What to expect from the upcoming Apple launch

0:00This is TechCrunch. Hey there, I'm Travis Hoyam, one of the hosts of Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing. Each weekday on Motley Fool Hidden Gems Investing, we talk through the business news you need to know and the story is moving stocks on Wall Street. On weekends, we play in personal finance strategies and dive into the industry shaping tomorrow and host the experts, authors and executives that understand them. Tuning for insights and a long-term perspective on investing and of course stock ideas, plenty of them. To quote a listener, it pays to listen. Check us out and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. What can we expect from the upcoming Apple launch? Let's talk about it. I'm Imran Shake and you're Wednesday Daily Crunch on Foles for You Right Now. Folks, it's finally happening. This week we are probably about to see Apple's first foldable iPhone. More than five years, I mean that's a full, deep space mission on Star Trek years long

1:05after Samsung launched its first foldable phone. Apple's annual iPhone release event star is always interesting in one way or another, but this year's presentation is one of the most anticipated in a while. You see as Tim Apple, or I mean Tim Cook, hands off the CEO role to former vice president of hardware engineering, John Ternis, people have high expectations for Apple's next devices, especially since the company's embracing an entirely new form factor. Now, while Apple is usually tight-lipped about its product launches, there are always inevitable leaks giving us insight into what we might see during the September 9th Apple event. While the foldable iPhone is obviously the most exciting, we're also anticipating news about AirPods, O-pods, and the non-foldable iPhone 189. Now I know what you're thinking, if Apple's made its consumers way over half a decade for a tantrum of the foldable market, its first attempt better be a good one, especially since reports indicate that the phone will cost more than two grand.

2:09At least it's not as pricey as the $3,500 Apple Vision Pro headset, am I right? Unlike headsets, people actually buy smartphones. Now, the good news is that people who claim to be early testers of the device have reported back positive experiences. You see, according to Bloomberg's Apple insider Mark German, the foldable iPhone has a premium feel, fits nicely in a pocket, and opens up into a wide iPad-like display. The phone's expected to sport a 5.5-inch covered display, which expands to 7.8 inches when the screen is unfolded. When folded in, the device will look shorter and wider than your typical iPhone. To make hardware that's still sleek enough to pocket when folded, Apple has had to make some concessions. Yeah, the device reportedly skips the telephoto camera, which could be disappointing to the kind of Apple consumers who are willing to open up their wallets for a phone that's expensive enough to feed a family for months. However, the phone is expected to have a dual lens rear camera system with a main and ultra-wide lens similar to what's on Apple's more basic iPhones.

3:12Rumor has it that Apple will include MagSafe, the magnetic wireless charging and accessory system, but that it's going to forego FaceID to save space, relying instead on a touch-ID fingerprint button on the phone's side. Now, that shouldn't be a huge concession. Touching a button is about as easy as looking at a screen, but it might take some getting used to if you've become accustomed to FaceID. Like other foldable phones, the iPhone Ultra, as it's going to be called, is expected to support side-by-side multitasking, letting you run two apps at once, one on each half of the unfolded screen. Now, even though it'll resemble a small iPad when opened up, it's still going to run iOS rather than iPad OS, though that shouldn't be cause for concerns since Apple's newest chips are plenty powerful enough to handle it. In fact, the same chip reportedly powers Apple's budget MacBook Neo laptop. Now, a pain point for foldable phone users thus far has been the dreaded crease. You see, with other companies foldable phones, you can see the evidence when you open the

4:14phone that this isn't your standard display. It's a hard problem to solve quite frankly, and one that maybe isn't worth the technical effort, though Apple has, supposedly, created a display where the crease isn't as visible. Of course, if foldables aren't your thing, or if you don't want to spend double the price on your next phone, don't worry, Apple's got you. Apple's also expected to release some new devices in the iPhone 18 line. We've heard leaks about the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, but not much yet about the standard iPhone 18, which is predicted to arrive six months after the September event. Well, that would be a first for Apple, releasing the premium models before the standard one. I guess Apple's putting the Apple card before the horse here. Now that Apple is finally moving forward with its Gemini-powered Siri AI update, the company is also expected to refresh the HomePod, which is a smart speaker and Apple's answer to devices like the Amazon Echo line. References to unreleased products, including new HomePod's, were recently spotted by users digging through a Mac OS preview build.

5:17The most surprising find, however, is that Apple appears to be working on AirPods with built-in cameras. In that same Mac OS preview, you see a researcher, Aaron Perris, found a video showing someone wearing the AirPods and picking up a book. While some users may be skittish about using a device they can see what they see, comparisons to Meta's maligned, pervert glasses are inevitable. We have some degree of hope that a company like Apple, which as built its brand-on privacy, is going to do better. German has reported that the cameras essentially act as eyes for the Siri digital assistant and aren't designed to take photos or video. Instead, the earbuds components allow it to capture visual information and low resolution. And folks, that's your Daily Crunch! Today's stories were reported by Amanda Silverling. We'll see you here tomorrow, same tech time, same crunch channel, and until then, find us at techcrunch.com.