Dubai: An invite with cryptic words had been sent out. The date: September 7.
Apple watchers the world over are abuzz with speculation that the iPhone 7 – the latest iteration of the tech giant's best-selling smartphone — is coming, finally.
Following numerous purported leaks and rumours going around, Apple started sending out press invites on Monday for a September 7 product launch where the iPhone 7 — and possibly a new Apple Watch — will most likely by officially unveiled.
In the company's usual enigmatic style, the invite features the Apple logo against a black background, but gives very little away: "See you on the 7th. Please join us for an invitation-only event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco on Wednesday, September 7, at 10:00 a.m."
The only other thing that's clear by the invite's text is the venue: Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, which seems to have become Apple's favourite venue for all its big product launches.
The venue, with a seating capacity of about 7,000 people, is also where the company held its 2016 World Wide Developers Conference.
It was during this event that Apple announced new versions of its operating systems, including iOS 10, macOS Sierra and watchOS 2.
What tech watchers expect on September 7:
Apple is expected to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone and Apple Watch at the event.
Monday's invitation may refer to a larger version of the new iPhone that is expected to have a dual-camera system to improve photography.
The successors to the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus is said to include advanced photography capabilities and upgraded hardware with a design similar to last year's models, people familiar with the matter said earlier this month.
The iPhone generates about two-thirds of Apple's sales, making a product refresh essential to help revive growth in the run-up to Christmas.
No more audio jack?
Online reports suggest Apple plans to forego the 3.5mm audio jack and replace it with the lightning connector for audio output, for the upcoming iPhone 7.
The move is likely aimed at making future iPhones even slimmer.
Images circulating online claimed to be Apple's EarPods with lightning connector, seems to confirm this. The EarPods' images were posted on Chinese social media website Weibo.
If Apple decides to ditch the 3.5mm audio jack, it won't be the first company to do so.
Earlier this year, Chinese manufacturer LeEco launched three smartphones without a 3.5mm headphone jack.
The company claims that the handsets are the first in the world to forego the traditional 3.5mm jack and feature a USB Type-C audio port with CDLA (Continual Digital Lossless Audio) tech.
