Apple plans to debut new gadgets on September 10

APPLE is planning its biggest product launch event of the year on September 10, when it will unveil its latest iPhones, watches and AirPods, Bloomberg News reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.

The company is preparing for that date, although an exact date has not yet been announced. The phones will then go on sale on September 20, in line with Apple’s typical approach in recent years, the report says.

Apple did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Analysts are predicting a strong update cycle for the iPhone 16 series, with Apple likely to introduce what they are calling its biggest software update yet for the iPhone. It includes artificial intelligence features and comes at a time when rivals like Samsung have been quicker to introduce similar services.

The new launches come as Apple forecast further gains as it bets on artificial intelligence (AI) to attract customers, even though its overall business in China disappointed in the third quarter.

Sales in Apple’s third-largest market, China, fell 6.5 percent, beating expectations of a 2.4 percent decline, according to data from Visible Alpha.

At its annual developer conference in June, Apple unveiled its much-anticipated artificial intelligence strategy, integrating new “Apple Intelligence” technology across its suite of apps, including Siri, and bringing OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot to its devices.

Apple is still overly dependent on iPhone sales, and some analysts say the new AI features are unlikely to make any difference in the short term.