Apple (AAPL) will hold its “Awe Dropping” fall product launch tomorrow, expected to reveal the iPhone 17 lineup as well as upgraded versions of the Apple Watch, AirPods, and more.

The event is scheduled for 1PM ET and will stream online. Wired expects technological improvements, like better cameras, and potentially translation assistance embedded into the AirPods. It also anticipates Apple including machine learning in its new products.

Apple has gone from being the biggest innovator in tech, revolutionizing the world with its iPhone, to a yearly release slate of smaller and smaller upgrades. For a while now, it has been looking for the next big thing: it spent billions on a self-driving car before abandoning it as other startups showed success.

In the interim, it has also seemingly challenged itself to make its products as extensive an ecosystem as possible, removing headphone jacks, strengthening its walled garden, and forcing consumers to buy chargers separately from its phones, when they used to come with purchase. It may be reaching the end of its granular product breakdown, though – it is reportedly about to get rid of the SIM card, having users rely on eSIM tech instead.

Its forays into wearables and health technology are the other main innovation it has going. Unlike smartphones, though, Apple Watches and the like have not reached the level of ‘must have to exist in regular society.’

Some analysts have expected Apple to pivot into a services company; after all, if new hardware isn’t breaking through, Apple can still ride its reputation for safety and privacy in a dog-eat-dog Internet world.

Unfortunately, the newest exciting thing in tech services is AI, and Apple is lagging behind its peers. Dozens of players are competing already, with several already household names. Apple famously likes to do as much in-house as possible, but it may be forced to adopt rivals’ technology (for now). Apple can certainly afford it – it’s sitting on billions in cash reserves. It’s the reputation problem: if the market, or consumers, think Apple is losing its edge, they may go elsewhere.

Apple has two paths ahead, and it wants to take them both: be a cutting edge player, or have the strongest ecosystem and customer entrenchment. Which is more important for its future? And can it have it all?

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