Apple event: Space to Satellites, decoding iPhone 14 plans from invite

Apple has recently confirmed the official date for conducting its 'Far Out' event which is on September 7. It is being expected that the company will be launching the iPhone 14 series at the event along with Apple Watch. With only about 3 days left for the launch event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman explains what the event's invitation tells about iPhone plans. It can be known that the presentation will be the combination of a normal in-person keynote at Apple’s Steve Jobs Theater along with pre-recorded video, and the entire event will be streamed online and can be watched at apple.com or on the Apple TV app at 10:30 PM IST.

The invitation that Apple has shared for this year's event features the 'Far Out' tagline and contains a cluster of stars in outer space. Speaking about the event Gurman said, "“Far out” could refer to the event literally being far in the future: Apple announced the launch two weeks before it’s set to take place, which is more notice than the company has given in the Covid era. Of late, Apple has announced launches only about one week in advance."

"There’s also the space motif, which builds on a theme in iOS 16. One of the main new wallpaper sets for the update lock screen is the Astronomy option. It includes two views of Earth, two of the moon and one of the solar system. If you slowly swipe through the different views, you get a cool virtual look at space and stars," He added.

Explaining the meaning behind the space theme, Gurman said, "For one, the space theme could be a reference to satellites. I first reported over a year ago that Apple is planning to add significant satellite capabilities to its devices, including an emergency texting feature and a mechanism for reporting major incidents in places without cellular service. The feature, dubbed Emergency Message via Satellite internally, is designed to let users of compatible iPhones send SOS messages to first responders if they’re, say, in the mountains or at sea."

He further said that a corresponding feature is designed to let iPhone users report emergencies—like boating accidents, plane crashes and shootings—in areas without cellular service. That’s a step up from the current iPhone and Apple Watch feature for quickly calling emergency services and providing them with your location.

However, what needs to be noted is that it is not yet clear if Apple will launch this kind of functionality on September 7.

Gurman said, "Another possibility is that Apple is hinting at enhanced photography capabilities or a feature that could rival Google’s long-existing astrophotography mode. A new version of the iPhone’s night mode, which first launched in 2019, could also be in the offing."

Another possible theory is that the lit-up stars at night represent the upcoming “always on” mode, which will let the iPhone show new lock screen widgets.