Apple has officially sent out its invitation to its September 9th event, where it is expected to reveal the much-anticipated iPhone 6 and according to reports, the tech giant might even unveil its first smartwatch, the iWatch, on the same day.
Apple has officially sent out its predictably cryptic invitation to a September 9 event, this year’s invitation displaying both the dates and the words, “wish we could say more”.
The Apple launch will be held at the Flint Centre for Performing Arts in Cupertino, California, the same venue where Steve Jobs unveiled the first Apple Macintosh computer in 1984. The new iWatch is expected to integrate Apple’s HealthKit health and fitness platform and HomeKit, its new application for controlling other connected devices.
Apple’s Australian smartphone market share has been dwindling over the last few quarters and earlier this year. According to Kantar Worldpanel figures, Apple’s smartphone market share fell to 35%, meaning Google’s Android is more widely used than Apple’s iOS in every major market except Japan. An upgraded iPhone and the launch of diversified products such as the iWatch could provide an opportunity for Apple to regain its dominance of the market.
Telsyte principal analyst Foad Fadaghi told Fairfax Media that given that the iPhone 6 is tipped to be more than just an update of a previous product, it is difficult to tell whether Apple will decide to launch the smartwatch at the same time.
“It comes down to whether or not the [wearable] product is positioned as a complement to the iPhone,” Mr Fadaghi said. “If it is, there’s a high likelihood it will demonstrate some peripherals and apps that work with the iPhone.”
According to tech website Re/code, Apple will announce its brand new wearable device alongside its new iPhone 6 in two sizes, a 4-7inch phone and a larger 5.5-inch “phablet” version to be named the iPhone 6L.
The report follows photos leaked by by French site Nowhere Else this week, appearing to confirm the release date of the next-generation iPhone on the same day as the event. However, Apple has never both announced and released an iPhone on the same day.
Previous rumours held that Apple was planning to unveil its iWatch at an event in October.
