Sources detail Apple's Tuesday event: Apple Watch Series 6 with faster CPU and blood oxygen meter, new mid-tier iPad Air, and no new iPhones

- Company to debut new Apple Watches and iPad Air on Tuesday — Smaller HomePod, headphones in the works; iPhones coming later

Bloomberg 2020-09-15 Mark Gurman

Context & Ripple Effects

Today's leak fills in the shape of an event whose outline Bloomberg already sketched two weeks ago: sources said then that Apple was building ~75M 5G iPhones for later this year alongside two new Watch versions, an edge-to-screen iPad Air, and a smaller HomePod. What changes now is the sequencing — Watch Series 6 and the mid-tier iPad Air land Tuesday, while the phones explicitly wait.

That split matters because Apple's September event has historically been an iPhone stage, from the 2015 and 2016 editions where new iPhones anchored the show. Decoupling wearables and tablets from the phone cycle turns the fall into a rolling series of launches rather than one handset moment.

First-order effects

Apple Watch Series 6 debuts with a faster CPU and a blood oxygen meter, extending Apple's health-sensor push to its wearable line before any new iPhone ships.
iPhone upgraders have nothing to buy Tuesday; their window moves to later this year, when the ~75M-unit 5G build reported by Bloomberg reaches market.

Second-order effects

With phones off the stage, attention shifts to the rest of the lineup — and the smaller HomePod and headphones Bloomberg says are in the works become the obvious candidates for a follow-up announcement, stretching Apple's news cycle across multiple events.
The mid-tier iPad Air slots a new price point into Apple's tablet range just as the delayed iPhone launch concentrates buyer spending into a compressed late-year window.

Third-order effects

If September keeps shipping without guaranteed iPhones, the single-fall iPhone anchor weakens structurally, and Apple's release calendar fragments into product-by-product launches — watches, tablets, audio, then phones — each competing for its own spotlight.

The trend: Apple is unbundling its September event from the iPhone, moving toward a product-specific launch cadence across wearables, tablets, and audio hardware.

Discussion

@jon_prosser Jon Prosser on x
For the “Time Flies” event on the 15th, what I've been told is coming for sure is: Apple Watch SE Apple Watch Series 6 (or Apple Watch & Watch Pro) iPad Air 4 iPad 8 I'm sure there might be more, but that's the main focus of the event. No iPhone or AirPods Studio
@jon_prosser Jon Prosser on x
Apple AirTags (codename: B389) - White front (no logo) CLEAN! - Polished metal back - Apple logo on back 3D render made by the AMAZING @CConceptCreator . Sources shared with me a video of the real AirTags — to protect them, we made a 3D render to show you.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Lots of speculation on the name of the new lower end Apple Watch. My pick: Apple Watch SE.
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
I wouldn't look for a ton new with the Apple Watch Series 6 besides the blood oxygen monitor and the faster processor. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@julipuli Juli Clover on x
17 hours to go...looking forward to blood oxygen monitoring in the Apple Watch. The finger versions don't work with nail polish so I wonder if Apple's version will have a hard time with tattoos. Useful for COVID, but also pulmonary emergencies + things like detecting sleep apnea.
@alexbrooks Alex Brooks on x
Gurman digging his heels in and saying no iPhones at tomorrow's Apple event. If true, expect this event to end with “We'll see you in a few weeks to talk about iPhone”. https://twitter.com/...
@maxwinebach Max Weinbach on x
UWB is great because it allows for 3 dimensional spatial tracking between devices. All of these Apple products will know where each other are within a few centimeters of range. It's super cool. https://twitter.com/...
@jon_prosser Jon Prosser on x
UWB (Ultra Wideband) is coming to a bunch of new Apple products! Not just AirTags. 🤗 Apple will have their U1 chip in Apple Watch Series 6 (Apple Watch Pro), HomePod Mini, AirPods Studio, AirPods Pro, AirPods 3, iPad Pro, Apple TV, AirPods, Macs - and iPhone 12 (obviously).
@whatthebit Stefan Constantine on x
I trust @markgurman above anyone else when it comes to Apple rumors, so I'm taking this as fact. https://twitter.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
Preview of tomorrow's Apple launch: New Watches and iPads, no iPhones. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@backlon Dieter Bohn on x
sad! https://twitter.com/...
@droid254 Droid on x
Then what's the point of upgrading? https://twitter.com/...
@jon_prosser Jon Prosser on x
@MacRumors @rsgnl RIP
@dcseifert Dan Seifert on x
really hoped for a bigger refresh from Apple this year
@iamkellex Kellen on x
apple guy today: it's no big deal, your eyes can't really tell the difference. this feature is all marketing. apple guy next year w/ 120Hz iPhones: see, apple was just waiting to do it right. this is the best implementation yet* *it's just a samsung display that everyone uses htt…
@raywongy Raymond Wong on x
Oh shit... Touch ID returns... in the power button just like the leaks from last month claimed Smaller notch on 5.4" iPhone 12... what does that mean? Gen-1, iPhone X Face ID? If not, why else wouldn't the notch on the 12 Pro be smaller then? Something's gotta be missing https://…

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