What's better than Christmas, Thanksgiving and Halloween combined? Well, if your an Apple fan girl or boy, it's today--the annual Apple Special Event where they announce new products and iOS updates. And this year surely didn't disappoint!
Apple Special Event at new Steve Jobs Theater.
If you weren't able to watch the live event, here's what you missed:
New iPhone Models
Yes, plural. Apple revealed not one, but three new versions of the beloved iPhone. There's the iPhone 8, the iPhone 8 Plus, and the iPhone X (I guess 7 8 9?! #dadjoke).
First, what's new with the iPhone 8?
New Look & Materials
Apple has redesigned the iPhone, using an aerospace-grade custom aluminum alloy, internal laser-welded steel structure, the most durable glass in a smartphone and micro-sealed to keep out dust and water.
Materials and features used to make the new iPhone 8
I comes in silver, space gray and a gold finish, with an aluminum band that matches the color.
Camera
The iPhone 8 uses a new processor for photos and noise reduction. It has better color sensors, more sharpness, faster sensor, deeper pixels, wide quality color, optical stabilization, and it's better in low light. The iPhone 8 Plus has a dual camera.
iPhone 8 Camera features
It contains an improved Portrait Mode with facial landmarking to separate front and background, and improve lighting effect before or after taking photo.
Video quality on the iPhone 8 is 4K and slow motion is double the frame rate.
Augmented Reality
The iPhone 8 is the first camera and smartphone designed for augmented reality (AI), which opens up a world of options for developers and marketers to create apps using AI.
Enhanced Speakers
The new stereo speakers are 25% louder with deeper base.
Retina Display
The iPhone 8 has HD retina display with a wide color gamut and color accuracy, and built in 3D touch in the display with a new True Tone technology, which adapts the color, temperature and intensity to ambient light around the user.
Retina Display sizes
A11 Bionic Chip
The iPhone 8 contains a brand new chip, called the A11 Bionic. It's the most powerful and smartest chip in any mobile device. It has two high-performance cores that are 25% faster than the A10 chip, and four high-efficiency cores that are up to 70% faster, which can all be used at once.
Benefits of the new A11 Bionic Chip
Wireless Charging
The new iPhone does not require a charging cord. It's charged wirelessly through Qi charging pads already found in public places around the world, and the new AirPower mat.
The new iPhone 8 is available starting September 22.
iOS 11
The new operating system allows you to pay friends via messenger, translate with Siri, use multi-touch interactions and better security. Everyone can upgrade starting September 19.
Now, let's discuss the iPhone X.
Apple is planning so far into the future of of smartphones that they skipped over iPhone 9 entirely, and went right to iPhone X. This new version has edge to edge screen (removing the home button), water and dust-resistant at a microscopic level, an all-new Super Retina Display (5.8" on diagonal, 2436x1125 resolution, 458 ppi and improved OLED technology) and all around more fluid and seamless interactions.
iPhone X features
The iPhone X has Face ID, which allows you to simply look at your phone to unlock it, even in the dark, with a new hair cut or beard, wearing glasses, losing or gaining weight, etc. It uses the True Depth Camera system, located at the top of the phone, for this Face ID feature.
iPhone X True Depth Camera System components
Animojis
They also announced some fun new emoji features. You will be able to create "animojis" or animated emojis. These animojis can be controlled with your face using 50 facial muscle movements, and sent via messages to friends and family.
New Animojis that will be available with the iPhone X
The iPhone X is available for preorder on October 27, and begins to ship on November 3.
Apple Watch
Sales for Apple Watch grew 50% YOY and is now the number one watch in the world, with a 97% customer satisfaction rate.
Apple Watch will be focused on health. They're adding smart activity coaching, a completely redesigned workout app, new features for swimmers, a gym kit to pair with gym machines. For the heart rate app (the most used heart rate device in the world) they're making improvements to the heart rate tracking, adding notification features for elevated heart rate when not active, and creating an Apple Heart Study to analyze arrhythmia and provide notifications.
The iOS 4 for Apple Watch, with all of these features, will be available on September 19.
The newest Apple Watch, referred to as Series 3, has cellular built in. This allows you to leave your phone at home, but know that you can be reached if needed.
New Apple Watch Series 3 will allow for mobile calling.
Series 3 will also allow you to stream some 40 million songs through Apple Music. Some other new features with Series 3 include: GPS, a new dual core processor for faster processing, Siri can now talk, a custom wireless chip called W2 for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, a new altimeter, new apps for skiing and snowboarding and a bunch of new band colors and watch face styles.
Pricing for new Apple Watch Series 3.
All of this is housed in a case that's the same size as previous models, and has up to 18 hours of battery life. It will be available in 19 countries on September 22.
Apple TV
The big announcement was Apple TV 4K, which not only has four times as many pixels, but also has HDR, providing what they claim as the "highest quality video ever seen."
Comparing 4K to HDR image quality on new Apple TV.
The new Apple TV also has new A10X processor and new version of tvOS with faster speeds. Partnerships with movie studios bring loads of new videos to iTunes in 4K HDR for the same price (and free upgrades for any movies you've already purchased). Partnerships with Netflix and Amazon will also bring 4K HDR video to Apple TV soon.
Apple TV Live Sports
Live sports are coming to Apple TV, along with games that can be played with one finger on the Siri remote.
The new Apple TV 4K will also be available on September 22.
Today at Apple
Apple made some announcements about their retail stores, called Apple Town Squares. They will continue to focus on building these retail environments around the world, with some major changes to the Town Squares in New York, and new stores in Paris, Milan, DC and Chicago.
Apple Town Square in New York City will be designed.
As always, the Apple Keynote had some great announcements for consumers and businesses alike. We can't wait to get our hands on these new devices!