What to expect from Apple’s Hi, Speed iPhone 12 event this evening (and where to watch it)

Apple decided to use 2020 as the year it was going to be as unpredictable as possible (as far as Apple goes) by holding two events at the end of the year. The first was the Apple Watch Series 6, plus a few new iPads, and the second… well, that’s what we’re here to talk about. We’re expecting the iPhone 12, plus… well, maybe a few other things. Here’s what this evening’s Hi, Speed showcase will (probably) look like.

The Apple iPhone 12 will be along

Purely in terms of the stock market, Apple has to announce the iPhone 12 this evening. If they don’t, the stock price will tank. Well, ‘tank’ is a strong word for a company as valuable as Apple — rather, it’ll just lose a little value, while remaining more profitable than most. And then it’ll bounce back immediately afterward. Long story short, though, the iPhone 12 announcement has to happen tonight. If it doesn’t… well, 2020 has been a right bastard so far so that wouldn’t be all too surprising.

What to expect: We’re actually expecting four smartphones from Apple this time around — which is one more than usual and also possibly one too many. There’s supposed to be a 5.4in iPhone 12 and a 6.1in iPhone 12 Max, and then a 6.1in iPhone 12 Pro and a 6.7in iPhone 12 Pro Max in the offing from the company. People keep buying iPhones so the addition of another to the lineup makes financial sense. Kinda. Maybe.

As to what each phone will include, improvements in visuals, processors, cameras and general internals are all a given. These bits are announced every year. Specifically the inclusion of OLED panels everywhere, 5G handsets, LiDAR and the speedy new A14 processor should take the stage right after Tim Cook finishes his introduction.

Don’t touch me on my AirPods Studio

There’s been talk of something new coming in terms of audio gear. It seems a certain someone got a little jealous of Microsoft’s Surface Headphones and decided that what the world needs right now is a set of Apple-made over-ears. That’d be the AirPods Studio, which are only rumours at the moment. Tonight, though…

What to expect: Weirdly, this one’s not a given. It’s heavily favoured to turn up, however, and since the usual suspects (the Watch and iPad upgrades) aren’t attending, there’s a strong chance that the AirPods Studio will turn out to be a thing. Whether they ever see release on this side of the world is another story but we’re going with ‘yes’ on that one. If Apple announces the AirPods Studio, they’ll make it to SA.

An old hope, a new game

It’s been predicted constantly for Apple events, to the point where it’s basically vapourware created by wishful thinking. We’re talking about a TV made by the company, rather than an Apple TV — that’s a totally different thing. But we’re far more likely to see a refresh of the TV land than a physical television turn up — though, if it’s the company’s ‘One more thing’, we’ll be thrilled. And sad, because it’ll be expensive.

What to expect: We might see an new Apple TV, powered by its new A14 processor. We might also see a controller launch with this new streaming box, because it’ll be targeted at Arcade players. The company wants a cut of that sweet, sweet gaming market and this is the best they can do, short of fielding an iConsole. This one’s firmly in the maybe category, however. We could see it, we might not.

One or two more things

There is a small chance we’ll see a few other items turn up on stage tonight. As we mentioned, there’s suddenly space on the roster because half the big announcements were done last month. So we could see the company’s take on Tiles, little tags you can attach to your stuff so you can track em down later. Called AirTags, they’re… all right, we suppose. Also possible is a new 14in MacBook but… yeah…

What to expect: The AirTags might be on the agenda this evening but they’re not terribly exciting. Just made by Apple, and therefore more expensive than competitor products. Apple’s new 14in MacBook is due to turn up at some point — this one would be special because it’d be the first to use an Apple-made processor. Whether it’ll turn up tonight is anyone’s guess — the company is going big on its A14 Bionic CPU so there’s a chance but we’re not sure if stealing that much spotlight from the iPhone 12 (and friends) is what Tim Cook and co. have in mind for the evening.

Where to watch

Want to watch all the action, as it unfolds? You can watch it all on Apple’s homepage, if you’re feeling traditional but you can also catch it here (at the video embed above) or on YouTube (same link), on the Stuff website as we get the details (if you’re more of a reader and less of a watcher) or on Twitter — because that’s how Apple rolls these days. Even more so in a time of COVID.