Apple poised to unveil new models

Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone and maybe even a second-generation smartwatch at a special event in San Francisco today.

The rumour mill has been grinding away with talk of iPhone 7 models that will boast faster chips‚ more sophisticated cameras and improved software, while doing away with jacks for plugging in wired headphones.

To assuage users accustomed to wired headphones‚ Apple could roll out accessories that include an adaptor that plugs into a remaining port.

The event would also be a chance to showcase wireless headphones‚ perhaps some from Beats‚ which Apple bought two years ago in a deal valued at $3-billion (R42-billion).

Apple has maintained a rhythm of introducing updated iPhone models on an annual basis‚ timing introductions to coincide with the year-end holiday shopping season.

In July‚ the company announced the sale of its billionth iPhone‚ a milestone as it seeks to keep momentum in a competitive smartphone market.

Apple reported a drop in iPhone sales in the second quarter of this year‚ a second straight drop after uninterrupted growth since its introduction in 2007. South Korean consumer electronics giant LG was set to show off a new premium V20 smartphone in San Francisco last night.

The V20 will be the first to ship with a new Nougat version of Google-backed Android operating software.

Speculation regarding an Apple Watch 2 was fuelled in part by the fact that the original hardware has not been updated since it debuted last year.

Improved iPhone and smartwatch models would be arriving just as Apple is set to roll out a new version of the mobile operating system.