Today, Apple CEO Tim Cook led a town hall meeting packed with press to introduce new products including expected, iterative updates to iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Though the presentation did not include many surprises, it was still an exciting affair, especially for those of you who are still clutching your 4-inch iPhone 5s for dear life. Looking to upgrade your iPad but the iPad Pro is too big for you to lug around town? You too will also like what you see here. Own an Apple Watch and want to spice up your band collection? Look no further. Go on, jump after the break for a full breakdown of all the major announcements coming out of Apple’s latest keynote.
iPhone SE
So long, iPhone 5s. Hello, iPhone SE! Instead of ditching its 4-inch iPhone, Apple has accepted the fact that consumers still gravitate toward the smaller form factor and is fully embracing it with a successor to the hugely popular 5s. The company sold over 30 million 4-inch iPhones in 2015, and with the new SE, Apple is specifically catering to those who just don’t want to make the jump to the larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6s handsets. Whether you simply prefer smaller devices or you’re new to iPhone and find a 4-inch device to be less cumbersome and more inviting, Apple’s new iPhone SE aims to be “the most powerful 4-inch phone ever” to cater your needs.
A single glance at the iPhone SE (some speculate it stands for “Special Edition”) and you’ll notice not much as changed on the outside. The SE certainly feels like a 5s in the hand as it retains the same exterior design and button placement (your 5s cases will fit it!). What you will notice are the new matte-chamfered edges, a color-matched stainless steel Apple logo around back, and a new rose gold metallic finish. Don’t worry, the SE also comes in the classic space grey, silver, and gold options, to boot.
The most significant advancements are inside. The iPhone SE runs on Apple’s 64-bit A9 chip–the same chip that can be found in the company’s flagship phones, the 6s and 6s Plus. When comparing speeds to the outgoing 5s, the SE’s chip is 2x faster and its graphics performance is 3x faster. The embedded M9 motion coprocessor tracks your fitness all day and also enables hands-free, always-on “Hey, Siri.” The internal battery promises longer life; stats include 50 hours audio, 13 hours video, Wi-Fi and LTE browsing, 12 hours 3G browsing, and 14 hours 3G talk. The cameras have been updated as well. Around back there’s a 12 megapixel iSight shooter with fast Focus Pixels, bright True Tone Flash, and a new image signal processor allows large panorama shots up to 63 megapixels. The cam can also shoot video in 4K and capture Live Photos, just like the flagships. 1080p HD video can be recorded up to 60 fps, and slo-mo up to 240 fps. The front-facing FaceTime HD camera, meanwhile, now boasts Retina Flash, whereby the display gets three times brighter when snapping a selfie in low light situations.
Elsewhere, improved wireless capabilities include LTE speeds up to 150 Mbps (that’s 50 percent faster than the 5s), more LTE bands for better global roaming, and support for voice over LTE. 802.11ac Wi-Fi (up to 433 Mbps, 3x faster than 5s) with support for high quality Wi-Fi calling and Bluetooth 4.2 are onboard. Touch ID is carried over from the 5s, though it’s not the faster, second-gen fingerprint technology found in the flagships. What is new is the inclusion of the Secure Element chip which finally enables Apple Pay on a 4-inch iOS device.
The iPhone SE starts at $399 for the 16GB model. Need more storage? A second configuration with 64GB will sell at a $499 price point. Apple points out that with a 2-year subsidized contract you can pick up the SE for free, or alternatively you can pay $17/month with an installment plan. The new 4-inch handset ships first in the US, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, and the UK. It will reach over 110 countries by the end of May. Preorders begin this Thursday, March 24, and it ships next Thursday, March 31.
iPad Pro
In November, Apple released the iPad Pro, its first large-scale tablet sporting a giant 12.9-inch display. Today, a second member of the iPad Pro family was introduced and it’s name is…iPad Pro. In a nutshell, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro packs all of the power from its big brother in a smaller package (it weighs under a pound), one that the majority of consumers are used to from the original iPad and more recent iPad Air product lineups.
Though the new, smaller iPad Pro comes complete with many of the same features first unveiled in the big iPad Pro, there are some significant developments to discuss. Yes, there’s the same 64-bit A9X chip with M9 motion coprocessor and the same four-speaker audio system with built-in sensors that automatically adjust and optimize the audio depending on the tablet’s orientation. What’s new, however, is the advanced display technology and upgraded cameras. Though the screen is smaller, it’s actually more functional. When comparing it to the iPad Air 2, it’s 40 percent less reflective and 25 percent brighter with 25 percent greater color saturation. A new technology built in called True Tone uses four-channel ambient light sensors to dynamically adjust the white balance of the display to match the light around you. This makes the viewing experience on an iPad more natural (Apple describes it as “paper-white”) and easier on the eyes than ever before. Both cameras here match what’s found inside the flagship iPhones, besting what’s included in the 12.9-inch iPad Pro. Around back, the iSight camera shoots 12 megapixel stills with Focus Pixels and True Tone Flash, a new image signal processor supports panoramas up to 63 megapixels, and it can also capture Live Photos and record 4K video. The front-facing 5 megapixel FaceTime HD camera now supports Retina Flash, just like the flagships and the iPhone SE.
The new iPad Pro, which Apple is targeting at existing iPad owners looking to upgrade as well as Windows PC users itching to switch, will come in four metal finishes: space grey, silver, gold, and of course, rose gold. It starts at $599 for the Wi-Fi-only 32GB model; a 128GB model will sell for $749, and for the first time a 256GB configuration is here priced at $899. All three models will also have the Wi-Fi + Cellular option as well. Preorders commence this Thursday, and it ships next Thursday, following the same release pattern as the iPhone SE.
In terms of compatible accessories, the 9.7-inch iPad Pro supports Apple Pencil (sold separately for $99) as well as the Smart Keyboard (Apple will sell a smaller version of it to fit the device at $149). In addition, a USB Camera Adapter, SD Card Camera Reader, and a 29W USB-C Power Adapter will all work with the new iPad Pro for transfers and faster charging.
With all that said, here’s what Apple’s tablet lineup looks like today. There’s the 12.9-inch iPad Pro (starting at $799), 9.7-inch iPad Pro ($599), iPad Air 2 (dropping $100 to $399), iPad mini 4 ($399), and iPad mini ($269). The original iPad Air has been discontinued. And note: the 12.9-inch iPad Pro now sports a model with 256GB of storage starting at $1099.
Apple Watch
Now that we’re officially in spring, Apple’s refreshed its seasonal lineup of Apple Watch bands. The most exciting addition to the collection are the new woven nylon bands. The durable nylon has a fabric-like feel and comes in seven vibrant colors including Gold/Red, Gold/Royal Blue, Royal Blue, Pink, Pearl, Scuba Blue, and Black. All variations are available in 38mm and 42mm sizes, and pricing matches the Sport bands at $49. Speaking of the Sport bands, spring brings new colors including Yellow, Apricot, Light Pink, Lilac, Royal Blue, and Mint. Elsewhere, the oft-requested Space Black Milanese Loop is now available. The Classic Buckle has new hues, too: White, Marigold, Blue Jay, Midnight Blue, Storm Gray, Marine Blue, and Red. White and Storm Gray also come to the Leather Loop, and the Modern Buckle gets Marigold and Blue Jay. View all of the band collections here.
In a surprise move, Apple dropped the introductory price of Apple Watch by $50. The Sport collection now starts at $299 for the 38mm size and $349 for the 42mm.
Software updates
iOS 9 receives “one of [its] biggest dot releases” today, according to Apple. Night Shift is a nifty new feature that automatically shifts colors of your display to the warmer end of the spectrum at night, which Apple says may help you sleep better. Using your device’s clock and geolocation to determine when it’s sunset in your location, your display will adapt its colors to make it less harsh at night. Elsewhere, Notes is updated to support password-protected notes that you can unlock using a passcode or your fingerprint…the Health app now promotes app suggestions…the News app adds Top Stories and Editors’ Picks…CarPlay brings Apple Music’s For You and New sections to your car’s dashboard and Maps gets the handy Nearby feature…and a slew of education features specifically for iPads in the classroom promise to aid students, teachers, and administrators.
iOS 9.3 is available as a free download today. Click here to learn more about all the new features packed inside.
Apple TV received some love at today’s keynote presentation, too, when Apple acknowledged its anticipated tvOS update. The latest software update, available today, brings system-wide dictation (entering usernames and passwords just got much easier), voice-activated Siri search for the App Store, iCloud Photo Library with support for Live Photos, Bluetooth keyboard support, and folders for improved app organization.
Wrap
That’s a wrap on Apple’s latest product announcement presentation! There’s a new iPhone for all you 4-inch device lovers, there’s a powerful iPad in a package you’re used to, and Apple Watch–with all its fresh, funky, colorful bands–is now more affordable than ever. Already own an iOS device and/or the new Apple TV? You just gained loads more functionality with Night Shift and folders, respectively. It’s certainly a good time to be an Apple fanboy–these updates should hold us over until the iPhone 7 likely rolls around this fall.