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Apple held a special themed event, dubbed “Time Flies,” on Wednesday, September 16, Manila time, to unveil some of the newest iterations of its popular product lines.
While the tech giant’s annual September event is usually devoted to the launch of a new iPhone, that’s not actually the case this year, with rumors suggesting that the so-called iPhone 12 has been delayed a few weeks and will be launched some time next month.
Despite the iPhone’s absence, there was no shortage of new gadgets and service reveals at the event. Here’s a roundup of the the top announcements below:
Apple Watch Series 6
As hinted by the “Time Flies” moniker of the event, Apple pulled the curtains back on the Apple Watch Series 6, the latest iteration of its line of smartwatches.
The watch retains much of the same aesthetic and form factor of its predecessor, but adds a number of new watch faces, color options and, of course, functionalities, including a blood oxygen sensor.
Blood oxygen is a key metric in measuring a person’s breathing and overall heart health.
It also features a screen that’s brighter when viewed in sunlight and an always-on altimeter for real-time updates of elevation.
The Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399, and will be available in the US and other regions on Friday, September 18.
Apple also announced its partnership with Singapore for health initiatives, with the Apple Watch being a core element.
Apple Watch SE
Similar to the iPhone SE a few years back, Apple is debuting a lower-end smartwatch series to go along with its flagship line, starting with the Apple Watch SE.
The watch adopts the same overall look as the Series 6 as well as its accelerometer, gyroscope, and altimeter.
It also houses an S5 chip and is touted to be twice as fast as the Series 3.
The Apple Watch SE starts at $279. The SE will also be available in the US and other regions starting on Friday, September 18.
Apple also announced Family Setup, which allows the Apple Watch to be set up through a parent’s iPhone, so that “kids can connect with family and friends through phone calls and Messages, stay motivated with personalized Activity goals, and express their creativity through custom Memoji.”
Both Watch 6 and Watch SE will come with WatchOS7.
Apple Fitness+
Apple is launching a new service, called Apple Fitness+, for fitness buffs, who use the company’s smartwatches.
Additionally, it lets users choose from a number of workout videos that can be played across different Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
Users will be able to track their workouts with onscreen metrics displayed on whichever screen they’re viewing:
Apple Fitness+ will cost $9.99 per month in the US.
Apple One
Apple One bundles many of the company’s services like Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and iCloud, among others together for one monthly price, making them more affordable than when bought a la carte.
The service will cost $14.95 for the Individual plan; $19.95 for the Family plan; and $29.95 for the Premiere plan.
8th generation iPad
Apple’s new 8th generation iPad houses an A12 chip that touts a 40% boost in CPU performance and twice the graphical power of the previous generation.
It features a 10.2-inch retina display, an 8MP camera, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
The 8th generation iPad starts at $329. The iPad arrives on Friday, September 18, in the US and other regions.
iPad Air 4
With the iPad Air, Apple is refreshing the iPad Air’s design and bringing it closer to that of the iPad Pro’s.
Gone is the Home button at the bottom center and, instead, the device flaunts an edge-to-edge display with thinner bezels.
It also features an A14 chip – making it the first Apple device to get the new mobile chip – Touch ID built into the power button, a 7MP front-facing camera with smart HDR, a 12MP rear camera, stereo speakers, and a USB-C connectivity, instead of a Lightning port.
The new iPad Air starts at $599, and will be available starting next month in the US and other regions.
Also to be rolled out starting on Wednesday, September 16 are iOS14 and iPadOS 14. – Rappler.com
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