Apple unveiled its newest twists on technology on Wednesday in San Francisco. It was a packed house as usual that turned up for a glimpse at a product line that Apple is counting on to retain its faithful disciples and win new converts.
The trend-setting company is taking a small step with its latest iPhone while trying to make a bigger leap in other key markets. The latest attempt is with its largest iPad yet and a long-awaited overhaul of its online video box for TVs.
Apple Watch
Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook began the morning by talking up the Apple Watch, saying customer satisfaction for the new product was 97 per cent. Apple is working with French luxury goods maker Hermes on a new watch collection, and Facebook Messenger is coming to the device, he added.
A software update for the Apple Watch will also come next Wednesday,
The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus
As expected, Apple’s next iPhone is making relatively minor improvements to the model last year that generated more excitement because it boasted a larger screen.
What to Expect:
- The new iPhone has 3D touch which lets photos, emails, Messages, and other stuff pop up in the display, with a bokeh effect in the background.
- There’s mini-tap and full-tap that lasts about 10-15 milliseconds.
- The new ‘Peek’ features preview into most of the apps in the iPhone 6S.
- The A9 chip in iPhone 6S is 80% faster than A8.
- The iPhone 6S has 12 MP iSight camera. It’s got 50% more pixels. There’s also a 5 MP FaceTime HD camera.
- The latest iPhones also features 4K videos.
- Live Photos which are gif like. Clicked like any other photo, it extends the capture movements before and after the user clicks the button to make the photo come to life.
Release Date: September 25, pre-orders begin on Saturday
Pricing: Starts at $200
The markets getting it right away are the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK.
The sale also comes with a commitment to a two-year wireless contract. The price for last year’s iPhone 6 model is dropping to $99 with a two-year contract.
The Largest iPad Yet: iPad Pro
A new tablet coming out in November may also give more people a reason to buy an iPad. Called the iPad Pro, it features a nearly 13-inch, diagonal screen and is designed to appeal to corporate customers and government agencies.
Since releasing its original iPad, Apple Inc. has confined the screen size to 10 inches and focused on selling the tablet to consumers. But sales have been falling since 2013 amid competition from lower-priced tablets.
What to Expect:
- Desktop class performance with new A9X processor and faster graphics.
- CPU test shows 80% faster than portable PCs and graphics is 90% faster than PCs.
- Boasts of 10-hour battery life and four speakers. It is 6.9 inches thin.
- Comes with a smart keyboard called The iPad Surface Pro. The keyboard is in a woven fabric.
- New connector on the sides of the iPad Pro carries power and data to the keyboard.
- The next cool accessory for the iPad pro is the Apple Pencil. The stylus will cost $100.
Release Date: November
Pricing: From $799 to more than $1,000
The Revamped Apple TV Box
Apple Inc Chief Executive Tim Cook unveiled a new version of its Apple TV product. It now comes with an app store and a voice-controlled remote control.
Cook described the new Apple TV, a product which the company long called a ‘hobby’, as the future of television, offering personalisation and ease of use.
What to Expect:
- Siri takes charge of the new Apple TV with voice search for navigations.
- The new remote has no power button but sports a glass touch pad.
- The new Apple TV will run on an app store and will also let developers create new software for Apple TV, including video games.
- It has Crossy Road with multi-player mode and also features music game from Harmonic. “Beat Sports combines the joy of hitting balls with the joy of hitting notes.”
- The demo shows HD video screen-savers that changes according to the time of the day.
Release Date: Late October
Pricing: Starts at $149, more expensive than competing devices from Roku, Amazon’s Fire TV and Google’s Chromecast
(With agency inputs)
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