Apple's Far Out event is scheduled for September 7, and Mark Gurman has spilled the beans on the new releases at the event. In his latest Power On newsletter, Gurman says that in addition to the iPhone 14 series of phones, we will see Apple launch the Apple AirPods Pro 2, the new Apple Watch Pro, as well as the Apple Watch SE 2. This is in addition to the regularly-scheduled Apple Watch Series 8.
Gurman had previously said that the new AirPods Pro would arrive in 2022 and seems to now have confirmation that they're coming at the iPhone 14 launch event. Ming-Chi Kuo had also said that the AirPods Pro refresh would arrive in 2022, and with Gurman's confirmation, it seems highly likely that they will arrive alongside the iPhone on September 7.
On the features side of things, we can expect a tweaked design, better audio quality, noise cancellation improvements, USB-C charging, an upgraded case, and more, if rumors are to be believed. We can expect the new AirPods Pro to be priced around the same $249 mark.
Three Apple Watch models this time around: Pro, SE 2, and Series 8
Gurman is also saying that there will be three Apple Watch models coming at the September 7 event. The much talked-about Apple Watch Pro is going to be the debut offering, Apple will also refresh the core Apple Watch lineup with the Series 8, and the SE lineup with the Apple Watch SE (2022).
Gurman also says that the Watch Pro will be designed to compete with Garmin's high-end rugged models, which are made for professional athletes involved in heavy-duty sports. Garmin currently leads the market for smartwatches that cost upward of $500, and Gurman thinks Apple is gunning for the top spot there now.
With the Apple Watch SE, Apple is expected to keep the old design — something it often does with its SE products. The internals are getting a bump, though, and the new Watch SE will apparently feature an S8 chip. The Watch Series 8 seems like it will be an iterative update as the main Watch lineup usually is.
Gurman also said that Apple may announce an iPhone subscription service tied to Apple One at this event, which will make the company's best iPhones available on a subscription basis. What we won't see, apparently, is Apple's AR/VR plans discussed. It seems that the Reality announcement is a little way down the road.
