Apple’s new iPhone will launch on September 12 - here’s what to expect

The date of Apple’s big iPhone launch event has been revealed – and it’s set to be September 12, according to Dow Jones.

The company may unveil the new iPhone 8 – for the tenth anniversary of iPhone – at the Steve Jobs Theater within its new headquarters, rumours suggest.

Three devices are expected, two lower-end models and an an all-new, alarmingly expensive iPhone 8.

The firm is also expected to unveil a major update for Apple Watch, plus a new Apple TV which supports 4K television, in its big annual event.

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The new iPhone 8 – released for the tenth anniversary of the product – is expected to be a radical reinvention, with a huge screen taking up almost the entire front of the device.

New iPhones typically go on sale within two weeks of Apple’s launch events. Here’s what rumours suggest could be on offer this year.

Apple supplier Largan Precision said that it has 3D-sensing lenses ‘ready to ship’ – and Nikkei Asian Review suggests the buyer is Apple.

Analysts suggested earlier this year that the phone would have a ‘revolutionary’ front-facing camera.

This ‘3D’ sensor could be used to add people’s faces into apps or games, or for facial recognition.

Trusted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities – behind many previous accurate Apple leaks – says that the device will have a depth-sensing infrared module on the front.

Rivals such as Samsung already offer wireless charging – with phones topping up simply by being placed on a compatible charging pad.

Hints from within Apple’s supply chain suggest that the Californian firm could be about to follow suit – and rumours about a glass back on the new iPhone chime with this.

Apple supplier Wistron dropped a massive hint when an exec said, ‘new features like waterproof and wireless charging now require some different testing,’ according to Nikkei Asian Review.

An alleged early ‘dummy’ model of the new phone, posted online by a Latvian leaker shows no Home button.

The move would make sense, as rivals Google and Samsung’s flagship models no longer have physical buttons on the front.

On Google’s Pixel, the fingerprint sensor is actually on the back, so users can use the screen with their thumb.

Samsung – Apple’s closest rival – launched its flagship Galaxy S8 this summer with the slogan, ‘Unbox your phone’ – referring to the ‘box’ at the edges of the screen.

Leaked iPhone 8 panels allegedly circulated to Chinese manufacturers show an edge-to-edge display similar to Samsung’s models.

The screen is also widely expected to be curved at the edges, like on Samsung’s flagship S8 handset, according to previous analyst reports.

‘Apple has ordered 70 million units of OLED panels from Samsung this year, while Samsung is preparing to churn out as many as 95 million for Apple in 2017, in case demand exceeds expectations,’ David Hsieh of HSI Markit.

What’s looking increasingly certain is that the top-of-the-line model is going to really cost you – with American analysts predicting it could cost more than $1,000.

Here in the UK, that could mean that people who opt for the top-of-the-line model – and a big memory option – could be saddled with a bill alarmingly close to £1,000.