Apple sets date for iPhone launch: here's what to expect from 12 September event

Apple is holding a special event on 12 September, where it's expected to launch the iPhone 8. The company rarely launches new flagship phones by themselves, however, and there are numerous rumours circulating about what other devices will be launched, including new smartwatches.

Read on to find out what else could be announced on 12 September.

Rumour: Apple will release the iPhone 8

Likelihood: 99%

The most credible rumour is the release of the iPhone 8.

The device, which could also be called the iPhone 10 or iPhone X, depending on what rumours you listen to, marks the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Fittingly, the 12 September event is being held at the Steve Jobs Theatre in Apple Park, the company's new Cupertino headquarters.

The iPhone 8 is expected to include a host of new features, including 3D facial recognition, augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR) capabilities, and a software-based home button.

Rumour: iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus will also launch

Likelihood: 85%

While not as strong as the rumour of the iPhone 8, it wouldn't be a surprise for Apple to update last year's iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. This is particularly likely if a) the iPhone 8 is a giant leap forward compared to the iPhone 7 and b) it's expensive as has been rumoured (in the region of US$1200).

On the other hand, it would mean Apple releasing three iPhones at the same time. Including the iPhone SE, that would bring the total number of iPhones on the market to four.

This could be a risky move for Apple, an overabundance of choice could mean none of the new devices do as well as the company would hope.

Alternatively, it could follow the model used for the first Apple Watch, with the high-end device being limited edition.

Rumour: A new or updated iPhone SE

Likelihood: 70%

It's been over a year since the release of the iPhone SE – Apple's 4-inch smartphone brought in to replace the dinky iPhone 5s – and that's a long time in tech.

Although the SE isn't a top-of-the-range product and was never marketed as such, it could still do with an upgrade.

That being said, the company kept the launch of the original SE separate from those of the flagship iPhone 6s (September 2015) and the iPhone 7 (September 2016), possibly because it didn't want to muddy the waters of the annual iPhone spectacle by launching a 'budget' phone at the same time.

Consequently, we may have to wait until 2018 for a new SE.

Rumour: Apple Watch 3 revealed

Likelihood: 90%

It's been a year since the launch of the Apple Watch 2, which was launched alongside the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. If the company is following an annual release cycle, which it seems to be, then we can expect the launch of the Apple Watch 3 alongside the iPhone 8.

Brazilian tech site iHelp BR (translated by IT Pro), first reported that some Apple developers had noticed "references to some new types of exercise for the Apple Watch – for example, skiing".

The site claimed to have confirmed this by looking in the "internal archives and codes of iOS 11".

"We found a range of icons that are used by the Apple Watch's Exercise app that don't appear in any of the current versions of the watch, even the most recent version of the Apple Watch," it said. "Therefore, we suspect that they will be exclusive to the new generation of Apple Watch, which must be announced soon."

Other rumoured new features include an LTE/4G upgrade, increased battery life and a camera.

Rumour: New Macbooks, iMacs and iPads

Likelihood: 1%

With a swathe of new iMacs, Macbooks and iPads released at WWDC 2017 in June, including an update to the MacBook Air, 12 September is too early for a hardware refresh on these lines.

Rumour: The Apple Car

Likelihood: 0%

It's always a rumour, but it's not going to happen. Not this year, anyway.

This article originally appeared at itpro.co.uk