It’s ‘nerdy Christmas’ for iPhone lovers – but what can we expect from Apple’s big announcement later today?

The US tech giant will tonight unveil a range of new gadgets at its annual event in its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

At the top of the list is the next generation of iPhone – with four versions of the new iPhone 15 expected.

A new version of the Apple Watch is also expected, alongside a showcase of the latest iteration of its operating system iOS17.

One of the big changes that may be announced is the company’s expected shift from Lightning port to USB-C charging port in its new iPhone range.

A person holds an Apple iPhone and a USB-C cable. Picture by: Ömer Faruk Ordulu / Alamy Stock Photo

On The Pat Kenny Show this morning, Newstalk Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly ran through the big announcements she expects to see.

“We're going to get four iPhone 15s if the rumours are to be believed,” she said.

“What we're expecting is the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Plus and they will essentially have similar spec to what we have in the 14 Pro and the 14 Pro Max, which are the current 'notion' devices.

“Then we'll get the 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max, which are the 'notion' devices this year and they will have better cameras.”

Battery

Jess said the Pro version will have a new chip that promises to extend battery life.

“Now I'm an iPhone 14 Pro Max user already, and the battery life on that phone is incredible,” she said.

“You know how much time I spend on my phone? I get a full day very easily out of it.

“So, the utilisation of this chipset enhancing battery again could be a key decision-maker for people when they are choosing whether to buy Samsung or Apple or any of the other brands that are out there.”

Camera

Jess said the camera on the new Pro and the Pro Max models is expected to be a “bit of a wow moment”.

“That’s going to be the one to watch,” she said. “It's being called the Periscope lens that will provide a much better zoom."

She said the zoom on the current Pro models is “already pretty excellent” and you have to wonder who the company is making these improvements for.

“If I was to take a picture with my phone now, I would say 99% of people would struggle to find anything wrong with that image, but they are continuing to enhance the camera,” she said.

The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. Source: Apple

Jess said the announcement will also include details of the Apple Watch 9 and a new version of the Apple Watch Ultra.

She warned that experts are suggesting that anyone planning to buy an Apple Watch should consider waiting until next year, when the company may introduce “some innovation in terms of the design and the form factor to celebrate the 10th anniversary.”

The Apple event will stream live on the company’s YouTube channel from 6pm today.