The Apple Event will bring new iPhones, Apple Watches, and AirPods but zero surprises and that's a problem

(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

Apple is pretty good at, well, not exactly keeping secrets, but at least it has a spotless record for never confirming a rumor before it's real. That means we know almost everything the Cupertino tech giant plans to unveil at its Glowtime Event on Monday. New iPhone 16 phones, fresh Apple Watches, AirPods, and Apple Intelligence.

The leaks have been so steady and, I'm assuming, accurate, that Monday's Keynote by Apple CEO Tim Cook and company is nothing more than a confirmation event, it's the graduation from rumor to reality that probably required little more than a flip of a tassel from one cap corner to another.

Tim Cook WWDC 2024 One more thing... — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

I'll be there, hopefully as close to the front row as possible, and jostling among analysts, fellow journalists, and others in the demo room, angling for our first hands-on experience with the new gadgets. There'll be excitement and breathless commentary. Some of it will be authentic, and some of it might be a bit forced because the upgrades are minor. We'll struggle to capture what might be a set of half-measure Apple Intelligence features (while we wait for the rest to show up later and even next year). But the empty seat at the keynote and space in the demo room will be for that one more thing that seldom arrives.

Invented by Apple's Steve Jobs, "One More Thing" is the surprise feature or product that, one would hope, nobody saw coming. FaceTime has shined in this light, as did the MacBook Air, Apple Watch, Apple Music, and, of course, Apple Vision Pro. Granted, most of these products were not a complete surprise. Leaks and rumors about the work Apple is doing in any tech sector or vertical are inevitable but at least details about these items tend to be far fuzzier before they come into focus when Tim Cook utters that iconic phrase.

With Glowtime, though, there is not even a hint of something special in Apple's back pocket. The only promise is predictability and, if we're being honest, playing catchup.

Post by @lanceulanoff

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The star of this Apple Event will not be the iPhone 16, iOS 18, a plastic Apple Watch SE or some new AirPods. It will be Apple Intelligence, Apple's rather late entry in the AI game. I am excited about it and can already see the potential on the iOS 18 Dev beta.

When I polled people on Threads and X about the Apple Event and asked which products and technologies they were most excited about, a surprising number put Apple Intelligence at the top of the list. On Threads, it handily beat iPhone 16 Pro Max, a cheaper Apple Watch, and AirPods by a wide margin. It came in second on X.

Of course, we know pretty much all there is to know about Apple Intelligence; Apple detailed it at WWDC 2024. This won't be a true product introduction, just a partial delivery on a promise and one that is well behind what we're already experiencing from Google's Gemini AI on Google Pixel 9 phones and Galaxy AI on Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6.

Monday's Keynote...is nothing more than a confirmation event, it's the graduation from rumor to reality that probably required little more than a flip of a tassel from one cap corner to another.

The iPhone 16 lineup appears unlikely to bring any surprises. Faster chips and subtle design changes are expected. Even the rumored camera button (which I do not think will materialize) won't be a shock.

I don't think it matters if the one more thing is a breakout success. Apple's track record is quite good in this regard. It's about reminding people that Apple can surprise and innovate in ways we didn't anticipate and in ways that make competitors blanche.

I could be wrong. Tim Cook and other Apple execs could finish up what I expect to be an hour-long presentation and Cook will turn to leave the stage. Then he might pause, turn back to the audience, and bring his hands together in his signature "prayer" pose, raise one hand, and say, "Hold on... there is One...More...Thing."

If he does that, I and probably everyone watching in person and online will be truly surprised for the first time in a long time. I don't care what comes next, I just know that I wasn't expecting it and that is enough.

A 38-year industry veteran and award-winning journalist, Lance has covered technology since PCs were the size of suitcases and “on line” meant “waiting.” He’s a former Lifewire Editor-in-Chief, Mashable Editor-in-Chief, and, before that, Editor in Chief of PCMag.com and Senior Vice President of Content for Ziff Davis, Inc. He also wrote a popular, weekly tech column for Medium called The Upgrade.

Lance Ulanoff makes frequent appearances on national, international, and local news programs including Live with Kelly and Mark, the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNBC, CNN, and the BBC.