Here's What to Expect from Thursday's Apple Event
It's been way too long...
At least that's what Apple states (maybe in jest) on its website, in anticipation of another product event slated for tomorrow. The event is expected to reveal a new line of updated iPads, iMacs and the next-generation desktop operating system, Yosemite. In Apple's third conference of 2014, the tech giant will likely announce new hardware and software updates to its products that often get out-shined by the iPhone. With the event less than 24 hours away, here's everything you can expect to see and hear tomorrow morning.
Where to Watch
In traditional Apple fashion, the event will be smack-dab in the middle of the day when most of us are posted up at our desks at work. With the start time at 10 a.m. PDT in the company's hometown of Cupertino, that puts us here on the East Coast waiting until 1 p.m. EST to watch it. Luckily, a livestream the conference will be broadcast via Apple's website here (Apple's Safari browser required).
What to Expect
It's fairly certain that two new iPads—the iPad 3 and iPad Air 2—will be announced. This comes after Apple accidentally leaked blueprints of the two devices on Wednesday in the iTunes Store, confirming many of the specs and rumors floating around until now.
October is when the company traditionally rolls out a new desktop operating system, so it's expected that the highly-anticipated new OS X Yosemite will be announced and made available to the public. To go with the new software will also be some new hardware in the form of an iMac with Retina Display.
The event is being held at Apple's Town Hall Auditorium in California, where the company's headquarters are located. This venue is much smaller and traditionally more exclusive than the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, where the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus where recently announced. This means we can expect less of a spectacle than what was thrown for the new iPhones just a month ago, likely because much of the technology being introduced has already been revealed to the public during the World Wide Developer's Conference in June.
The keynote speech will likely include appearances from Apple CEO Tim Cook and senior vice presidents Craig Federighi, Eddy Cue and Phil Schiller, all of whom have traditionally taken the stage at the conferences.
Apple Pay
The launch of one of the most notable features announced at the iPhone 6 reveal is almost definitely set to happen at this upcoming event, so get ready to hear that Apple Pay has gone live in hundreds of stores across the country come tomorrow. The system, poised to end the need for swiping credit and debit cards in stores in favor of storing all financial info on Apple devices, will be a huge lifestyle change for the public. In fact,
9to5Mac has reported that Apple already began training retail employees in using Apple Pay earlier this month.
But in typical Apple fashion, you never quite know what's going to come out of the conferences the company holds. So tune in tomorrow to see for yourself exactly what Apple has planned next.
