At a packed Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in San Francisco, Apple announced its latest array of devices, including two new iPhones, an updated Apple Watch, a new set of wireless headphones called AirPods and a surprise from Nintendo onboard.
Here’s a quick rundown of everything that was announced at the Apple Event, and when you’ll be able to get a hold of it all, if you're into that kind of stuff:
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus & announcements surrounding them...
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Apple's first news of the event actually came from its Twitter feed, which announced the new iPhone 7 before it ever appeared on stage. On stage, Apple made much of the new design, with Jony Ive stressing that the device has been painstakingly perfected to be as clean and beautiful as possible, and on multiple occasions the new phone was called the best iPhone ever made. Obviously, we've heard this before. But that didn't mean the phone's official unveiling wasn't welcome.
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Both the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 and 5.5-inch 7 Plus come in the usual array of colors, with the added additions of the super glossy Jet Black and the slightly more ordinary Black. They have a 25 percent brighter display, with a wider color gamut for better color management and reproduction. This time around, the antennas are built right into the chassis, getting rid of those ugly lines from the previous two versions of the phone. Internally, the new phones get stereo speakers and a brand new A10 Fusion chip. And, possibly most importantly, the devices are water- and dust-resistant.
The camera in standard sized iPhone 7 has been upgraded with optical image stabilization and a brighter f/1.8 lens that lets in 50 percent more light than the iPhone 6S' f/2.2 lens. Apple says the new 12-megapixel sensor, which has the same resolution as last year's phone, is 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient. It's coupled with a new image processing chip and quad-LED flash that produces 50 percent more light. Apple's Phil Schiller boasts that the new processing engine leverages machine learning and has "supercomputer performance." The front camera on the iPhone 7 has been bumped to 7 megapixels with automatic image stabilization for better selfies and video recording.
But the real upgrades were saved for the larger iPhone 7 Plus' dual camera system. The company says the new dual camera allows for true 2x optical zoom without loss of image quality. One of the lenses is equivalent to 28mm for wide angle shots (like a standard iPhone camera), while the other has a closer, 60mm equivalent lens. Switching between the two cameras is seamless in the iPhone 7 Plus' camera app — just tap the 1x or 2x button and the camera will switch automatically. You can zoom further, up to 10x, but beyond 2x is digital zoom that crops the photo. Apple has also developed a feature that uses both lenses to mimic a shallow depth of field, like what can be accomplished with a larger DSLR. This feature will be available via a software update later this year.
Apple announced that, in removing the 3.5mm jack, the included headphones will work over Apple's Lightning standard. That means you won't be able to connect your favorite headphones to the next iPhone without an adapter (which will be included in the box, of course). Phil Schiller argued that Lightning is already an excellent audio standard, and that the team behind it is showing "courage" by making the shift.
Apple developed its own standard to allow wireless headphones to connect to the new iPhones seamlessly. Using its own W1 chip, Apple designed AirPods — or EarPods without wires — that connect to the iPhone without needing to pair like you would with Bluetooth. Beats has also developed two new headphones running on the W1 chip. The AirPods will set users back $159, and they'll have to wait until late October to buy them. The new Beats headphones will also be out this fall, and range from $149 to $299.
One of the iPhone's most iconic features is gone: the clicky physical button at the bottom of the phone. In the iPhone 7, the Home button is still there, but it's no the longer mechanical one. Instead, like Apple's new MacBook trackpads, the iPhone will provide touch feedback with the Taptic Engine. It's supposed to deliver similarly satisfying feedback, with custom notification buzzes for things like messages and calls. Will it actually be as satisfying? Time will tell...
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The camera in standard sized iPhone 7 has been upgraded with optical image stabilization and a brighter f/1.8 lens that lets in 50 percent more light than the iPhone 6S' f/2.2 lens. Apple says the new 12-megapixel sensor, which has the same resolution as last year's phone, is 60 percent faster and 30 percent more efficient. It's coupled with a new image processing chip and quad-LED flash that produces 50 percent more light. Apple's Phil Schiller boasts that the new processing engine leverages machine learning and has "supercomputer performance." The front camera on the iPhone 7 has been bumped to 7 megapixels with automatic image stabilization for better selfies and video recording.
But the real upgrades were saved for the larger iPhone 7 Plus' dual camera system. The company says the new dual camera allows for true 2x optical zoom without loss of image quality. One of the lenses is equivalent to 28mm for wide angle shots (like a standard iPhone camera), while the other has a closer, 60mm equivalent lens. Switching between the two cameras is seamless in the iPhone 7 Plus' camera app — just tap the 1x or 2x button and the camera will switch automatically. You can zoom further, up to 10x, but beyond 2x is digital zoom that crops the photo. Apple has also developed a feature that uses both lenses to mimic a shallow depth of field, like what can be accomplished with a larger DSLR. This feature will be available via a software update later this year.
Apple announced that, in removing the 3.5mm jack, the included headphones will work over Apple's Lightning standard. That means you won't be able to connect your favorite headphones to the next iPhone without an adapter (which will be included in the box, of course). Phil Schiller argued that Lightning is already an excellent audio standard, and that the team behind it is showing "courage" by making the shift.
Apple developed its own standard to allow wireless headphones to connect to the new iPhones seamlessly. Using its own W1 chip, Apple designed AirPods — or EarPods without wires — that connect to the iPhone without needing to pair like you would with Bluetooth. Beats has also developed two new headphones running on the W1 chip. The AirPods will set users back $159, and they'll have to wait until late October to buy them. The new Beats headphones will also be out this fall, and range from $149 to $299.
One of the iPhone's most iconic features is gone: the clicky physical button at the bottom of the phone. In the iPhone 7, the Home button is still there, but it's no the longer mechanical one. Instead, like Apple's new MacBook trackpads, the iPhone will provide touch feedback with the Taptic Engine. It's supposed to deliver similarly satisfying feedback, with custom notification buzzes for things like messages and calls. Will it actually be as satisfying? Time will tell...
Apple Watch Series 2
After releasing its first smartwatch last year, Apple is back with what it calls the Apple Watch Series 2. It has all the requisite specs bumps: it has the brightest screen Apple's ever shipped — supposedly twice as bright as the last Watch — and its new S2 chip has a dual-core processor that's supposed to be 50 percent faster than its predecessor. On the outside, its got the same square shape and side buttons, but it now comes in white ceramic along with aluminum and stainless steel. It also includes some snappy-looking new bands, including a custom design from Hermès, and there's a Nike watch model that's aimed specifically at guilting runners into regular exercise.
The Series 2 watches will start at $369, and just like Apple has done for iPhones and iPads, it's keeping the original Watch around as a cheaper alternative. The Series One line, as it's being called now, will be upgraded with the same S2 chip and sold for $269. Preorders will start September 9th, with the watches coming in late October. And watchOS 3, which was announced earlier this year, will be coming to current Watch owners on September 13th.
Apple Pay expands
Apple Pay is coming to Japan in October; in addition to NFC technology, it will utilize a different technology in known as FeliCa. Developed by Sony, FeliCa supports payments for mass transit systems in Japan. The iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, and Apple Watch Series 2 will integrate FeliCa technology, Tim Cook said. Apple Pay will also come to New Zealand in October, and Russia later this fall.
Nintendo has some announcements too...
A new Super Mario for iOS
Pokemon Go isn't going to be Nintendo's only big mobile game this year. Super Mario Bros. creator Shigeru Miyamoto took the stage today to announce Super Mario Run — a new installment in Nintendo's long-running series. It looks a lot like the 2D platformer we're all familiar with, but it draws some mechanics from mobile endless runner games, and Miyamoto noted that you can play it one-handed on the subway. There's also a multiplayer mode of sorts, where players compete to collect coins on a map. The game is coming out by the holidays, and at least for now, it’s only on iOS.
Pokemon Go for Apple Watch?
Did you think Super Mario Run was the end of today's Nintendo news? Nope, the company also announced an Apple Watch version of mobile game and social phenomenon Pokemon Go. Granted, there's already a Pokemon Go wearable that will let you catch pokemon and visit pokestops. And the Watch OS app is more about spotting pokemon than catching them; So, you're are still supposed to be pulling out your phone from time to time.
But the app gives wearers visual feedback that Nintendo's simple watchband can't. And it makes Pokemon Go's egg-hatching feature, which encourages players to go out for walks, more convenient and accurate. Hopefully, there'll be no more strolling around awkwardly with your phone in hand ,at least when the app launches later this year.
iOS 10 comes out next week
iOS 10 is officially coming out on September 13th, bringing the next major iOS update to users after spending the summer in beta. This release represents one of the biggest iOS has ever seen.
It means particularly big things for Siri, which has gotten smart enough to handle image searches and handle transcribing voicemails. But iOS 10 shows Apple becoming much more open, with Siri and iMessage now opening up to developers. Users will also see more widgets and better notifications, and Apple has extended Continuity to include Universal Clipboard, which lets you copy text and images on your phone and paste them on your Mac.
macOS Sierra comes out September 20th
While it didn't make an appearance at the keynote, macOS's next update, Sierra, will officially launch on September 20th. With that release, the old OS X nomenclature will finally be put to rest.
Of course, that's not the biggest change to come. With Sierra, Siri will come to the Mac, letting you access things like files and email with voice commands. Even more important: the combination of a more mature iCloud and improved Continuity means storing files and moving work back and forth between your Mac and iPhone could be easier and better than ever,well, in theory, at least.
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