New iPhones official: Apple sends out invites for September 10 media event!

The months of speculation, rumor mongering, crystal ball peering and analyst predictions are almost over as Apple on Tuesday confirmed there will be an iPhone-related special media event taking place come next Tuesday.

The Apple PR folks have just treated a cherry-picked group of journos to the official invitation for the forthcoming September 10 event.

The high-profile press conference will be held at the company’s Cupertino, California headquarters at 10am Pacific / 1PM Eastern. The invite graphics shows colorful circles behind the Apple logo and is adorned with the tagline that simply reads, “This should brighten everyone’s day”.

As per usual, the invitation’s design has prompted a scavenger hunt for subtle hints and hidden meanings so do fell free to join the game down in the comments…

The allegedly strictly iPhone-focused event should see a rumored S-upgrade, the iPhone 5S, along with a rumored budget iPhone, the iPhone 5C. Despite Tim Cook’s doubling down on secrecy, a myriad of leaks have been increasing coming our way in the run-up to the big reveal.

Left to right: black iPhone 5, graphite iPhone 5S, gold iPhone 5S, white iPhone 5C.

The iPhone 5S should adopt the two-tone design of its predecessor, the current-generation iPhone 5, but with a dash of freshness in the form of colorized casings that may include agraphite and gold/champagne colorway.

Typical for Apple’s mid-cycle phone upgrades, the iPhone 5S should keep customers interested by offering a faster A7 chip, a new 128GB storage flavor and iSight camera improvements stemming from a 12 or 13-megapixel CMOS sensor, improved night shooting and super slow motion video capture at 120 frames per second.

The handset’s killer feature should be fingerprint scanning, stemming from last year’s acquisition of Israeli smart sensor maker AuthenTec for the reported $356 million.

According to the rumor-mill, fingerprint scanning will permit users to authenticate themselves into the handset – perhaps even their apps and websites – just by holding their finger over the sapphire-covered Home button.

On top of killing passwords, the feature should bolster up the iPhone’s security and pave the way for a rumored transactional mobile payment service from Apple. As for the elusive budget iPhone, it too will come in a range of vivid colors, but don’t count on it costing just $99 off-contract, as Reuters speculated.

Purported iPod touch-style iPhone 5C packaging.

Instead, analysts are expecting a mid-range device priced between $400 and $500 unsubsidized, though a two-year contract should reduce the upfront payment to $99. The best way to describe the iPhone 5C: it’s an iPhone 5 redesigned around the cheaper (andmore scratch resistant) polycarbonate plastic casing.

Both handsets are expected to go on sale ten days later, on September 20, in the United States, UK, Canada, Japan and other key international markets. On the other hand, Apple is thought to be releasing iOS 7 for public consumption right after it wraps up next Tuesday’s press conference.

In addition to the obvious iPhone focus, analysts are predicting a blockbuster Fall for Apple.

It’s fairly possible the company could slip in a few other surprises and product upgrades, including a Haswell-powered iMac refresh and a faster 802.11ac edition of the AirPort Express wireless appliance.

Indeed, both US Apple Stores and third-party retailers such as Best Buy seem to be experiencing a diminishing stock of the AirPort Express and iMacs, according toAppleInsider.

So, the new iPhones…

Having you been able to discern anything from the invite graphics?

The New Apple iPad mini: Full Review

A beautiful display, powerful A5 chip, FaceTime HD camera, iSight camera with 1080p HD video recording, ultrafast wireless, and over 275,000 apps ready to download from the App Store. iPad mini is an iPad in every way, shape, and slightly smaller form.

Everything you love about iPad — the beautiful screen, fast and fluid performance, FaceTime and iSight cameras, thousands of amazing apps, 10-hour battery life* — is everything you’ll love about iPad mini, too. And you can hold it in one hand.

Colors are vivid and text is sharp on the iPad mini display. But what really makes it stand out is its size. At 7.9 inches, it’s perfectly sized to deliver an experience every bit as big as iPad.

Right from the start, apps made for iPad also work with iPad mini. They’re immersive, full-screen apps that let you do almost anything you can imagine. And they make iPad mini practically impossible to put down.

With advanced Wi-Fi that’s up to twice as fast as any previous-generation iPad and access to fast cellular data networks around the world, iPad mini lets you download content, stream video, and browse the web at amazing speeds.

Powerful A5 chip.

iPad is known for its fast, fluid performance, and iPad mini doesn’t disappoint. It features the powerful and power-efficient A5 chip, which makes everything you do feel smooth and natural. From the little things like switching from app to app and swiping from page to page, to the big things like editing photos, watching movies, and playing games.

10-hour battery life.

iPad mini wouldn’t be an iPad without incredible battery life. Even with so much performance packed into such a small space, it still lasts up to 10 hours on a single charge. So you can read, watch, play, write, and create whatever you want, as long as you want.

Wave hello with FaceTime video calling.

With FaceTime built into iPad mini, you can make a video call over Wi-Fi or cellular. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera gives everyone a great view of you, while the iSight camera on the back lets you show others what you’re seeing. So even when you’re out and about, your friends and family are never out of the loop. You can hear every laugh and see every smile. And with the 7.9-inch display, you’ve got more than enough screen to take in the whole scene. You can also use the front-facing camera for taking self-portraits or recording 720p HD video.

Record HD video in full 1080p.

An impromptu performance on the subway, the winning shot at your daughter’s soccer game, an awesome 360-degree view from the top of the mountain — the iSight camera on iPad mini lets you capture all these unpredictable, beautiful, spectacular moments. In 1080p HD, no less. The spacious iPad mini display gives you a great view of whatever you’re filming. And with automatic video stabilization, your recording is free of bumps and shakes. So your videos are instantly ready to share.

Just ask Siri.

Siri is the intelligent assistant that helps you get things done, just by asking. Talk to Siri as you would to a person: Ask “Do I need an umbrella?” or “Did the Giants win last night?” or “What time is the barbecue on Sunday?” Siri not only understands what you say, it knows what you mean. It figures out the right apps to use to find the right answer. Then, just like a personal assistant, Siri provides you with the information you need

A new way to get connected.

iPad mini is so thin and light, it requires an ultraslim connector. It’s called the Lightning connector, and it features an all-digital, eight-signal design that’s significantly more durable than the 30-pin connector. Another brilliant feature of Lightning: It’s reversible. Which means there’s no wrong way to plug in the cable.

Lightning to 30-pin Adapter.

If you have an iPad accessory that depends on the 30-pin connector, you can still connect it to your iPad mini. Simply use a Lightning to 30-pin Adapter(sold separately).

 

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