The centerpiece of the event was the reveal of the new iPhone 14. There will be four variants of the smartphone: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Apple will not be updating the mini variant of the iPhone. The new Apple Watch variants also starred in the event: Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra (designed for athletes), and a second-gen Apple Watch SE. Throughout the event, Apple gave info on the upcoming iOS 16 as well, including the addition of new technologies incorporated into Apple devices such as Crash Detection and Emergency Satellite Connectivity. The Apple event was hosted by CEO Tim Cook with other staff members presenting various parts of the program. The showcase was streamed live on Youtube and lasted for one and a half hours.
What’s new in the iPhone 14?
Apple divided the presentation of the iPhone 14 into two parts: the standard iPhones and the Pro models. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus share similar internal components and only differ in size. They come with the same A15 Bionic chip that is also used in iPhone 13 Pro models. The new processor will give the standard models a significant performance jump from the previous generation. In addition, the brand new 12-megapixel camera has sensor-shift optical image stabilization and a larger sensor to improve picture quality in low-light situations, as well as a new TrueDepth front-facing camera with similarly improved low-light performance and a more accurate focusing system. The camera systems are paired with the new Photonic Engine image processing to achieve even better results. Both models will get the Super Retina XDR display that peaks at 1200 nit HDR brightness as well as a 2 million to 1 contrast ratio. The iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display while the iPhone 14 has a standard 6.1-inch screen. The iPhone 14 will come with eSim support for the US Market. Apple has added Crash Detection to the new entry-level iPhones, which notifies emergency services and the user’s contacts when the phone detects a vehicular accident. Another safety feature unique to the new iPhones is Emergency Satellite Connectivity, letting users send SOS messages in off-grid areas. The iPhone 14 starts at $799 while the iPhone 14 Plus will be at $899. Pre-orders for both start on September 9 and the iPhone 14 will start shipping on September 14, while the iPhone 14 Plus will arrive on October 7. The iPhone 14 will come in Pro and Pro Max variants. Both will be equipped with the new 4-nanometer A16 Bionic chip and a new display engine to speed up display rendering on the Super Retina XDR screen. Apple claims that this is currently the fastest chip in a smartphone. Arguably the biggest change in the flagship models is the “Dynamic Island”. This ingenious design feature lets Apple hide the TrueDepth front camera behind an adaptive notification bar, in place of the traditional notch. This comes with unique animations for Text Messages, Face Detection, and other notifications while giving the user the ability to interact with apps like music playback and multitask seamlessly. The iPhone 14 Pro packs a new 48-megapixel camera with a quad-pixel sensor and adaptive pixel binning to improve low light sensitivity. The camera system has a 24mm focal length for the wide-angle camera with 48mm and 72mm telephoto zoom and 13mm ultrawide. It also lets users shoot in ProRaw to take advantage of the full 48-megapixel sensor and leverage the image processing of the Photonic Engine. The iPhone 14 Pro comes with a 6.1-inch display while the iPhone 14 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen. The screen in the iPhone 14 Pro has the new always-on display feature and maxes out at 2000nits peak HDR brightness. The iPhone 14 Pro costs start at $999 while the iPhone 14 Pro Max is at $1,099. Pre-orders for the pro models start on September 9 and will start shipping on September 16.
Apple Watch and AirPods Pro
Apple used the event to introduce three variants of the Apple Watch: the Series 8, Ultra, and SE. The Apple Watch Series 8 features an always-on display, menstrual cycle tracking, and crash detection. The Series 8 also features a low power mode which stretches the battery life to 36 hours even when the display is always on. The Apple Watch Ultra is designed for professional athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. The watch features a rugged design with its titanium shell and scratch-resistant glass. The watch is designed to survive extreme temperatures and is certified as a dive computer capable of reaching depths of up to 40m. The second generation Apple Watch SE is the entry-level smartwatch from Apple. It uses the same chip as the Series 8 and has similar features such as crash detection and international roaming. Apple claims that the SE uses recycled aluminum and nylon composite materials via a new production process that reduces the carbon footprint by 80%. The second generation Apple AirPods Pro will benefit from a new H2 chip for improved noise cancellation and new spatial audio capabilities. The AirPods Pro also have a new touch control on the stem as opposed to the old squeeze stem control of the previous model. The battery life has improved to 6 hours on a single charge and 30 hours additional battery with the charging case. The Apple Watch Series 8 costs $399 while the Apple Watch SE will set you back $249. The extreme Apple Watch Ultra costs $799 and will be available as a GPS + Cellular model only. The gen2 Apple AirPods Pro will cost $249. The new Apple iPad lineup will be announced in a separate event expected to happen in October. iOS 16 will be available for download starting September 16 for the iPhone 8 and newer models.
