Apple iPhone 8: A round-up of everything we know of the phone, smartwatch and more

The countdown for Apple's mega event of the year has begun. On the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, the buzz around one of the world's most iconic phones will reach its peak on September 12 when Apple's newest line-up will be unveiled at the company's headquarters in Cupertino. Given the excitement, there's been a spate of rumours, even leaks, around what to expect from Tuesday's event. Here's a round-up of what we know so far.

The new iPhones plus iPhone X

The euphoria around the new iPhones is certainly not new. But, never has been so much of curiosity around the names of the new iPhones. Apple is reportedly not going to call the new iPhones --iPhone 7S and iPhone 7S Plus. Instead, the new iPhones will be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, accompanied by an anniversary special dubbed as the 'iPhone X' aka 'iPhone Edition'.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are expected to be just incremental updates over their predecessors. According to multiple reports, the two phones will retain the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus' design but with subtle tweaks. After having used metal back panels for the past few generation of iPhones, Apple may go back to the glass-back design. Wireless charging is going to be another important addition to the Apple ecosystem.

The new iPhones will come with a faster processor, improved battery life and better camera features. The smartphones will be running on the A11 chipset, which is believed to be the fastest Apple processor so far. Featuring six cores under the hood, the processors help iPhones render better graphics, videos and games. The chipset is also expected to be very battery efficient.

The main focus, however, will remain Apple's special edition smartphone, dubbed the iPhone X aka iPhone Edition. The phone is rumoured to come with in-screen fingerprint reader, 3D facial recognition technology for biometric authentication, and native Augmented Reality (AR) support. The iPhone X is speculated to be priced around $1,000, making it the most expensive iPhone ever.

Apple Watch 3

Tuesday's event will not just be about the new iPhones. Apple is expected to launch a new wearable as well. The new smartwatch, dubbed the Apple Watch 3, is expected to be a stand alone wearable, which essentially means it will not be dependent on the iPhone to work.

It's expected to come with a SIM card that will enable independent browsing and texting on the wearable itself. Design-wise, the Apple Watch 3 isn't likely to change much but should come with subtle tweaks and upgradations under the hood.

It is worth pointing out here that Apple's foray into the smartwatch segment has been looked upon with a lot of apprehension. Though Apple topped the wearable market in the first quarter of this year, surpassing wearable-focussed companies like Fitbit, said a recent data released by Strategy Analytics. The report said Apple held 53% of the market share.

Apple HomePod

Unveiled at the WWDC developer conference in June this year, Siri-powered HomePod is Apple's own take on smart speakers -- a new segment growing at a fast pace. The company is expected to announce details such as the price and availability of the HomePod in other markets as well.

While Apple has just one product in this category, Google is already working to expand its Assistant-based smart speakers. Last month, Google announced it will be opening its Assistant platform for third party speakers.

The first wave of Assistant-powered non-Google smart speakers are expected to hit the shelves by end of this year. It may be recalled Panasonic and Sony had unveiled their Assistant-based smart speakers at the recently concluded IFA conference in Berlin.