Phoenix Technology News (Beijing, August 25) – Apple officially sent out invitations early this morning, announcing that it will hold its fall launch event at 1 a.m. Beijing time on September 8, and is expected to launch a new generation of iPhone 14 phones.
The theme of Apple’s invitation this time is “Far out” (unusual), the Chinese theme is “super forward-looking”. So, what information might be implied in this invitation?
Given that Apple’s invitation is designed with a space theme, one of the most obvious possibilities is that it hints at new satellite connectivity. The iPhone’s satellite connectivity feature was first reported last year when it was rumored to be coming to iPhone 13, but it ultimately didn’t materialize.
In March, tech blog 9to5Mac exclusively reported that Apple was still working on these satellite features and that they could be implemented this year as part of the iPhone 14 feature. iOS 16 also adds a new “SOS” (emergency distress signal) icon to the iPhone status bar when a user’s This icon appears when the user’s iPhone loses cellular connectivity.
The invitation’s space theme may hint at the satellite connectivity feature
The satellite feature is expected to allow users to use it in emergency situations, connecting to a satellite to contact first responders in the event of loss of cellular service. There are also media reports that Apple is preparing two satellite features: one to send messages in the Messages app and another to provide a more direct reporting mechanism in case of major emergencies such as plane crashes and shipwrecks.
In addition, the space theme of the invitation may also hint at a long-rumored feature, which is astrophotography for the iPhone. This would improve the iPhone’s photo performance in low-light conditions, especially outdoors. If this feature comes to fruition, iPhone will be able to detect the moon or stars and then use longer exposure times and more internal processing to refine the image.
Finally, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will likely feature a new rest screen display for the first time. This is perhaps less likely than the satellite connection feature. However, the extremely dark background in the invitation may be related in some way to the always-on OLED display.
