The long wait is finally over. Apple has just announced 2 brand new iPhones during its ‘Hey Siri’ Media Event at San Francisco’s Bill Graham Civic Auditorium last evening! When asked about iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, Tim Cook responded “While they may look familiar, we have changed everything about these new iPhones.” Other than its smartphones, Apple also took the opportunity to announce its other product line up such as Apple TV, iPad Pro and the latest iPad Mini 4.
iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus
Aesthetics & Material
Apple has updated its two smartphones since iPhone 6 was launched around a year ago. Consumers will be able to select from these 4 colours: Silver, Gold, Space Gray and Rose Gold for their new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. These amazing smartphones are now made from 7000 series aluminum, an aircraft-grade material that is a lot stronger than its previous phone aluminum and therefore unlikely to bend.
Screen
Screens are big for this year new iPhones. Apple has just launched a 3D touch screen previously known as Force Touch on iPhone 6s & iPhone 6s Plus. For the first time, iPhone senses how much pressure you apply to the display. In addition to familiar Multi‑Touch gestures like Tap, Swipe, and Pinch, 3D Touch introduces Peek and Pop. This brings a new dimension of functionality to the iPhone experience. And when you use 3D Touch, your iPhone responds with subtle taps. So not only will you see what a press can do — you’ll feel it. It allows you to peek at emails or websites before you open them.
Camera & Photos
The new iPhones also come with a 12 megapixel iSight rear camera, with 50% more pixels than the iPhone 6. The front-facing camera is now 5 megapixels (for sharper selfies).
A kooky new photography feature called “Live Photos” combines photos and videos. When you take a photo with the Live Photo setting on, it records a second-and-a-half video before and after the clip to make a tiny little video. Press and hold on your photo and it will play.
Processor & Charging
The phones also have the new A9 processor and faster fingerprint sensors. There are new charging docks to match the colors of the iPhones as well as new covers.
The new iPhones will go on pre-sale on September 12 and will hit stores on September 25. IOS 9 will be available on September 16 for anyone with an iPhone as old as an iPhone 4S.
iPad Pro & iPad Mini
iPad Pro
As the name implies, the iPad Pro’s real target audience is business users and it is big … at 12.9 inches. It’s the same height as the iPad Air, so you can run iPad Air apps side by side. The screen commands 5.6 million pixels which is more than a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display. The inside it’s much faster too. The iPad Pro has a new A9X 64-bit chip. It’s 1.8 times faster than the previous iPad’s CPU (“desktop class” according to Apple executive Phil Schiller). This processor is so powerful that it can actually edit three streams of 4K video at a time. The best part for folks on the move – this new gadget has a 10-hour battery life, is super thin and weighs just over 1.5 pounds.
Games and movies are set to look better on a bigger screen and the screen is also big enough to have a full-size keyboard on the screen. If you hate typing directly on the screen, Apple has thoughtfully made a new smart keyboard that doubles as a cover too.
iPad Pro will also be coming up with its own stylus called the Apple Pencil as a low latency stylus that feels like a real pencil.
iPad Mini 4
Apple also announced a new iPad Mini 4 but emphasis on it was over-shadowed.
Apple TV
The latest Apple TV features a third-party App Store, a new remote, Siri controls and a completely overhauled operating system. The TV now runs on tvOS, which is based on iOS and “built for the living room.
The new black remote features a glass touch surface on the top half, so you can command your Apple TV with simple swipes and other gestures. The Bluetooth remote has TV volume controls, built-in accelerometer, gyroscope and can last three months on one charge via the Lightning connector.
If you are too lazy to swipe, you can now choose to tell Siri what you want. You can ask Siri to direct you to a particular scene that you want to watch again or rewind a few seconds to catch the scene that you missed. Even if you do not know what you want to watch, Siri can make movie and TV suggestions based on things like genre. Siri searches across all apps, so you don’t have to jump between HBO Go and Netflix to find something specific.
The best improvement for Apple TV is opening it up to third-party developers. You can now use the device to play multiplayer games.
Apple Watch
You now have more band options such as a wrap-around brown leather Hermés band for the new gold and rose gold watch. For active folks, there are new sports band options as well.
Since its release in April, there are now more than 10,000 watch apps. Facebook Messenger’s app now allow you to send text, audio and location messages. GoPro’s app functions as a viewfinder for your camera etc. Apple is also adding transit directions to the included Maps app.
What is the product that got you most excited? Share with us in the comment section below.
