September is here, and we are all very excited about two things: everyone’s favorite season, fall, and Apple’s annual product launch.
September 12, the Apple annual event was held at the newly erected Steve Jobs Auditorium (Steve Jobs Theatre) at the Apple campus in Cupertino, California. The auditorium has a 1000-people capacity, equipped with fancy leather seats that feel like “individual armchairs.” The event was the first one to be held in the new auditorium, whose appearance was kept classified until Tuesday morning.
The launch event started at 1 pm with an official welcome from Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook. Cook commemorated Steve Jobs, his vision for Apple, and what great honor it is to name the auditorium after him. He talked briefly about the Apple Park, the company’s newly built headquarters. The campus is entirely powered by renewable energy and designed to be “seamless with nature.”
Angela Ahrendts, the head of retail, then discussed the retail situation of the company. She introduced the newest flagship Apple store, the Chicago’s Michigan Avenue.
The highlight of the event, of course, was the launch of the new Apple products. The company introduced three: the Apple Watch, the Apple TV, and the new iPhones.
Apple Watch
Innovations were made in the new and improved Apple Watch. It now is capable of cellular connectivity, which means it can work without being connected to an iPhone. It is also able to stream music, as your iPhone does.
It retained some of its features, such as the heart rate monitor and glucose monitor. The new Apple Watch also promotes healthy and better lifestyle, as it can notify you when you seem to be inactive, or your heart is not beating in its regular rhythm.
A new OS will be available for the Apple Watch on September 19. Considered as practically a new phone,’ it has its own SIM card and data connectivity. You can make and receive calls through the Apple Watch without being connected to an iPhone.
The Apple Watch retails for $329, or $399 with cellular connectivity.
Apple TV
An improved Apple TV was also shown in the event. The Apple TV 4k prides of its ability to deliver the highest-quality of images. A new TV app will also be available for streaming of live sports. The new model is priced at $179.
iPhone 8, 8 Plus, and iPhone X
Cook talked about the history of iPhone, and how it revolutionized mobile phone technology since it was introduced.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus were introduced by Phil Schiller, the head of marketing. Three colors are available for both models – silver, gray, and gold.
With a screen display of 4.7 inches on the iPhone 8 and 5.5 on the 8 Plus, both units have Retina HDR displays. The camera was enhanced, now with a 12-megapixel lens and an aperture opening of 2.8 to 1.8. This means that the camera will work better in a dimly lit environment. The camera’s portrait lighting feature, which is still in beta, can focus on the subject better by automatically adjusting the light on the face while dimming the background.
Higher-quality video is also to be expected of the new iPhone. The camera also has a slow-motion mode, which can be used for various artistic shots.
The iPhone X, pronounced as iPhone Ten, has a bigger 5.8 display compared to the iPhone 8. It has housed in a glass panel on both front and back, with an edge-to-edge, super Retina display. There is no more home button, as the model is complete, 100% touch-activated. Swiping up brings the screen back to the home screen.
It also has the FaceID feature, which unlocks the phone by recognizing your face. The feature learns your face, so it will not matter if you had a haircut or a hat or eyeglasses on. People are still half-hearted about this features, as it presents with some challenges especially in authoritarian states.
Animated emojis are also now available in the iPhone’s Messages. Apple also partnered with Snapchat, creating unique, funny, and entertaining filters and overlays. Schiller also guarantees that the battery life of the new iPhones is the best and longest one for any iPhone yet.
The iPhone 8 retails at $699 at the lowest, while the iPhone X starts at $999.
The event was concluded with an invitation to the attendees to try the new Apple products.
