There will be a new iPhone without a headphone jack launched on stage in San Francisco Wednesday, as well as an Apple Watch with GPS and at least one speed bump to the iPad – if the collective wisdom of over 1,800 Guardian readers is to be trusted.
We asked you to dust off your crystal balls and tell us what you’re expecting from the world’s largest company. You told us your hopes, your dreams and your fears of change.
Number one on the list is the new iPhone. Of course there will be one, but what will it be like both inside and out, and will it cost the Earth, or slightly less?
Our readers are confident on a few things. The iPhone 7, or whatever it ends up being called, will have a faster processor, improved camera and will have longer battery life. That last one might be wishful thinking.
Less certain is whether it will be thinner, have a larger screen, faster Wi-Fi and mobile data and improved fingerprint sensors. Only 23.9% of readers thought the rumoured new pressure-sensitive home button was likely to be announced, while a third of respondents thought the new iPhone was likely to be hardier, whetherwater resistance or not.
One thing 87.8% can agree on, however, is that the headphone socket is toast, so it might be time to start thinking about a new set of Bluetooth headphones, or Lightning headphones, or an ugly adapter. At least one mobile phone operator, which probably knows more than the rest of us combined, agrees – EE has just launched a scheme to help you buy a set of Bluetooth headphones. Coincidence?
What will replace the humble 3.5mm headphones socket is less certain. A speaker was most popular with 31.5% of the vote, while over a quarter thought a toggle for a set of wireless headphones was possible. And 40% of Guardian readers said it didn’t matter what replaced it because, frankly, nothing can replace an analogue headphone jack.
Colours, cameras and more storage than you can shake a stick at
The consensus was that the iPhone will come in new colours. What will those colours be? Gold is a solid bet, while 54.8% of you thought that black would be the most likely new colour. Not many thought the idea of a “Silver mint” or “Regent red” were likely, but 21.4% thought “Mariana’s blue” was possible.
On storage you thought all four variants were likely, with 128GB the most popular and 32GB should be the new starting size. Almost 70% of you would not bet against a 256GB version of the iPhone too – that’s a lot of photos and videos in your pocket, which is a good job because apparently the camera is about to get markedly better.
A dual-lens rear camera, or simply two cameras on the back, is a dead cert, if readers are right, while a third of you thought a new flash, ambient light sensor and high-resolution zoom were all possible, and half thought optical image stabilisation – a feature of the iPhone 6S Plus, but not its smaller sibling - was certain.
Apple Watch 2, updated iPads and Beats, but no car
The iPhone is just one element in Apple’s latest product onslaught, apparently, as 83.1% of you thought at least one person would be spotted wearing the Apple Watch. Will it get a mention, though? Just over 72% are certain it will, while over two-thirds of you thought we’ll see a new version of the Watch with GPS.
It’ll also be joined by a new Beats product, according to 55.3% of readers, but not a new iPad according to two-thirds of you. Given Apple launched the iPad Pro this year, that’s probably a good bet.
Will the older iPads be going the way of the dodo, or will we see updates? The majority thought that both the iPad Air and iPad Mini lines would get speed bumps and a new number, but a redesign is highly unlikely – and 27.6% thought both non-Pro iPads would remain unchanged.
Over half of you thought a woman would take to the stage for more than just being a model for something, which is positive, but most predicted there would be no mention of tax. In addition, if anyone does try and spin a Donald Trump joke, it’s likely to fall flat on its face, according to 72.6% of you.
Oh, and according to 94.7% of readers, you can forget about an Apple car, at least for now.
Will the collective future-gazing powers of Guardian readers be on the money? Find out Wednesday 7 September at 6pm UK time, 10am California.
