This story is part of Focal Point iPhone 2022, CNET’s collection of news, tips and advice around Apple’s most popular product.
Apple’s Sept. 7 event is coming up fast, which means we’re likely days away from learning about the iPhone 14 lineup, new Apple Watches and possibly a new version of the AirPods Pro. Apple never gives anything away in the invitation; we’ll have to wait until the actual event to know what Apple has in store. But that hasn’t stopped us from looking for clues anyway.
Although nothing is certain, it’s easy to imagine how the imagery could connect to rumors that have been circulating about the iPhone 14. At the center of the invite is an Apple logo that’s seemingly made up of a constellation of stars or specks of light. The phrase “Far out” sits below it.
Perhaps this is a reference to the camera improvements that might be coming in the rumored iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. These phones are expected to get a new 48-megapixel camera, which would be a step up from the iPhone 13 Pro’s current 12-megapixel camera, according to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman. There’s a chance Apple could be teasing the increased clarity that this new camera would bring to the iPhone 14 Pro line with the “far out” tagline.
But that’s not the only possibility. Remember the rumor about satellite connectivity that made the rounds last year? If that feature does end up surfacing in the iPhone 14, a starry night sky would certainly be an interesting way to tease it. TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported last year that the iPhone 13 would support satellite connectivity, enabling it to maintain a connection when typical cellular coverage isn’t available, as MacRumors reported. However, that didn’t end up being the case.
Then there’s the rumored processor upgrades. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are expected to be the only ones in the lineup to get a bump in speed to what would presumably be the A16 Bionic chip, according to Kuo. If Apple is planning to make that processor a major focus of this year’s iPhone announcement, it might be using the phrase “far out” to indirectly reference a jump in speed.
This is all just speculation, and we won’t know the details until Sept. 7 arrives. But it wouldn’t be the first time Apple has made discreet nods to its upcoming product announcements in an event invite. At its Peek Performance event in March, for example, Apple announced its new M1 Ultra chip, which debuted in the Mac Studio, a new iPad Air powered by its M1 chip and the 5G-enabled 2022 iPhone SE. The common thread between these devices is that they’ve each gotten significant performance upgrades compared to their predecessors.
We’ll be covering Apple’s announcements, so be sure to follow CNET for the latest updates before, during and after the event.
