Once more, the time has come for us all to unite behind the feeling of being broke as all hell while marveling at the latest batch of phone-based tech advancements from the Apple gods.
Tuesday's livestreamed special event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California saw Tim Cook and company unveiling the impressive iPhone 11, as well as a new generation of the Apple Watch. As always, the reveal of Apple's newest creations was preceded by months of reports alleging a variety of possible features.
9to5Mac has a solid breakdown of the pre-announcement rumors surrounding the new devices, with talks of a triple camera system (a rumor turned reality) included. It's always fun to compare the rumors with the facts post-livestream, so feel free to do that.
But first, see below for a rundown of topics covered during Tuesday's special event, including new device prices and launch dates.
Apple Arcade
Tim Cook, as is custom for these events, kicked off the proceedings with a quick introductory talk before speaking on App Store retoolings. Apple Arcade, first announced in March and launching in the fall, had the benefit of being the topic of the first onstage deep dive.
A highlight of the Apple Arcade presentation was a run-through of a new Frogger entry, a time-spender that offers players the opportunity to dress their amphibian character in a variety of fits while roaming about.
Capcom was next up with an immersive look at their Arcade contributions. Utilizing music and sound effects that were quite literally recorded underwater, Shinsekai Into the Depths is—like Frogger—an Apple exclusive.
Sayonara Wild Hearts, meanwhile, was teased as a "playable music video" and will also be made available on the gaming platform this fall. An Apple Arcade subscription will run you $4.99 a month and includes a one-month free trial.
Apple TV+
Apple's continued moves into cinematic territory were detailed next. Included in this segment was a new trailer for the Apple TV+ production See, featuring Jason Momoa.
The first shows on the platform, which also boasts a $4.99 monthly family plan, will launch Nov. 1 in over 100 countries. Also, starting Tuesday, select Apple purchases will include a free year of the subscription service. Pretty fucking sick.
iPad Generation 7
On iPad matters, Cook and company further teased iPadOS and announced something new new: the seventh generation iPad. The device features a bigger display (10.2" Retina) and nearly 3.5 million pixels, as well as special engineering geared toward the iPadOS launch. Additionally, early adopters can look forward to a new onscreen floating keypad and enchanced video-editing abilities. The new iPads start at $329.
Apple Watch Series 5
The wrists of the world took over from there with the announcement of three new Apple Watch-based studies focused on hearing, women’s health, and heart & movement. Via the Research app, those interested in contributing to these studies can sign up.
Watch enthusiasts should know that the Series 5 edition of the accessory (boasting an always-on Retina display) was also announced. Series 5 packs a built-in compass, boosted safety features, the widest assortment of case features in Apple history (including a ceramic option), and more. The new Watches start at $399 and will kick off online sales starting Tuesday.
New iPhones: 11, Pro, Pro Max
Of course, the main attraction at these brouhahas is the iPhone, and Tuesday's event was no exception.
Cook preceded the unveiling with a look back at the device's undeniable history of influence.
"Customers love iPhone because we focus on technologies that matter most in their lives," Cook said before letting the latest take on the phone bask in the glory. And just like that, we entered the era of the iPhone 11.
The phone will be available in six different colorways and features a 6.1" liquid Retina display and spacial audio. The dual cameras feature improved low light capturing capabilities and an ultra-wide option. The camera interface, meanwhile, has also been changed to allow users to see outside the frame.
Users also have Night Mode, improved cinematic possibilities (thanks to the aforementioned ultra wide), the highest quality video in smartphone history, brighter True Tone flash, an updated 12MP TrueDepth camera on the front, the addition of slo-mo to the front-facing camera, and much more. Ultimately, this means an impending prevalence of slo-mo selfies.
Performance wise, the 11 works off the A13 Bionic chip, which Apple said Tuesday will ensure the device's operational experience easily bests competitors' phones like the Pixel 3 and the Galaxy S10+. The 11 starts at $699.
The standard 11 is joined in the latest Apple fleet by the triple camera-featuring iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, outlined as "a product for all of us . . . even if we're not a pro." The Super Retina XDR display, as its name suggests, looks to bring a fuller Mac experience to the phone.
For those currently on an XS phone, you'll be pleased to know that the Pro has the potential for a great deal (four hours more) daily battery performance. The Pro is also making good use of the name with some truly wild updates to photo and video.
The ultra wide camera feature, teased with during the presentation for the standard 11, gets even more impressive when viewed on the Pro and should surely inspire anyone out there who's hesitant to shoot a short film or a full-blown movie on their phone the push they need to get started with confidence.
Speaking further to the cinematic possibilities available to iPhone users, Apple welcomed Sean Baker to the stage. The director is known for his 2015 film Tangerine, which was shot using a trio of then-current 5S phones. To further artists' ease, a new version of the FiLMiC Pro app will be made available this fall.
The Pro starts at $999, while the Max starts at $1099. Preorders start Friday. Shipping begins Sept. 20.
For a proper look at 11-isms, watch this:
As always, if anyone at Apple is reading this and finds themselves in a generous mood, feel free to place one or all of these devices in my hands at no cost to me.
