For diehard Apple enthusiasts, there is perhaps no better feeling than waking up on the morning of another unveilings-filled Cupertino livestream.
Wednesday, the Tim Cook-led company gave fans the latest entry in its extended canon of appropriately hyped events, this time under the banner of “Far Out.”
“At Apple we’re fortunate to be surrounded by able who strive to innovate together,” Cook said at the top of Wednesday’s event, which was ultimately revealed to be focusing on three industry-defining products: iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.
Below, see a rundown of key highlights from the latest Apple event. And up top, catch an archive of the full livestream experience.
Apple Watch
First up in the spotlight was Apple Watch, complete with a short video highlighting some real world examples of the device in action. This was followed by the reveal of the new Apple Watch Series 8, featuring a swim-proof and crack-resistant design. Series 8 will feature the new temperature sensor, which was designed with the improvement of women’s health capabilities in mind (including ovulation estimates), among other wellness-focused features.
Among the other new Watch features detailed during the event were Low Power Mode and Crash Detection, the latter of which facilitates the automatic notification of emergency contacts when needed.
Series 8 will be available in four colorways, as well as three stainless steel finishes. Prices start at $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular, with availability beginning Sept. 16. The latest Apple Watch SE, meanwhile, starts at $249 for GPS and $299 for cellular.
On the totally new side of Watch developments, Apple also rolled out the Apple Watch Ultra, which is “designed specifically for exploration, adventure, and endurance.” The Ultra features the new Action button, which is customizable, and has cellular capabilities built into each model. Battery life goes for as long as 36 hours in standard usage, although even more battery life will be possible starting later this year. The Ultra will be available starting Sept. 23, with the price set at $799.
AirPods
Next on the slate was AirPods, specifically the new AirPods Pro, outfitted with an H2 chip and a low-distortion audio driver. Personalized Spatial Audio, already available in iOS 16, will add to this by delivering “the most immersive listening experience.” Even newer is the Touch Control feature, not to mention boosted battery life (up to six hours from a single charge) and the addition of a speaker to the bottom of the case for easy finding.
The new AirPods Pro start at $249, with orders beginning Sept. 9.
iPhone
The iPhone, expectedly, was given top billing at Wednesday’s event with the unveiling of the 6.1-inch iPhone 14 and the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. Both will feature the A15 Bionic. Camera specs include a 12MP main camera with a faster aperture, 49-percent boost in low-light capture scenarios, a new TrueDepth camera on the front (with autofocus), an expansion of Deep Fusion rendering by way of the new Photonic Engine feature, and more. For video, stabilization has been improved with the implementation of the Action Mode.
Crash Detection, previously detailed during the Apple Watch portion of Wednesday’s proceedings, is also coming to iPhone. And on the safety front, the company is also unveiling the new Emergency SOS Via Satellite service, launching in November. In short, when cell towers aren’t reachable, this multifaceted feature (no antenna required) will make connections possible.
The iPhone 14 will start at $799, while the 14 Plus will start at $899. Pre-orders for both start Sept. 9.
The Pro lineup also got some stage time on Wednesday thanks to the unveiling of the Pro edition of the 14. Four colorways, including new Space Black and Deep Purple options, house a new TrueDepth camera and other well-touted features. Given particular attention in the 14 Pro talk was the intuitive iPhone interaction mode, Dynamic Island.
This “highly adaptive” space is focused on clearly conveying need-to-know info without obscuring the view of whatever task is taking precedence on a user’s device, such as an app. The new Pro and Pro Max phones (powered by the A16 Bionic) also feature thinner borders, peak HDR brightness, an Always-On display option, a 48MP camera with the largest Apple camera sensor yet (as well as with 48MP-ProRaw abilities), a larger Ultra Wide camera, a redesigned flash, and more.
The latter features provide even more improvement to the editing options available for iPhone users, including for video, resulting in some truly breathtaking captures in a variety of environments. In addition to the aforementioned Action Mode option, Pro video will also see an upgraded take on the previously launched Cinematic Mode feature.
The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1099, with pre-orders launching this Friday.
