Apple’s Sept. 10 iPhone Event Included 10 Surprises

by Don Reisinger

There was a time when Apple was simply masterful at keeping a secret. Leading up to a particular event, there was no way that customers would know what to expect. But with its Sept. 10 event, its devices were all shown off weeks before Apple announced it was going to hold a special gathering. That’s shocking.

Apple announced at its Sept. 10 event that iTunes Radio is launching, but the company stopped short of talking about, well, everything surrounding that launch. By the look of things, Apple’s streaming-music offering is being treated as an afterthought, which is surprising, since the company spent so much time at its Worldwide Developers Conference talking about its possibilities for success in that marketplace.

Historically, Apple would always announce iPods alongside a new iPhone. This year, however, Apple didn’t do anything of the sort, making some wonder if the iPod is on its way out. It was rather surprising that the product that helped Apple re-establish itself in the tech space was a no-show at an event in which it has been featured so prominently in the past.

Although Apple provided cases to customers when the iPhone 4 was deemed to have antenna problems, the company hasn’t really jumped into the case space to this point. At its Sept. 10 event, however, Apple showcased new designs that will work with both the iPhone 5C and the iPhone 5S. Apple is now taking on the many companies that have supported it in the past.

Jonathan Ive was always been an important figure at Apple, but over the last year especially, he has been making his presence felt more and more. Now with every product launch, Apple shows videos with Ive talking and discussing his creations. Is it possible that Ive is now the most important figure within Apple?

The Apple TV set-top box was supposed to be updated at the company’s Sept. 10 event. Instead, Apple ignored the device in favor of its iPhones. While that might be understandable to some stock handicappers, it disappointed the millions of people around the globe who have purchased an Apple TV and want an upgrade.

The iPad was another device that was expected to be shown off at Apple’s Sept. 10 event. But like Apple TV, the iPad was a no-show. Reports now suggest that the iPad might be shown off at an event next month. Here’s hoping those reports are true.

One of the few hardware-related surprises on the day was Apple’s announcement of its M7 coprocessor. According to Apple, that technology handles all motion-related activities on the iPhone and can be integrated with motion and fitness apps. It’s a surprising addition that could be a hint of bigger and better things to come.

Another surprising moment was when Apple spent so much of its presentation talking about the 64-bit architecture built into its A7 processor. Yes, 64-bit technology can offer improved functionality for apps, but that’s only if the programs support it. And there’s no telling whether the apps available to the iPhone 5S actually will.

Apple kicked off its show on Sept. 10 saying that it has sold 700 million iOS devices. That the company was able to achieve that mark in just the last several years is shocking. Android might rule in the market share game, but when it comes to devices sold by individual companies, no other company can match Apple.