Apple September Event: The New iPhone, Apple Arcade and More
Just like every year since 2017, 2019’s edition of the Apple September Event was held at the Steve Jobs Theater at 1 Apple Park Way, Apple’s headquarters.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
The most important release from this year’s September Event has to be the newest members of the iPhone family: iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max. Equipped with what Apple touts as the toughest glass ever on a smartphone and milled from a single sheet of glass, the new iPhone is made to resist damage from drops and scratches. The iPhone 11, the successor to the much loved iPhone XR, will come in six new colors: purple, white, yellow, green, black and Product Red, while the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will come in four colors: silver, gold, space gray and a brand new, sleek midnight green.
Both phones are equipped with Apple’s new industry-leading processor, the 7nm A13 Bionic, which has not only 8.5 billion transistors, but also the fastest CPU and GPU ever in a smartphone. The CPU, GPU and neural engine of the A13 are all optimized for machine learning. Thanks to new machine learning accelerators, the A13 can conduct a trillion operations per second. Moreover, both devices have IP68 water resistance ratings, meaning that the iPhone 11 is water resistant up to 2m underwater for 30 minutes while the iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max are water resistant up to 4m underwater for 30 minutes.
However, the similarities between these two phones end here. The iPhone 11, like the XR before it has a 6.1 inch LCD display, with a 1792 by 828 pixel resolution at 326 ppi (pixels per inch). On the other hand, the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max have 5.8 and 6.5 inch Organic LED displays respectively, with 2436 by 1125 and 2688 by 1242 pixel resolutions, both at 458 ppi, which is the same as the iPhone X, iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
The new iPhone 11 has two 12MP (Mega Pixel) cameras, one wide and one ultra wide while the Pros have an additional telephoto camera that allows them to have 10 times optical zoom compared to the 11’s 5. Lastly, all phones are speculated to have 4GB of RAM (Random Access Memory) and are offered with 64, 256 and 512GB of storage. Available from September 20th, the iPhone 11 starts at $699 while the iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max starts at $1099.
Apple Arcade
Although the release of the new iPhone models was definitely the highlight of the event, the keynote did not begin with them, but rather with the introduction of Apple Arcade, the newest additional to Apple’s burgeoning services branch. Available exclusively on the App Store, the game subscription service for mobiles, desktops and TVs gives unlimited access to over a hundred new games created by Apple in cooperation with various other innovative game developers. Apple Arcade will be available starting September 19th with a family subscription fee of $4.99 a month, which includes 1 month free trial.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ is Apple’s new subscription based streaming service available for all Apple devices. Available from November 1st in over 100 countries, a family subscription fee will be $4.99 a month. Even better, if you buy an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV, one year of Apple TV+ will be included.
iPadOS and 10.2” iPad
The newest addition to the iPad is iPadOS, an operating system derived from iOS and designed specifically for the iPad. It will be available to all Choate students free of charge once permission is given from the IT Department. Apple claims the new iPadOS “adds new capabilities and intuitive features that are specific to the large display and versatility of iPad.” Among them include new simplified multitasking and app sliding functions, a new smaller screen keyboard that can be accessed by pinching the preexisting keyboard, along with the ability to crop videos and SD card and thumb drive support among other functions. In addition, Apple released the 7th generation budget iPad, now equipped with a new 10.2” retina display and powered by Apple’s A10 Fusion chip (the same chip that powered the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which were introduced back in 2016). Moreover, the smart connector and Apple Pencil support has finally arrived to the new iPad, which will be priced at $329, available September 30th. Last but certainly not least, the enclosure of the new 10.2” iPad is made from 100% recycled aluminum.
Apple Watch Series 5
Apple Watch has been the staple of practical smartwatches ever since its release back in April of 2015. From a design standpoint, Apple Watch Series 5 is virtually identical to its predecessor, the Series 4. However, the new watch has a retina always-on display, which dims instead of shutting off when it senses you are not looking at it. Despite having the screen on at all times, the new Apple Watch still maintains 18 hours battery life, the same as the previous Apple Watch thanks to energy optimization. Additionally, the new Apple Watch has a built in compass, which can be used in both the Compass app and Maps. Every cellular equipped Apple Watch Series 5 is equipped with international emergency calling, allowing you to call over 150 different emergency services from around the world. For the first time, the App Store will come to the Apple Watch via WatchOS 6, allowing developers to create Apple Watch orientated applications. Moreover, new useful apps for the Watch have been added such as the Noise app, which measures the decibel count of your surrounding area and alerts you if something is too loud, and the Cycle Tracking App which makes it easier to log information, keep track of your menstrual cycle and receive alerts when your period is likely to begin. Lastly, in addition to several new watch faces being announced, Apple revealed the Apple Watch Studio, a place where you can mix and match an Apple Watch to see what it is like before buying it. Apple proudly claims that there are nearly 1000 different ways to select your Apple Watch and are offering dozens of colors and textures of watch bands in addition to four different cases: ceramic, aluminium, stainless steel or titanium.
While the contents of this year’s September Event certainly were not the most unexpected, it did include some welcomed additions to the Apple ecosystem.
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