Apple’s annual fall event was held yesterday where it announced new products and software, giving you opportunities to buy more tech or update your older tech with software to make it feel new.
Two new phones were announced, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, as well as a new Apple Watch, new earbuds and more. Partner companies including Nintendo and Nike also presented new offerings tied to Apple tech.
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus
Apple announced its latest versions of the iPhone, the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Changes to both the external and internal components mean a more powerful phone with longer battery life and a better camera. The phone will be water and dust resistant, so less likely to be destroyed should you accidentally drop it in water or a pile of dust.
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come in silver, gold and rose gold as well as two new colors: black and jet black. Black has a brushed, matte appearance while jet black has a shiny, gloss finish.
Storage on the new phones has been doubled from previous models. The new phones are offered with storage of:
32 GB
128 GB
256 GB
Other updates include an advanced A10 Fusion chip that delivers more speed with improved efficiency. The chip makes these phones 40% faster than the previous models while adding an average of 1-2 hours more battery life.
The new iPhones have stereo speakers and a pressure-sensitive home button that can be programmed by app developers to perform different tasks. The Retina HD display will be 25% brighter and have 3D Touch.
One controversial change is the removal of the headphone jack from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus. Instead, the lightning port will do double-duty, to connect power cords as well as headphone cords. Included with new phones will be an adaptor that converts the lightning port to a traditional headphone jack. Also included will be a set of earbuds with a lightning connector.
The new camera on the 7 and 7 Plus is 60% faster and 30% more efficient than previous models. A new 7 MP front camera is improved from the 5 MP front camera on the previous model for better FaceTime and selfie images.
The iPhone 7 Plus now has two 12 MP cameras to give improved zooming capabilities with optical 2x zoom and up to 10x digital zoom. The dual cameras also allow a new portrait mode that lets you blur the background image and focus on the person.
Price
Prices start at $649 for the iPhone 7 and $769 for the iPhone 7 Plus, both for the 32 GB model. Pre-orders begin tomorrow, September 9 with shipping on September 16.
The older iPhone 6s and 6s Plus also will be sold with double the storage from last year. The 32 GB model is $549 for the 6s and $649 for the 6s Plus.
Apple Watch Series 2
The Apple Watch, first launched in April of last year, has been upgraded to Apple Watch Series 2 with better water resistance, a more powerful processor, a brighter screen and built-in GPS.
The GPS will give users more accurate data for their workouts even without the iPhone being connected. App developers will be able to build apps that work on the new Watch without depending on the iPhone. An example was shown of the Ranger First app that guides Watch wearers on hikes without needing cell phone reception.
Pokémon GO will also be coming to the Watch. The app was demonstrated to show how you can play the game on the Watch and be notified when you are near a PokeStop.
The new Watch will be offered in aluminum, stainless steel and ceramic, which is harder than stainless steel, and will start at $369 for the 38mm model and $399 for the 42mm model. Pre-orders begin on September 9. A new Nike version of the Watch will be available later in the year.
Watch OS 3, that brings new watch faces, a breathing reminder and other features to the original Apple Watch, will be available as a free update on September 13.
AirPods
Apple also introduced AirPods, wireless earbuds that work together or individually to deliver sound from your Apple devices. These earbuds have sensors that turn the sound on when they detect that they’re in your ears.
AirPods have microphones that can drown out ambient noise. These earbuds also can connect automatically and switch between an iPhone, iPad, Watch and Mac computers.
Available in late October, AirPods will cost $159.
Super Mario Run
Nintendo announced the first Mario game that will not be played on a Nintendo device: Super Mario Run. The game is played by tapping on the phone screen to have Mario jump and collect coins as he runs.
Players can challenge others around the world to beat their high scores. The game can be played one-handed so you can play while riding the subway, eating a burger or brushing your teeth.
Super Mario Run is due to be released before the end of 2016. Find out more at the iTunes App Store and sign up to be notified when the Super Mario Run app becomes available.
Carpool Karaoke
The event opened with a Carpool Karaoke video starring Apple CEO Tim Cook and Late Late Show host James Corden. The men were joined by singer Pharrell Williams and rocked out to two songs.
Apple Music will be offering a Carpool Karaoke series due to air next year.
iWork
Apple also demonstrated a new feature of iWork: real-time collaboration. Pages, Keynote and Numbers, Apple’s versions of Microsoft Office tools, will allow a group of users to make changes to documents in real time.
Your Thoughts
Which of Apple’s announcements are most interesting to you? Are you planning to get a new iPhone or Watch this year? Would you miss having a headphone jack on your phone?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below.
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