15 things Apple will definitely* be making soon**

MUCH ADO ABOUT SOMETHING

We’ve heard a lot of absurd speculation about Apple products over the years, but the moles have gotten chattier over time, and a rumour will often build and build until Apple finally makes something official. It happened with the iPhone X, HomePod, and Touch Bar-equipped MacBooks, and so many other recent devices before those. In many cases, we know nearly every key detail before something is properly announced. So what is Apple possibly working on right now? We’ve compiled 15 recent and not-yet-ruled-out rumours about Apple products and features, uncovered via reports or patent applications, which range from an electric car to an AR headset, multiple new iPhones, and even an Apple Ring. Apple is definitely going to make all of these things, right? Well, hopefully not the iRing.

1) A BIGGER IPHONE X

The iPhone X (shown) is Apple’s current top dog, but of course, there’s already plenty of talk about how it’ll soon be outmoded. According to various reports, Apple may be working on a larger version of the revamped iPhone to release in late 2018. The report claims that we’ll get an updated version of the standard 5.8in model, of course, but that Apple may also release a larger version with a 6.5in OLED display. Sounds appealing… and also massive. But that sizing approach is pretty similar to what Samsung has done with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+, and in any case, we think it’s very likely that Apple will end up offering size options for year two of this new approach.

2) A CHEAPER, LCD MODEL TOO

And that won’t be the only one, according to analysts. They also believe that Apple will release a cheaper take on the iPhone X that uses a lower-resolution LCD panel instead of the brilliant OLED display used in the current model. Here’s where the report gets a bit wonky, though: Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TF International Securities expects that this cheaper version will bridge the gap in size between the iPhone X and the purported Plus model, coming in at 6.1in but with a lower resolution than either of them – likely 320-330 pixels per inch (ppi), which is right where the standard iPhone 8 falls today (326ppi).

3) AN AR HEADSET

Last year’s iOS 11 update made a big push into augmented reality with Apple’s ARKit software, but analysts believe the company is just dipping its toe into the market before truly diving in with dedicated hardware. The Nikkei Asian Review reports that Apple supplier Quanta is working on an augmented reality headset for a client that they expect to be out by 2019, and analysts the outlet spoke to believe that the project really is for Apple. It sounds similar to Microsoft’s HoloLens, with a transparent lens that you can look through to see digital items projected on to your view of the real world. Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo now believes the target date is 2020, but in any case, that’s not too far off in the future.

4) NOISE-CANCELLING AIRPODS

According to a report from Bloomberg, Apple is working on a higher-end version of the AirPods that will feature noise-cancelling technology and also water resistance. They’re not built for swimming, but they’ll be better equipped to withstand sweat and the elements. Bloomberg also claims that Apple is working to make the AirPods work from further away from your iPhone, as well. The higher-end AirPods should release in 2019 and cost more than the current version, which Bloomberg suggests will see its own refresh later this year with a more powerful chip and hands-free Siri requests.

5) AND OVER-EAR HEADPHONES TOO

Bloomberg’s report about the higher-end AirPods also mentions that Apple has been hard at work on over-ear headphones for some time. They’ll reportedly contend with offerings from Bose and Sennheiser, which means they won’t be cheap – and they’re slated to hit the market as a premium alternative to Beats. According to the report, we should also see these headphones in 2019. They were planned to release earlier, but Apple hit “development challenges” along the way, Bloomberg suggests.

6) AN ELECTRIC (AND SELF-DRIVING?) CAR

Uncovered emails suggested that Apple has been looking for a facility to test self-driving cars – potentially a later goal after launching an initial electric car – and a report said that Apple had “committed” to the project and aimed to finalise it by 2019. In 2016, the project lead reportedly left, but Apple supposedly has more and more people working on Titan, and potentially loads of cash invested. The rumour mill had been very quiet until recently, when analyst Ming-Chi Kuo suggested that it’s still happening for an expected 2023-2025 release.

7) APPLE WATCH SERIES 4

Another year, another Apple Watch? Yeah, it’s starting to feel that way – but each version (Series 3 shown) has brought some solid enhancements, and the Series 4 might finally shake up the look a bit too. Bloomberg reports that the Apple Watch Series 4 will keep the same dimensions as current models and work with the same bands, but suggests that the Series 4 versions will bring in a larger, edge-to-edge display. It could be a slight difference in the end, but after a few years of the same thing, that’ll be appreciated.

8) AN IPHONE SE 2

It’s been more than two years since the iPhone SE released, and it’s still running the same tech from some time ago. When will we see an update? Rumours started surging earlier this year, suggesting a revision with a similar overall approach albeit with glass backing, more power, and a better camera. However, when WWDC came and went in June without an announcement, the growing hype certainly deflated a bit. We still think that Apple will keep the iPhone SE in the lineup and refresh it at some point, but we don’t think they’ll announce it at the same time as the three purported larger phones launching this September.

9) AN IPAD PRO X

According to a report from Chinese site MyDrivers (via MacRumors), the 2018 versions of the iPad Pro could take after the iPhone X in a couple of key ways. First, they’re expected to have the same TrueDepth front-facing camera system that enables Face ID security, Animoji, and facial tracking. And secondly, they could feature a similar design with no Touch ID button and very minimal bezel. However, the report suggests that the 10.5in (current model shown) and 12.9in tablets will stick with LCD displays due to higher yield rates than OLED. The tablets should also have an eight-core A11X Bionic chip that’ll even outperform the benchmark-slaying A11 Bionic chip in the current iPhones.

10) A PHONE WITH A STYLUS

Steve Jobs famously slammed stylus-driven phones, saying, “If you see a stylus, they blew it” – but in the post-Jobs era, Apple has gone against its late founder’s whims at times. And this could be the most significant example of all. According to Korean publication The Investor, Apple has been talking to stylus makers about a partnership to build an iPhone with an included stylus. Why Apple wouldn’t just make a smaller Apple Pencil to work with the iPhone is a bit perplexing, but hey, that’s what the report claims.

11) A STREAMING TV SERVICE

For years, Apple was rumoured to be creating its own streaming TV service to complement its set-top box, and the rumours flared up again in 2015. Reports said that Apple would cobble together a cheaper package of channels like Sling TV or PlayStation Vue, and sell it for much less than the average cable or satellite subscription. But the plan hit some snags, it seems: channel operators pushed back, and wouldn’t give Apple the prices it wanted to be able to deliver cheap bundles. Still, Les Moonves, CEO of American broadcast network CBS, seems confident: “This will happen,” he said in December 2015. (It still hasn’t happened.)

12) A SMART RING

Will the Apple Watch beget the Apple Ring? We’re not counting on it, but Apple is at least looking into the possibility. A patent application uncovered in late 2015 shows “devices and methods for a ring computing device,” and the illustrations shown are indeed for a wearable device with a screen that sits on your finger. The touchscreen could be used to interact with the Apple Watch, even, but unless you’re a die-hard fan of wearables, chances are that you don’t need two of them on at any given time. Would anyone? Apple might try to find out, if the application is any indication.

13) AN ALL-SEEING HOMEPOD

Apple’s HomePod speaker – a higher-end competitor to Amazon’s Echo and the Google Home – just hit the market a few months back, but rumours are already swirling about the next-generation model. And that one, reportedly, will be able to see you. According to Nikkei Asian Review, Apple’s HomePod supplier Inventec Appliances says it expects home speakers to pack in facial recognition in the future, allowing them to automatically adjust settings based on who’s in view. Analysts suggest they’re talking about a future version of the HomePod.

14) A 3D SENSOR FOR IPHONES

Now here’s an Apple augmented reality move that seems a lot more sensible. According to Bloomberg, Apple plans to outfit iPhones with a new 3D sensor that’ll help improve mobile AR experiences. The report pegs 2019 as the year Apple rolls out this feature with new iPhones. What’s the plan? Well, supposedly Apple is working on a laser-centric approach, with the sensor firing off loads of lasers and then building a 3D picture of your surroundings based on how long it takes for the lasers to bounce off of objects. You won’t see these lasers, though… and they won’t destroy everything around you (presumably).

15) A SELF-SEALING IPHONE

The iPhone 8 and X are thankfully water-resistant, but Apple is reportedly working on some next-generation weatherproofing powers. That’s according to a patent application discovered in 2015. That application shows Apple’s concept for “self-healing” rubber port enclosures, which split apart when you insert a headphone jack or Lightning cable. When removed, they expand back to their normal shape, thus closing up the holes. Granted, the headphone port is now long gone with the last couple iPhone models, but adding something like that to the Lightning port could save some accidentally-submerged phones from the scrap heap.