This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice about Apple’s hottest product.
Apple’s September 7th event is fast approaching, which means we’re probably days away from learning about the iPhone 14 lineup, new Apple Watches, and possibly a new version of the AirPods Pro. Apple never gives away anything on invitation; we’ll have to wait until the actual event to find out what Apple has in store. But that hasn’t stopped us from looking for clues anyway.
While nothing is certain, it’s easy to imagine how the images could connect to the rumors that have been circulating about the iPhone 14. At the center of the invitation is an Apple logo that is apparently made up of a constellation ·lation of stars or spots of light. The phrase “Far out” is below.
Perhaps this is a reference to camera improvements that could be coming to the rumored iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. Those phones are expected to have a new 48-megapixel camera, which would be a step up from the iPhone 13 Pro’s current 12-megapixel camera, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. There’s a chance Apple is teasing the increased clarity this new camera would bring to the iPhone 14 Pro lineup with the “far-away” tag.
But this is not the only possibility. Remember the rumor about satellite connectivity that went around last year? If this feature ends up appearing on the iPhone 14, a starry night sky would certainly be an interesting way to tease it. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last year that the iPhone 13 would support satellite connectivity, which would allow it to maintain a connection when typical cellular coverage is unavailable, as reported by MacRumors. However, it didn’t end up like that.
Then there are the rumored processor upgrades. According to Kuo, the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are expected to be the only ones in the lineup to get a speed boost to what will presumably be the A16 Bionic chip. If Apple plans to make this processor a major focus of this year’s iPhone announcement, it could be using the phrase “far” to indirectly refer to a jump in speed.
This is all just speculation, and we won’t know the details until September 7th. But it wouldn’t be the first time Apple has subtly given a nod to its upcoming product announcements in an event invite. At its Peek Performance event in March, for example, Apple announced its new M1 Ultra chip, which debuted at Mac Studio, a new iPad Air powered by its M1 chip, and the 5G-enabled iPhone SE 2022. The common thread between these devices is that each of them has received significant performance upgrades compared to their predecessors.
We’ll be covering Apple’s announcements, so be sure to follow CNET for the latest updates before, during, and after the event.