It’s Apple event day, which means new hardware galore. New iPhones! New Apple Watches! New AirPods! Didn’t have time to tune in live? Don’t sweat it — we’ve summed up the most important parts for easy skimming.
New iPhones
Apple came out swingin’ with not one, not two, but four new iPhones: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 will have a 6.1″ display, while the iPhone 14 Plus display will come in at 6.7″. Both will run the A15 Bionic chip first seen in last year’s iPhone 13 Pro. There’s a 12MP rear camera (which Apple now refers to as the “main” camera) with a larger sensor on the back, while the 12MP front facing camera is getting a fancy new auto-focus system for better/faster selfies.
iPhone 14 will start at $799, while the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899. Pre-orders start September 9th; the iPhone 14 will ship starting September 16th, while the iPhone 14 Plus will ship starting October 7th.
Notably, both models will drop the physical SIM tray in the US — they’ll be eSIM only, preventing your SIM card from being popped into a different phone if it’s lost or stolen.
Like those models, the iPhone Pro and iPhone Pro Max will come in at 6.1″ and 6.7″ respectively. So what’s different?
- Both Pro models will run on an all new chip, the aptly named A16 Bionic.
- Apple has shifted the front-facing camera notch away from the edge and into the display itself with a design it calls the “dynamic island”, which is meant to let the pill-shaped camera cutout sort of blend into darker elements of the interface like so:
- For the first time in an iPhone, the Pro models will have always-on displays.
- 2000 nit outdoor brightness for greatly improved outdoor visibility.
- The rear side of the phone has 3 lenses: a 48 megapixel main camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens that Apple says is capable of much sharper shots than before.
iPhone 14 Pro will start at $999, while iPhone 14 Pro Max will start at $1099. Both go up for pre-order on September 9th and start shipping on September 16th.
As for the reason behind the “Far Out”/space theming of the event: iPhones are getting emergency satellite connectivity. Should you end up in danger in a spot with no wifi/cell connectivity, these new iPhones will be able to connect to satellites to send compressed emergency messages and alerts. Apple says the satellite service will be included for free for two years, but hasn’t yet mentioned cost after that.
New Apple Watches
At a glance, the Apple Watch Series 8 looks a whole lot like the Series 7 that came before it. Under the hood, though, it’s got a few new tricks:
- A pair of temperature sensors can track changes to your body temperature over time. This can, for example, help wearers more accurately track ovulation cycles.
- More capable sensor suite that can detect if you’re in a car crash and begin the process of contacting emergency services.
Apple Watch Series 8 will start at $399 for the GPS model, or $499 for the GPS + Cellular model. It’ll ship starting September 16th.
For the last few weeks, rumors have suggested Apple was working on a more rugged Watch tuned for athletes. Sure enough, today they announced Apple Watch Ultra. Here’s what’s different:
- A dedicated “action button” that lets you do things like instantly start your workout, or mark the next segment of a race.
- A larger digital crown meant to be usable while wearing gloves
- It’s louder, thanks to a second speaker — and its got a built in 86db siren mode for situations where you need someone to be able to find you, fast.
- Improved compass functionality to keep you heading in the right direction, allowing you to track direction/distance to custom-set waypoints.
- A quick-toggle “night mode” that shifts the screen to red to limit how much your eyes need to constantly readjust in a dark environment.
- 36 hours of battery life (or 60 hours of battery life on a “new battery optimization setting coming this fall”)
- It’s certified for “recreational scuba”, allowing you to take it down to 130 ft underwater
- New sports-focused bands, like a woven “Alpine” loop for climbers and an “Ocean” loop meant to fit over a wet suit.
Apple Watch Ultra will start at $799; shipping begins on September 23rd.
New AirPods Pro
Three years after the launch of AirPods Pro, version two is here. So what’s new?
- A new, low distortion audio driver and amplifier for improved sound
- If you’ve got an iPhone with a true-depth camera, you’ll be able to use it to make a “personalized spatial audio profile” based on the shape of your ear.
- Touch-based controls on the stem, instead of the squeeze-based controls of V1.
- Noise cancellation which is now, according to Apple, twice as effective.
- Up to 6 hours of listening time per charge, with up to 30 hours of additional charge in the carrying case.
- There’s a speaker built-in to the bottom of the case that can be triggered to help you find it when it slips into your couch
- The charging case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger, in addition to a lightning cable.
The new AirPods Pro Series 2 will sell for $249 starting on September 23rd.
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