Live Online Broadcast at 2 AM
[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Apple's biggest annual event, the 'Apple Event,' where the iPhone 14 will be unveiled, will be held on September 8 (Korean time), one week earlier than usual this year. The 'iPhone Mini,' which was the smallest smartphone with a 5.7-inch screen, is expected to disappear in the 14 series, and four new iPhones with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes are expected to be released.
In the early morning of the 25th (Korean time) at 1 a.m., Apple sent out invitations for the Apple Event titled 'Far Beyond.' The event will be live-streamed at 2 a.m. on September 8 (Korean time). The decision to hold an online live stream is interpreted as a safe move amid the global resurgence of COVID-19 infections.
Predictions that the event would be held earlier than usual have also come true. Mark Gurman of Bloomberg reported that Apple stores have started preparing for new product launches targeting September 16, expecting the new products to be released about a week earlier than last year. According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 14 unveiling is expected to be conducted as an online event rather than offline.
This year's iPhone 14 series is expected to consist of four models without the 'Mini' model but with an added large-screen budget model called 'Max': ▲ iPhone 14 (6.1 inches) ▲ iPhone 14 Max (6.7 inches) ▲ iPhone 14 Pro (6.1 inches) ▲ iPhone 14 Pro Max (6.7 inches).
Apple is expected to reduce or eliminate the size of the 'notch' on the two higher-end models (Pro and Pro Max). The notch refers to the display design that leaves a portion at the top of the screen empty to place the camera. Industry experts anticipate that Apple will equip only the iPhone 14 Pro lineup with the upgraded A16 Bionic chipset. The lower-end models, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Max, are expected to use the same A15 chip as the previous iPhone 13.
There is unlikely to be a change in the charging port that iPhone users have been expecting. In July, the European Union (EU) announced plans to unify charging ports to USB-C by 2024 to reduce electronic waste and protect the environment. Apple, which has used its proprietary Lightning connector since the iPhone 5 series, is expected to adopt USB-C ports starting with the iPhone 15 to be released next year.
Prices are expected to rise compared to the previous models. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo recently predicted that the average selling price (ASP) of the iPhone 14 series will increase by about 15% compared to the previous generation. Wedbush analyst Dan Ives also stated, "Prices of electronic components and raw materials are rising across the board," and forecasted that "considering raw material costs, the price of the iPhone 14 will increase by nearly $100 (about 130,000 KRW)." Some speculate that only the premium Pro lineup prices will increase.
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