPhones, as widely rumored, including a 5.8-inch model named "iPhone Xs," a larger 6.5-inch model named "iPhone Xs Max," and a lower-priced 6.1-inch model that Apple has considered naming "iPhone Xr," according to his sources familiar with the company's plans.

Those three names have already surfaced in various reports over the past few weeks, and now that they've been corroborated by Gurman, who has a very reliable track record, there is an especially good chance they are accurate.

Apple has used "s" branding for several iPhone models over the years, including the iPhone 4s, iPhone 5s, and iPhone 6s, which were iterative versions of the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and iPhone 6 respectively. iPhone Xs would keep with this trend, as the device is expected to closely resemble the iPhone X.

Gurman doesn't specify why Apple will apparently ditch its "Plus" branding for its largest iPhone, although "Max" certainly sounds fresher, and emphasizes that the 6.5-inch model would easily be Apple's largest iPhone ever.

Meanwhile, some Twitter users have speculated that "Xr" could be short for "X Reality," a mix of augmented reality and virtual reality, but it could also be short for something as simple as "regular"—we may never find out. Other speculated names for the 6.1-inch model include "iPhone Xc," à la iPhone 5c, and "iPhone 9."

Apple has routinely expressed a "profound interest" in augmented reality in particular, but it seems unlikely the company would emphasize the technology in the 6.1-inch iPhone, especially if it has only a single-lens rear camera.

Gurman also expects the 6.1-inch model to have an LCD screen, rather than an OLED display; an aluminum frame, instead of stainless steel edges; and a wider range of color options, with some reports mentioning blue, red, and orange. Like the current iPhone X, it should have a notched display and Face ID.

Many analysts expect the iPhone Xs to be priced from $899, with the iPhone Xs Max starting at $999 and the iPhone Xr priced anywhere from $699 to $849 in the United States. These would be the prices for the base models with 64GB of storage, with configurations up to 512GB expected to be available.

Last year, the iPhone X was released November 3, six weeks after the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus launched. This year, Gurman expects all three new iPhones to be available for purchase much closer to their announcement date, but he cautions that the 6.1-inch model could be available in limited quantities initially.

Apple may elect to delay availability of the 6.1-inch model entirely, according to some analysts, including JP Morgan's Rod Hall:

Still, Apple has faced tight supply of the new low-cost model due to minor complications fitting backlights for the LCD screen, according to people familiar with the matter. That could mean the lower-cost device ships in limited quantities initially, they said. Apple may be tempted to delay availability of the LCD version to gauge demand for the more expensive largest new iPhone, Goldman's Hall said.

Beyond the iPhone, Gurman expects the Apple Watch Series 4 lineup to be unveiled Wednesday. These models will likely have larger displays, as seen in a marketing image leaked by 9to5Mac's Guilherme Rambo and Zac Hall. The website also leaked a marketing image for the so-called iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max.

Gurman concludes his report with a list of other products in Apple's pipeline for release by the end of this year, including its long-awaited AirPower charging mat, a lower-cost notebook to succeed the MacBook Air, two new iPad Pro models with Face ID, and a so-called "pro-focused" upgrade to the Mac mini.

Our guess is that AirPower availability may finally be confirmed at Wednesday's event, alongside a new pair of AirPods with "Hey Siri" support, while new Macs and iPad Pro models with Face ID could be enough for an October event.

Many of these details have been rumored numerous times leading up to September, so fortunately there is just over 48 hours to go until the real deal. MacRumors will be providing live coverage of Apple's event from Steve Jobs Theater on Wednesday, starting around 8:15 a.m. Pacific Time.

Over the weekend, mobile leaker Benjamin Geskin reposted a series of images supposedly showing "prototypes" of Apple's forthcoming 6.1-inch LCD iPhone in three colors. The images were in fact first shared by Slashleaks on September 6, when they were described as "clones" of Apple's upcoming mid-tier LCD iPhone.

Despite that, on Sunday Geskin re-shared an earlier tweet of his linking to the original Slashleaks page, and claimed the dummy/clone images were in fact "the real deal", without offering any evidence to substantiate the new claim.

Rumors have been running for some time that Apple's more budget-friendly LCD iPhone will launch in several colors, with Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicting in July that gray, white, blue, red, and orange colors would be available.

Speculation surrounding possible color options was also reignited on Sunday when an alleged Chinese mobile carrier leak referred to the lower-spec LCD iPhone as "iPhone XC". The last time Apple used "C" nomenclature in its smartphones was for its budget-friendly iPhone 5c, which featured a plastic rear case available in blue, green, yellow, white, and pink colors.

The red color shown in the images appears similar to Apple's special PRODUCT(RED) iPhone editions, which for the last two years have only become available for select models midway through their first year of availability.

One of the images of the alleged "prototypes" also shows the 6.1-inch LCD iPhone with a dual-SIM card slot. Again, previous rumors have suggested that a dual-SIM version of the LCD iPhone will be available in select regions.

Lastly, the cases in the images look to have glass backs surrounded by aluminum edges, in contrast to the more expensive-to-manufacture stainless steel finish used in last year's iPhone X.

It's not long now before we'll know for sure what Apple has planned for its 2018 iPhone lineup. Apple's "Gather Round" media event takes place on Wednesday, September 12, and you can find all the coverage here on MacRumors.