Apple's Sept. 9 Event: 5 Hot Bets

By Jeff Bertolucci, Aug 31, 2009

Now that Apple has confirmed it’s planning an invitation-only bash September 9 in San Francisco, our time to speculate is running short. What new stuff is coming? First, let’s scratch the much-anticipated Apple tablet off the list. While there’s little doubt that Cupertino is cooking up some sort of iPod touch-on-steroids device -- or perhaps something more sophisticated -- the latest rumors say the device won’t debut before next year. Besides, the caption on Apple’s September invite reads: “It’s only rock and roll, but we like it.” A clue? “I think that’s a bit of a hint that it’s not going to be a tablet,” says Michael Gartenberg, an analyst for market researcher Interpret. “This is a music event, not a tablet introduction.” Which means an iPod-themed event. “It is September. The leaves start to turn, and that’s typically when Apple refreshes a new bumper crop of iPods,” Gartenberg adds. So what’s coming? “I expect the iPod line up to get fully refreshed,” says IDC analyst Danielle Levitas. “I'm leaning toward an iPod Touch with a camera.”

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