What will Apple roll out at its event on Tuesday?

Upgrades to the Apple Watch, iPhone and its computers at Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino are expected

Customers browse products at an Apple store in Xiamen, China, on Monday, Aug. 26 2019. U.S. companies are concerned about President Donald Trump’s threats to ban them from doing business in China, and they’re poised to halt new investments if the trade war escalates, the leader of group of top chief executive officers said. Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
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Apple - one of the world’s most valuable public companies - is expected to announce upgrades to the Apple Watch, iPhone and its computers at Steve Jobs Theatre in Cupertino on Tuesday.

The National takes a look at what to expect from Apple's new line-up.

What new tech is predicted?

Analysts say new Apple products will come with minor upgrades and they are not expecting revolutionary new features. According to popular predictions, there will be three new iPhone models - iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Max Pro and a successor to the comparatively affordable iPhone XR (released in September 2018) that analysts have dubbed the iPhone 11R.

The Apple Watch is not expected to get any major update but only a slew of software upgrades.

Apple is however, expected to roll-out a major update with cameras.

Analysts predict new iPhones will have three rear cameras, ensuring better images in low-lit surroundings and capturing clearer high-resolution images and videos. Using artificial intelligence, cameras may automatically focus on the object while ignoring irrelevant details in the background.

Bloomberg reported that wireless charging will see a major advancement. Devices like AirPods and the Apple Watch will be charged by placing them on the back of the phone. It’s a Samsung-like feature that is more important since Apple scrapped its AirPower multi-device charger.

Will new iPhones attract more customers?

While there will be “significant advancements” in technology in the new flagship devices, however from the consumer’s point of view, there will be nothing major new between the products of last and this year, according to Nabila Popal, senior research manager for the Middle East, Africa and Turkey on researcher International Data Corporation's devices group.

“I believe many Apple consumers will prefer to hold on to upgrading their devices until next year, especially since the next major innovation - 5G -is on the horizon and expected to be launched in next year’s Apple devices."

Apple is facing a dip in iPhone sales. It sold just over 38 million iPhones in the second quarter, a 13.8 per cent decline year-over-year, according to US researcher Gartner.

“Too few incremental benefits are preventing existing iPhone users from replacing their smartphones,” said Anshul Gupta, senior director analyst at Gartner.

Apple has reached an inflection point marked by shifting its business towards services, which represented 21 per cent of the vendor’s total revenue in the first quarter of 2019, said Mr Gupta.

What about 5G and ‘foldable’ iPhones?

Apple is one of the few companies that has not shown any inclination towards rolling out 5G-enabled phones. However, looking at the scale of 5G adoption globally, this will become a necessity for Apple by next year.

While 72 mobile operators were testing 5G in 2018, 25 of them are expected to launch the service in 2019, and another 26 in 2020, according to a Deloitte report.

Consumers can also expect a foldable phone from Apple in 2020. In May, it was reported that Apple has started working on this technology after obtaining patents for a foldable cover and display for an electronic device from the US Patent and Trademark Office.

When can consumers buy new Apple products?

Industry experts predict that consumers can place pre-orders for new Apple products from Friday and expect deliveries by the third week of this month. Early excitement could help Apple boost its sales during the US Thanksgiving and holiday shopping season because it will have enough time to roll out devices by then.