The long-awaited September Apple event arrived on Wednesday, Sept. 7. The expectation: new iPhones.
Pretty much immediately CEO Tim Cook announced that the focus of the event would be on iPhones, Apple Watch, and AirPods.
iRobot Roomba Combo i3+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum and Mop—$329.99(List Price $599.99)
Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ 10.9" 64GB Wi-Fi Tablet—$178.99(List Price $219.99)
Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Gen With MagSafe USB-C Charging Case—$189.99(List Price $249.00)
Eero 6 Dual-Band Mesh Wi-Fi 6 System (Router + 2 Extenders)—$149.99(List Price $199.99)
Apple Watch Series 9 (GPS, 41mm, Midnight, S/M, Sports Band)—$299.00(List Price $399.00)
Now, the new phones weren't expected to be revolutionary. Basically, the sizing would be different and not much else. But enough about expectations, it's time for reality. The event kicked off at 1 p.m. ET and we've done the hard work of tracking all announcements.
The big news: Series 8 Watch is here.
What is quickly becoming a strange Apple tradition, the company kicked off its Watch announcements with stories of people suffering health crises while wearing a Watch and, of course, the Watch helping them survive.
Anyway, the company announced the Series 8 Watch, with a few key upgrades. The Watch now has a temperature sensor. This is a key part of another feature: tracking cycles and ovulation for people who ovulate. This comes with some concerns in a post-Roe world, as Mashable's Cecily Mauran wrote about in depth.
The details of the new Series 8 Watch.Credit: AppleHere's what it looks like. Credit: AppleApple also announced that the Watch would be able to automatically detect when the user was in a car crash and then alert authorities and emergency contacts. The Series 8 also has a low-power mode, which is key for people like yours truly who never remembers to charge anything, and international roaming.
The Watch also got some aesthetic upgrades, like collabs with Nike and luxury brand Hermès.
Prices start at $399 for the Series 8.
Apple also announced a new version of its cheaper version of the Watch. It starts at $249 for the GPS model and $299 for the cellular model. The company promised it would be 20 percent faster and 30 percent larger than the previous model.
And now for something completely different. Apple announced a totally new Watch, called the Apple Watch Ultra. Basically it was designed for extreme athletes and super-outdoorsy folks. It promised extended battery life (up to 36 hours), better GPS for running, a more rugged display, and a bunch of other features for outdoorsy people. It also has different bands designed for runners, swimmers, or divers.
Tweet may have been deletedApple Watch Ultra. Credit: Apple
You have to pay to get the Ultra though. It starts at $799.
The killer specs of the Ultra. Credit: AppleThe big news: There's a new AirPods Pro model. They come with a number of upgrades over the previous version.
The second generation AirPods Pro promise personalized spatial audio, touch controls, and six hours of listening time on a single charge and 30 hours of total charge. The AirPods look pretty similar to their predecessor but do include new sizes for different shapes of ears.
New AirPods Pro, with different sizes to fit your ears more comfortably.Credit: AppleAnd, of course, Apple debuted its new iPhone. The company first dropped the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus.
The design basically remained the same. The new phone does have an upgraded camera, and it's bigger in size. It also comes in five colors: midnight, starlight, blue, purple, and red.
The biggest news, as Mashable's Stan Schroeder wrote, was that the mini model was out. The new model also promises better low-light photos, due to a new feature called the Photonic Engine. There is also a new feature that lets the phone connect to satellites for emergencies.
The phone will no longer have a SIM card tray, meaning you'll have to rely on eSim. This isn't a huge deal, except for those who travel internationally a lot and want to avoid roaming charges.
All the details of the iPhone 14. Credit: AppleThe phone starts at $799, while the Plus model starts at $899.
The super-luxe version of the iPhone got a few key upgrades. First among them? Something the company is calling the "dynamic island." You must admit it's an incredibly Apple thing to name it that. The feature is basically a moveable notch that displays key data. It looks like this.
Dynamic! Credit: AppleIsland!Credit: AppleThe Pro model comes in some pretty cool colors, including a deep purple, and has an improved display.
Pretty. Credit: AppleThe specs. Credit: AppleThe Pro also comes with a big upgrade to the camera. Basically, it comes with a much larger sensor and should deliver crisp photos even when taken from far away.
The phone, per usual, will cost you a pretty penny. The Pro starts at $999 while the Pro Max starts at $1099.
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