Apple’s iPhone 13 event will take place on September 14th

Apple’s next big fall event will take place on Tuesday, September 14th at 1PM ET, the company announced. The event, which carries the tagline “California streaming,” will be another virtual event broadcast from Apple Park.

The company typically announces the year’s new iPhones at the fall event, and this year’s entry is expected to be called the iPhone 13. The new series of phones will apparently come in the same sizes as the iPhone 12, but a headline feature for some models could be high refresh rate screens, finally delivering tech that has been available on many Android phones. The new phones are also expected to have smaller display notches and improved cameras.

It’s hard to pull specific clues from Apple’s static event invite, though the darkening sky might suggest we’ll see improved night mode photography. And perhaps the glowing Apple logo is hinting toward an always-on lock screen for the iPhone.

A video from Greg Joswiak, Apple’s SVP of worldwide marketing, has a bit more to analyze. The video goes inside an AR Apple logo, and inside the Apple, you can see the same horizon from the static invite. Eventually, though, the perspective shifts up to linger on the stars above. That could suggest that the new iPhone could have an astrophotography mode, like what Google has offered with some Pixel phones, or that Apple will discuss rumored satellite link features for iPhones.

If you want to see the landscape inside the Apple logo for yourself, you can, as long as you’re on an iOS device. On Apple’s event site, tap on the event logo, and the glowy AR Apple event logo will render in the world around you. Once you see the logo, you can go “through” the logo to see the virtual landscape and night sky as well as the event date. Check it out in this tweet from Guilherme Rambo:

If Apple reveals the next iPhone at the event as expected, then it seems likely the company will also share a release date for iOS 15. We already know that one of its biggest features, SharePlay, won’t be included in the initial public release of the software.

Apple has several other projects in the works that could make appearances at the event as well. The next Apple Watch, reportedly called the Apple Watch Series 7, is rumored to have a new design with flatter edges and larger 41mm and 45mm screens, a 1mm bump from the Series 6. (Though, the new Watch is reportedly facing manufacturing issues that could lead to delays.) Apple’s next entry-level AirPods may have a new design that takes cues from the AirPods Pro. New 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros equipped with the company’s custom-designed chips and an SD card slot are also rumored to be on the way.

The event arrives following a tough few weeks for Apple. The company delayed controversial child protection features after intense criticism from privacy and security experts. Apple announced a number of recent App Store policy changes, though they only mildly address developer concerns. And with proposed legislation in multiple countries, increased regulatory scrutiny, and the looming verdict in the Epic Games v. Apple trial, we could be on the precipice of profound changes in the way Apple operates.

Update September 7th, 1:10PM ET: Added details of the AR Apple logo for the event.