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What To Expect At Apple’s Upcoming “Wonderlust” Event
Tuesday’s big event will include a new range of iPhones, Apple Watches, and more.
Even though we’re all pretty used to Apple’s yearly iPhone reveals, it’s hard not to get excited when the Cupertino company drops the date for its annual fall press conference.
This year, the September 12 event will be known as “Wonderlust” and will herald the arrival of the latest iPhone 15 series, comprising the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Along with new smartphones, the electronics giant may announce a slew of other products, though pundits are reasonably confident that we can only expect minor Apple Watch and Airpod upgrades.
Here’s what we know so far:
iPhone 15 Models

The biggest news about this year’s iPhone 15 upgrade is that all models will likely lose their Lightning Connectors in place of USB-C. Apple will almost certainly tout the benefits of the industry-standard connector, but the reality is that the European Union has forced the company to comply with its legislation on electronic waste.
Renowned Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that only the higher-end Pro models will get the faster USB-C data transfer speeds and 35W charging, with “lesser” models throttled to USB 2.0 levels.
Meanwhile, the screen sizes of the various devices will likely remain the same as last year’s models. That means a 6.1-inch screen for the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro and 6.7-inch displays for the iPhone 15 Plus and iPhone 15 Pro Max (which may be renamed “Ultra”). ProMotion 120Hz variable refresh rates will almost certainly remain exclusive to the high-end models.
Dynamic Island — the display cutout that premiered on the iPhone 14 Pro models — is expected to carry over to all handsets for the iPhone 15. However, Pro models could receive a premium upgrade in the form of a titanium chassis with thinner screen bezels.
We’ve also seen leaks of dummy iPhone 15 handsets in the last few days. These replicas are used by case manufacturers to produce products of the correct size before the launch of the real thing. So far, journalists have noticed rounded corners that give an “Apple Watch look” to the iPhone 15. Meanwhile, Pro models also look like they will benefit from a programmable Apple-watch-esq “Action Button” that will replace the mute switch.
Regarding camera upgrades, we expect iterative changes to this year’s phones. However, many experts believe that the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra) will sport a brand-new periscope lens with an optical zoom that doubles the capability of the existing model.
Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra And AirPods

As for the rest of Apple’s lineup, we’re expecting only minor updates. It’s doubtful we’ll see new iPads or Macs, but Apple Watches will likely receive a slight processor and feature spec bump, while Airpods may be upgraded to USB-C to match the new iPhones.
Software Updates

One final thing worth sticking around for will be Apple’s software announcement. We expect to hear details of iOS 17, WatchOS 10 and perhaps even iPadOS 17.
iOS 17 will include a new StandBy mode, voicemail transcriptions, FaceTime video voicemails, contact posters, NameDrop and more. WatchOS 10 will see a more significant update with big changes to the control scheme and a customizable stack of easy-to-view widgets.
News
Lebanon Ministers Meet Visa Over National Digital Payment Platform
Finance and technology ministers say a comparative study and roadmap will follow before any decision on adopting a model.
Lebanon’s finance and technology ministers met representatives from Visa last week to discuss a proposed unified national digital payment platform for government services, according to a readout from the Ministry of Finance.
The meeting brought together Finance Minister Yassin Jaber, Minister of State for Technology and Artificial Intelligence Kamal Shehadeh, a Visa delegation, and experts from both ministries. Discussion focused on whether Lebanon could establish a single platform through which citizens and institutions would pay taxes, fees, fines and other official transactions electronically, using mobile phones and other digital channels.
The Visa delegation presented examples from countries that have adopted unified government payment platforms, including the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, Estonia and Jordan. According to the readout, the examples were presented as having increased collection rates and expanded financial inclusion.
Talks covered settlement mechanisms, direct transfer to the treasury account, financial reconciliation, risk management, cybersecurity, fees, and an operational model that would involve the private sector. The parties agreed to continue technical and institutional consultations, prepare a comparative study, and develop an implementation roadmap before any decision on adopting a model for Lebanon.
Jaber said the Ministry of Finance had already enabled citizens to pay using credit cards and e-wallets through transfer companies, but described the proposed platform as a further step. He framed the development of electronic payment and collection systems as a priority within the ministry’s modernization plan.
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Shehadeh outlined the citizen-facing concept as a single mobile application through which users could settle obligations to ministries, government institutions and other bodies.
“The idea, in short, is that any citizen downloads an application on their mobile phone, through which they can pay all service obligations for all ministries, government institutions, or those owned by the Lebanese state, and others as well, as the platform is not limited only to state institutions,” he said.
Shehadeh added that the platform would not displace banks and money transfer companies that currently provide collection services to the state, calling it complementary to their work.
