Every fall, everyone from tech lovers to Wall Street junkies tune in for Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) annual event. Some investors care because AAPL stock tends to follow a certain pattern leading up to and immediately following the September reveal.
According to Yahoo, for example, Apple stock has fallen on the day of the event in the last few years. Others care because they see the reveal as indicative of the company’s health and prospects.
More broadly, the hype and press that accompany the event remind us that AAPL stock is a special breed. Even if you want to argue that Apple has lost some shine, it has retained a certain level of cult following and obsession.
While Apple itself is always pretty hush-hush about what exactly will be revealed at the event — the mystery adding to the hype — plenty of AAPL followers have been speculating about what we will see.
Three Things AAPL Enthusists Can Expect
With that in mind, let’s break down what exactly iPhone enthusiasts can expect out of the upcoming Apple event.
iPhone 7
The star of the Sept. 7 event is hands-down going to be the iPhone 7 (AAPL experts are all expecting a new iPhone and are expecting it to follow the normal naming convention). This is a big deal for investors in Apple stock because, as I’ve mentioned many times before, AAPL’s slowing upgrade cycle is one of the biggest concerns on the horizon. Analyst Colin Gillis of BGC noted as much writing, “There is risk that the upgrade rate for the next iPhone may slow even more than the upgrade rate cycle of 6s.”
Whether the iPhone 7 speeds up the upgrade cycle depends in part on what new features the new phone sports. So far, most reports suggest a pretty similar form factor compared to the iPhone 6s. Some reports have suggested the new iPhone 7 will have a thicker dual-lens camera, will offer new color choices, will have two speaker grills and won’t have a headphone jack. Also, the phone is expected to sport a faster A10 processor, while the 16GB models will no longer be offered.
Apple Watch 2
The Apple Watch doesn’t follow a consistent upgrade cycle like the iPhone and thus hasn’t gotten a refresher since it was first revealed two years ago. Thus, many expect some much-needed improvements will be debuted at the Sept. 7 event — mostly practical additions like the addition of GPS.
New MacBook Pro
There is also some speculation that new MacBook Pros are coming at some point this year, but it’s far from confirmed that they will be announced at the September event. 9to5Mac pointed out that this fall event tends to focus heavily on the iPhone, so AAPL may save its new refreshed MacBook for later in the year.
Keep an eye on what is revealed and what press and followers react to when Sept. 7 rolls around. Apple will be livestreaming the event on iPhones, iPads and iPod Touch devices running iOS 7 or later, and on Apple TV.
Hilary Kramer is the editor of GameChangers, Breakout Stocks Under $10, High Octane Trader,Absolute Capital Return and Value Authority. She is an accomplished investment specialist and market strategist with more than 25 years of experience in portfolio management, equity research, trading, and risk management. She has extensive expertise in global financial management, asset allocation, investment banking and private equity ventures, and is regularly sought after to provide her analysis on Bloomberg, CNBC, Fox Business Network and other media.
