Apple 'Wonderlust' Event 2023: What to expect on 'Super Tuesday' and where to watch

Apple’s most important event for this year is set to take place on Tuesday. At the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park in Cupertino, California,  the company is expected to reveal the next generation of iPhone, the Apple Watch Series 9 (and possibly Ultra Gen 2) and an updated case for the AirPods Pro with a USB Type-C port, ditching the 12-year-old Lightning port.

The event, called “Wonderlust”, will kick off at 10.30 pm IST. It will also be available on YouTube, Apple's official website, and the Apple TV app for live streaming.

Here's a look at the expected announcements and everything we know.

Like last year, the iPhone 15 lineup is also expected to come in four models — the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. There is speculation that the Pro Max variant could be renamed the iPhone 15 Ultra, but that appears unlikely as it will, at least in name go head-on with Samsung's Galaxy S Ultra flagship. But Apple being Apple, you never know.

The base models — the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus — will continue the tradition of sporting aluminium sides, but the stainless steel rails seen on the Pro models are likely to be replaced by titanium this year. This will make them significantly lighter than the current wrist-straining iPhone 14 Pro models.

According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the iPhone 15 Pro will weigh 188 grams (down from 206 grams), and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will weigh 221 grams (down from 243 grams). The thickness of the devices is also expected to increase ever so slightly, making room for a bigger battery.

“The titanium on the Pro phones has a brushed look and replaces the fingerprint-prone steel used since the iPhone X line. People with knowledge of the new devices say the switch to titanium makes the phone more durable and about 10 percent lighter. The devices will retain the frosted glass back of current models, but the edges connecting the side and front are now less sharp than before,” Gurman noted in another report.

The screen size on the base models is likely to remain the same — 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively. The Pro models, however, could get a bigger display, thanks to the rumoured thinnest bezels in the smartphone industry — about one-third slimmer than the current bezels. This has been achieved through a new manufacturing process, as per Gurman.

Another distinction between the Pro and the regular iPhones this year could be the introduction of a new Action Button will could replace the mute switch on the more expensive devices. This will be the first time Apple will ditch the beloved mute switch since the feature launched with the original iPhone in 2007. The Action Button will be configurable to activate any app with a single press or multiple presses.

According to Gurman, the button can be “customised to handle a variety of functions, including silencing the phone, turning on a Focus mode, opening the flashlight, launching the camera, starting a voice recording, opening Siri shortcuts, pulling up the digital magnifying glass and opening accessibility settings”.

The upgrades for the non-Pro iPhone 15 are likely to be significant this year. The models are expected to receive the Dynamic Island from the iPhone 14 Pro and the 48 MP main camera sensor. They are expected to be powered by the A16 Bionic chip from the iPhone 14 Pro lineup as well. The Pro models will be upgraded to a new chipset, the A17 Bionic.

The camera setup is also expected to improve on the Pro models, with the biggest upgrade coming exclusively to the iPhone 15 Pro Max — an updated telephoto system with enhanced hardware zoom capabilities. This could double the iPhone’s ability to zoom into images — with the physical lens itself, rather than software — from 3X to around 6X.

While all the changes so far seem like a good reason for any user to upgrade, the biggest change this time — in all four models — will be the introduction of the USB Type-C port, replacing the Lightning port, which Apple has been using since the iPhone 5. However, unsurprisingly, faster data transfer and charging speeds are reportedly reserved for the Pro models. All of the phones are said to gain faster wireless charging.

Several reports suggest that the base models are expected to come in pink, black, white, blue and yellow colour options, while the Pro phones will come in grey, black, dark blue and silver. The company is also reportedly discontinuing leather cases and moving to a more environmentally friendly material and calling it “FineWoven”.

The biggest change in the upcoming Apple Watch Series 9 could be the new chip and processing speeds. For the last two years, fans have speculated that Apple has been rebranding the S6 chip in the Apple Watch Series 6 for the Series 7 and Series 8.

In terms of design, the new Apple Watch is expected to be the same as last year’s but the addition of a new pink colour is expected. A new version of Apple’s optical heart rate sensor is also expected.

The company is experimenting with 3D-printed device cases, beginning with the stainless steel Series 9 devices. Apple intends to use this method for the second-generation Apple Watch Ultra as well next year. Rumours suggest that the Ultra model might also come in a black colour variant this year.

Along with the iPhone 15 models, the Airpods Pro are also likely to get a USB Type-C charging case, replacing the current case with the Lightning port. Other than that, no other hardware changes are expected.

Apple announced during the WWDC in June this year that, through a software update, the AirPods will get improved automatic device switching, the ability to mute and unmute from the AirPods themselves, and a new feature called Conversation Awareness that automatically silences media when people begin talking to the wearer.

CNBC-TV18 will also be covering the event through a live blog and news stories tracking the announcements, don’t forget to tune in for that.