'Wonderlust' Event Held
Invitation Sent to Media
Apple will unveil the next-generation iPhone, the 'iPhone 15,' at its headquarters in Cupertino, California, on the 12th of next month.
According to Bloomberg on the 29th (local time), Apple sent invitations to major media worldwide on the same day, announcing that it will hold an event to introduce new Apple products at 10 a.m. on the 12th (2 a.m. on the 13th Korean time) at its Cupertino headquarters in California.
The event is named 'Wonderlust,' but specific details about the event were not disclosed. Given that Apple typically unveils new products in September, it is expected that the new products announced this time will mainly focus on the iPhone 15 lineup. Last year, the iPhone 14 was unveiled on September 7, and in 2021, the iPhone 13 was unveiled on September 14.
The iPhone 15 models to be announced this time are expected to use a USB-C type charging port, which is common with Android smartphones, instead of the proprietary Lightning connector that Apple has used so far.
The USB-C type became the industry standard after the European Union (EU) mandated in October last year that all phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU must be equipped with it. Accordingly, from December next year, products without USB-C type charging ports will not be allowed to be sold.
Bloomberg forecasted that the new iPhone will show noticeable differences from previous models in terms of design and performance, such as using a titanium frame and being equipped with the A17 processor.
Apple is expected to set the iPhone's selling price higher than before. Additionally, Bloomberg reported that a new Apple Watch model may also be unveiled at the event.
Meanwhile, this new product announcement comes amid a sluggish outlook for the third quarter. Luca Maestri, Apple's Chief Financial Officer (CFO), said during a conference call after the last quarterly earnings report that third-quarter sales are expected to decline at a level similar to the second quarter's sales decrease (1.4%).
Apple recorded sales of $90.15 billion (approximately 117 trillion 148 billion KRW) last year. Therefore, third-quarter sales are expected to possibly fall short of $90 billion. This would mark four consecutive quarters of sales decline and fall below Wall Street's expectations, which forecast sales at the level of last year's third quarter.
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