NYT Just Confirmed What’s Coming at Next Week’s Apple Event

The New York Times’ sources have spoken. Just in case you have missed any of the rumours swirling around the blogosphere ahead of the anticipated Apple media event, here is what we could see on that day.

The new iPhones, of course: Rumour has it the iPhone 6s will retain the same external design (there are some changes inside), although this year we will likely see a slight increase in thickness, but it won’t be noticeable to the human eye. This year Apple will use 7000 series aluminum to make the iPhone 6s shell. If the material sounds familiar, it’s the same metal used for the Apple Watch Sport.

In terms of colour choices, Apple will add another, rose gold (pink) colour option this year, so the new iPhones will be available in four colours: pink, gold, space gray, and silver/white. More about the iPhone upgrades here.

Sources speaking with the NYT also confirmed the Apple TV announcement as part of Apple’s ambition to take over your living room. Corroborating earlier rumours, the sources spoke about the new remote with touch pad that can double as a game controller, and, more importantly, Apple will finally open the device to app developers, so we will likely see apps and games demoed on stage.

While we’ve seen hints of Apple’s TV ambitions in hires such as Hulu’s executive, and a Web-based subscription service is said to materialize in the near future, the focus, the NYT says, has expanded to more than TV content.

“More interesting than content deals is what happens in the app store,” said Ben Bajarin, an analyst at Creative Strategies. “Now that Apple TV is a software development platform, developers can now write for a 40-inch screen. That will immediately bring more interesting content and apps to the device, which is at this point more compelling than trying to cut a bunch of content deals.”

9to5Mac’s Mark Gurman has details about the rumoured iPad Pro:

The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad has been referred to as the iPad Pro in many claims, and sources have now confirmed that iPad Pro will be the actual marketing name of the device. Codenamed J99 and J98 internally, the new models will feature a larger, 2732 x 2048 display that is encased in a thin bezel similar to the designs of both the iPad mini and iPad Air. Said a source, “it literally looks like a big iPad.” The device will have a similar aluminum back with curved edges, a FaceTime camera on the front, and an iSight camera on the rear.

In an interesting move, Apple will showcase new iPads, the news outlet has learned. Also, we will likely see a revamped iPad keyboard, which will be available by the end of this year. Other products that may surface include new metal finishes for the Apple Watch, including a less expensive gold version, people familiar with the matter said. Of course, the potential for a “one more thing” is high, so stay tuned.