Apple's Announcements

Apple kicked off its announcement showcasing a variety of products during its keynote event on September 10th. The nearly two hour event was jam-packed full of service announcements, interesting tech demos, and the unveiling of the next generation of Apple products. We watched it live, but don’t worry if you missed it - we’ve compiled everything you need to know about the Apple event for September 2019.

iPhone 11

Surprising no one, Apple unveiled the next generation of iPhones. Dubbed iPhone 11, this update brings a swath of upgrades including battery life, camera quality, build quality, and more. The phone will be available in three different models, the iPhone 11 ($699), iPhone 11 Pro ($999), and the iPhone 11 Pro Max ($1099). The phone will come with a range of  six different color choices including red, black, white, yellow, green, and purple. The body is made from anodized aluminum and features a 6.1” liquid retina display along with a refreshed dual-camera system including wide and ultra-wide angle lenses. The main camera features a 12-megapixel sensor and the equivalent of a 26mm lens. The ultra-wide lens features a 12 megapixel sensor and the equivalent of a 13mm lens.

 The cameras work in tandem allowing instant and seamless transition between them, and even automatically showing a preview of the ultra-wide view when shooting from the standard camera. Apple has also updated its included ‘night mode’ with enhanced HDR to automatically brighten dark photos and reduce noise. The phones also come with 4k video capability up to 60 frames per second with extended dynamic range, time-lapse, and slow-motion. The selfie camera has also been upgraded to 12 megapixels including the aforementioned 4k 60 frames per second video, HDR, and a slow-motion camera to take “slofies” (slow-motion selfies). 

Further upgrades to the base iPhone 11 include enhanced battery life (up to an hour more than the previous iteration, the iPhone XR) as well as a new chipset. Apple claims the new A13 bionic processor is the most advanced, fastest CPU ever put in a phone while making similar claims of the A13’s GPU.

iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max

The next step up from the iPhone 11 is the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. The biggest difference between the base and Pro or Pro Max models is the upgraded camera system. These upgraded versions include a third telephoto camera that allows up to 10x digital zoom (over the base model’s 5x digital zoom). Another nice upgrade included in the package is the change from a liquid crystal display (LCD) to an organic light-emitting diode display (OLED).  Basically, this means the Pro and Pro Max models will have markedly increased display capabilities including better contrast, deeper blacks, and better brightness over the base model. The iPhone 11 Pro display comes in at 5.8” while the iPhone 11 Pro Max is much larger at 6.5”. The build quality also improves with the use of textured matte stainless steel and glass. Curiously, the Pro and Pro Max models come with fewer color choices than the base model, with the options of midnight-green, silver, space gray, and my personal favorite gold. All three of the next-gen iPhones will be available to preorder on September 13th and will hit store shelves on September 20th. 

iPad

Apple also unveiled the seventh generation of iPad during Tuesday morning’s keynote. Like many of Apple’s products, the theme here seems to be incremental upgrades rather than full on replacement. One of the more noticeable differences being a display size of 10.2”- an increase of 0.5” over the previous model. This puts the base iPad very close in terms of size to the iPad Pro which comes starting at 11”. It features Apple’s signature Retina display backed by an A10 Fusion chip. The new iPad also boasts increased capability and functionality with features such as improved seamless multitasking, game peripheral pairing, and built in compatibility with Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. The new iPad will be made from 100% recycled aluminum and starts at $329. It launches September 30th.

Apple Watch Series 5

The next generation of Apple Watch features a brand new always-on Retina display. Instead of having to tap or raise your arm to turn on the screen, the new Apple Watch cycles down to a 1hz refresh rate and dims the screen when inactive which has minimal strain on the battery and still allows you to sneak a peek at the time. It also includes a whole series of new location based features including a compass, elevation finder, and international emergency calling in over 150 countries even if your iPhone isn’t nearby. Apple has really stepped up their game when it comes to customization, as the new Series 5 will come with a much wider variety of build materials including aluminum, stainless steel, the classic ceramic, and the brand new titanium finish. There are collaborations with other brands such as Nike and Hermès that allow extensive customization of bands and watch faces. 

Powered by the new watchOS 6, the next-gen Apple Watch will run faster than previous models and with greater battery efficiency. Apple also debuted a new research app that will allow users to privately opt-in to share data gathered by the watches many sensors with partners such as the World Health Organization, Harvard School of Public Health, the American Heart Association, and many others. Topics of the studies include the long-term effects of ambient noise on your hearing health, how menstrual cycles can help improve screenings for infertility and osteoporosis, and how general movement impacts long-term health. The Apple Watch Series 5 starts at $399 for the GPS-only model, while the LTE-connected version starts at $499 and goes as high as $1,299 with all the bells and whistles. It will ship September 20th.

Apple Services

Apple finally spilled the beans on its new service Apple TV+. Although Apple announced its TV+ service back in March, it has stayed mum about the details until the keynote event. The service comes competitively priced at $4.99 per month for the whole family and will be packaged together with any Apple product. If you buy the new iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch, you will get a full year of Apple TV+ included for free. You will be able to download and watch offline or stream their original shows in 4K, HDR, and Dolby Vision. They showed a very intriguing trailer for a new Apple TV+ exclusive post-apocalyptic thriller show called See starring Jason Mamoa with production values that appeared to match Game of Thrones. The service will kick off November first in over 100 countries with nine launch titles and Apple’s confirmation that another five series will be added in the following months. 

The final update Apple shared appeals directly to gamers. They will be starting a dedicated gaming service titled Apple Arcade on September 19th with more than 100 games available at launch. It costs $4.99 per month for unlimited gaming for the whole family across any of Apple’s products.