What to expect from the September tech announcements
It’s going to be a very busy month for tech reporters.
Apple and HTC sent out media invites to news conferences this month, joining Nokia and Microsoft as well as Motorola and Amazon in holding what may be major product announcements.
That brings the number of tech-related news conferences happening this month to at least five. What do these tech companies have in store? Here are our best guesses.
Nokia and Microsoft -- Wednesday, 9:30 a.m. EST in New York
First up is Nokia and Microsoft. They’re expected to announce the first devices for Windows Phone 8, the next version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, which launches in October.
They haven’t said what will be announced, but Nokia and Microsoft provided a couple of clues. The invite, which you can see here, flat out says “Nokia Lumia,” which is the Finnish company’s line of Windows Phone devices. But to the right of that we see “Nokia Maps,” which Microsoft announced this summer it’d be adopting into its operating system -- meaning that could be the focus of Wednesday’s event.
Perhaps another clue is near the top of the invite where a little less than the bottom half of the Facebook logo can be seen -- perhaps the social network will make a cameo appearance at the event.
Motorola -- Wednesday, 2 p.m. EST in New York
Up just a few hours after Nokia and Microsoft, Motorola will also take the stage in New York for its first major event since being acquired by Google.
The company is widely expected to announce the latest version of its RAZR phone, the RAZR HD. This guess is supported by video tutorials for the phone that showed up on YouTube this month.
There’s a chance Motorola may announce a tablet, but most people are guessing it’ll be the RAZR HD.
Amazon -- Thursday, 10:30 a.m. in Santa Monica
Amazon will get into the mix the next day, and it’s expected to announce the latest iteration of its Kindle Fire 7-inch screen tablet.
The company announced the original Kindle Fire last September, so this would follow the timing Amazon set the first time around. However, the latest reports say the online retailer may announce an ad-supported Kindle Fire. This summer there were also reports that Amazon could announce a handful of new Kindles and there was also talk that Amazon could roll out a smartphone.
Apple -- Sept. 12, 10 a.m. in San FranciscoPerhaps the most anticipated and expected event of the bunch, Apple’s Sept. 12 announcement will very likely be the next iPhone.
The Cupertino, Calif., company sent out an invite for the event Tuesday after weeks of speculation, and on it you see “12” for the date with a shadow that looks like the number “5,” which many believe will be the name of the new iPhone.
Most reports say the sixth-generation iPhone will include a larger, 4-inch screen as well as 4G LTE connectivity. The phone is also expected to be thinner and include a smaller dock connector.
Apple may also announce a new iPod Nano and an iPod Touch, but don’t hold your breath for the iPad mini -- that will probably be announced in October.
HTC -- Sept. 19, 11 a.m. EST in New York City
Finally, HTC will round out the announcements two weeks from now, according to an invite the company sent out Tuesday.
The Taiwanese tech company is expected to announce devices for Windows Phone 8, much like Nokia. Reports say HTC will announce three phones, all of which will include screens at least 4 inches big.
They’re expected to be called “Rio,” “Accord” and “Zenith,” which is likely to have a 4.7-inch screen.
Check back Wednesday as we begin covering all of these announcements.
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