Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, has announced that the company will unveil a new product today, February 19, Wednesday. The most anticipated release is the iPhone SE 4, although there are several other potential options. Here’s what you need to know.
iPhone SE 4
The iPhone SE 4 has been in the rumor mill for over two years and is set to be a significant upgrade to Apple’s most budget-friendly iPhone variant. This redesign will feature a completely new look influenced by the iPhone 14, alongside substantial internal enhancements and a better camera system.
- New design eliminating the Home button, incorporating a notch and Face ID
- A18 chip paired with 8GB of RAM
- Integration of Apple Intelligence
- 6.1-inch OLED display
- Face ID replacing Touch ID
- 48MP rear camera
- 12MP front camera
- USB-C port for charging instead of Lightning
As reported by Bloomberg, the iPhone SE 4 is almost guaranteed to be the product Apple reveals on Wednesday. I’m truly eager to witness this launch, and I believe it has the potential for considerable success if Apple prices it appropriately.
Wildcard: M4 MacBook Air
The M4 MacBook Air is anticipated to deliver numerous enhancements beyond the M3 model. The notable advancement will be the superior performance and efficiency brought by the M4 chip, which should also extend battery life significantly.
The M4 chip will enable a maximum RAM capacity of 32GB for the MacBook Air, compared to the M3, which is limited to 24GB.
Another significant improvement: the M4 MacBook Air will support two external displays even with its lid open, in contrast to the M3, which only accommodates this when the lid is closed.
The debut of the M4 MacBook Air is expected soon, as inventory levels are decreasing in Apple retail locations. Whether this will occur this week or later in the spring remains uncertain.
Wildcard: iPad Updates
Apple is in the process of developing two updates for the iPad series. The first is the new iPad 11, which will serve as an upgrade to the most accessible model in the lineup. This device will boast faster performance powered by the A17 Pro chip alongside 8GB of RAM, marking a considerable improvement over the iPad 10, which uses the A14 Bionic chip with 4GB of RAM. These enhancements will facilitate Apple Intelligence support for the most affordable iPad.
Moreover, Apple is also working on a revamped iPad Air, which will be simply a specification enhancement, moving from the M2 to the M3 chip.
Wildcard: ‘HomePad’ Smart Display
A new device is expected to join Apple’s offerings this year. As reported by DMN last September, Apple is creating a new smart home control center featuring a square display and an A18 chip for Apple Intelligence functionality.
According to extensive reports by Bloomberg, this device is projected to have a 7-inch display, approximately the size of two iPhones placed side by side, with a thick bezel surrounding the screen.
The design of the device revolves around wall mounting and will be presented in silver and black options. Bloomberg also mentions that there will be bases with additional speakers that can be used in various locations, like the kitchen or on a nightstand.
While Apple initially aimed for a March rollout of this new smart display, recent insights indicate that the device’s launch may be delayed.
New Software Betas
Lastly, we’re still expecting Apple to drop the next installment of software betas across all its platforms. iOS 18.4 is projected to introduce a variety of new Apple Intelligence features, including a more context-aware Siri, on-screen recognition, and new in-app functionalities.
- Personal Context Understanding: With the on-device semantic index provided by Apple Intelligence, Siri will grasp information from your emails, messages, photos, calendar entries, and files. It will answer inquiries that are specific to you. For instance, saying “What was that movie Jamie suggested I check out?” will see Siri retrieve information from last week’s conversation. Also, when you say, “Add my passport number here,” Siri will pull the number from a saved photo of your passport.
- On-screen Awareness: Siri will gain the ability to recognize and interact with elements present on your screen. For example, if a friend texts you about a new coffee shop in your area, you could simply ask, “How long does it take to walk there from home?” and Siri will know exactly what you’re referring to.
- In-App Actions: Siri will be able to perform hundreds of new tasks within both first- and third-party applications. Next time you’re editing photos, for example, you can say, “Make this photo warmer,” and Siri will adjust it for you using the Photos app. Additionally, transitioning between apps will be seamless; after editing, you could say, “Add this to my ratatouille recipe note,” and Siri will easily switch apps to complete the task.
Bloomberg anticipates that the first beta for iOS 18.4 will be released as early as this week. In addition to iOS 18.4, updates for iPadOS 18.4, macOS 15.4, tvOS 18.4, and watchOS 11.4 are also likely to be rolled out.
Conclusion
This week seems to revolve around the eagerly awaited iPhone SE 4 introduction. This is a highly anticipated addition to Apple’s product portfolio, making Apple Intelligence more accessible at a lower price point. While many DMN readers who are into cutting-edge hardware might view it as an unexciting announcement, it’s an important segment for Apple.
Based on last year’s timelines, we are overdue for the first iOS 18.4 beta release. It remains to be seen if this will occur this week.
My top picks for iPhone accessories:
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