Apple is holding a rare Monday event in September. Here’s what to expect

Yesterday, Apple announced that it would hold its annual iPhone launch event on September 9, 2024.

While the event itself isn’t out of the ordinary for Apple, it’s rare in that the company is holding the event on a Monday. Apple usually likes to hold its events on a Tuesday or Wednesday. One of the reasons for this is so people in the media don’t have to travel to Cupertino on a Sunday—their day off.

Apple didn’t say why it’s holding its event on a Monday this year, but it likely comes down to the fact that Tuesday, September 10, is the day of the presidential debate. Apple doesn’t like to share its news cycle, and holding the event on that Monday gives its announcements a better chance at dominating headlines for at least 24 hours.

So just what will Apple be announcing at its event, which is dubbed “It’s Glowtime” (a play on “It’s Showtime”)? Here’s what to expect:

AI focus

The colorful glowtime theme (which can be seen in a tweet from Apple’s senior vice president of marketing, Greg Joswiak, below) is referencing the new visual feedback a user sees when using Siri in iOS 18.

When activated, the iPhone screen’s borders will glow. In other words, expect this event to feature a heavy AI focus, with Apple promoting the benefits of its new Apple Intelligence platform on the new iPhones.

iOS 18

Apple will also show off any last-minute additions to iOS 18, the iPhone’s upcoming operating system—particularly any iOS 18 features that may be exclusive to the new iPhones.

iPhone 16

This is an iPhone event, so expect the iPhone 16 series to feature heavily. The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus should feature fairly modest updates, with the A18 chip being the biggest draw. The A18 will allow the entry-level iPhones to run AI tasks.

The iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to get more robust upgrades, including better cameras and larger screens.

New AirPods

It is also expected that Apple will debut two new entry-level AirPods. The cases for both AirPods are finally expected to get USB-C and one of the new AirPods is expected to gain active noise cancelation—a feature that has been exclusive to the AirPods Pro.

New Apple Watches

Finally, expect new Apple Watches. The Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Ultra are expected to get minor upgrades, the Ultra perhaps gaining a new health functionality. The Apple Watch Series 10 is expected to be a bit thinner than the existing Series 9 model.

Apple’s “It’s Glowtime” event begins at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time on September 9.

We’re glowing with excitement! Monday, September 9. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/QRVyZtqXYA— Greg Joswiak (@gregjoz) August 26, 2024

We’re glowing with excitement! Monday, September 9. #AppleEvent pic.twitter.com/QRVyZtqXYA