Apple Plans for Sept. 9 iPhone Event, Ends Overseas Patent War With Samsung
Apple has scheduled a big media event for Sept. 9, reports say, where the company will likely unveil several new products including two new iPhones with larger displays.
The new phone, rumored to be called the iPhone 6, will likely be available with a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display, significantly larger than the 4-inch iPhone 5, 5c, and 5s.
The announcement of new iPhones will coincide with the release of iOS 8, Apple’s new mobile operating system that promises to come packed with new iCloud and health features and improved connectivity between devices.
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In addition to an iPhone update, Apple could debut a smart watch that journalists have been calling the iWatch. Some analysts suggest, however, that that announcement will come at a later date in order to keep all the focus on the new iPhone.
The upcoming announcement will fit Apple’s pattern of releasing new mobile hardware in early fall and beginning sales shortly thereafter. Some analysts say that the new iPhones could become available in stores as early as Friday, Sept. 19.
If all goes according to plan, Apple will rake in $37 to $40 billion in revenue for its September quarter, a year-over-year increase of three to seven percent, Forbes reports. The Wall Street Journal says Apple has ordered suppliers to manufacture between 70 and 80 million new phones.
Reports of the iPhone announcement come just as Apple and Samsung announced they will stop their patent war—but only outside of the United States.
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In a joint statement, Bloomberg reports, both companies said they would drop all suits against one another in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea and the U.K.
Without a decisive victory for either company, the years-long public court battle has harmed both companies’ sales. Apple accuses Samsung of rippling of its phone design and Samsung accuses Apple of using parts of its wireless technology without permission or credit.
The announcement does not end the legal battle completely, especially in the U.S., and the companies have still not reached any cross-licensing agreement, Bloomberg reports.
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