That long-awaited, super-hyped Apple launch: Watches, iPads... and one more thing. Oh, actually that's it
- Reference: 1600200754
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2020/09/15/apple_launch_watches_ipads/
- Source link:
Expectations were inevitably raised. And what did we get for our patience? New watches, a refreshed iPad and iPad Air, and… that’s about it.
Watch this space
Apple’s third-quarter successes were driven in part by its "wearables, home, and accessories” segment, which grew 16 per cent to $6.45bn against the previous year’s $5.525bn. Separately, analysts are expecting smartwatches to enjoy a period of sustained growth in the coming years, driven by a greater health awareness among folks. It’s perhaps therefore no surprise that Apple saw fit to slather this category with love at today’s online-only shindig.
At the top of the pile is a new Apple Watch Series 6. Available in blue, gold, and graphite flavors, as well as a (PRODUCT)red variant, this wearable comes with an [1]overhauled health sensor capable of reading blood oxygen levels. This works by shining red and infrared light on the wrist, with the watch calculating O 2 levels based on the amount of light reflected back. Measuring this takes 15 seconds.
[2]
Apple Watch Series 6 with braided band ... Source: Apple
Under the hood is an Apple Silicon S6 system-in-package processor, which is designed to be more power efficient than previous generations. This translates to a brighter always-on display, and an altimeter that’s constantly measuring readings.
Band options remain varied, with Apple launching a new choice called Solo Band. This is a contiguous and unbroken strip of silicone or braided yarn, with no buckles or notches. There’s also the usual silicone and metal offerings, as well a Hermes design for the rich and tasteless. When it hits shelves on Friday, it’ll retail from $399.
Separately, Apple’s also introducing a new [3]bargain-basement (well, almost) watch for those unwilling to spend a month’s mortgage payment on a fancy new wrist-puter. Mimicking the nomenclature of Cupertino’s cheapest iPhone, the Apple Watch SE comes with a pricetag of $279. The iSlinger also plans to continue selling the older Series 3 watch as a cheaper still option, at $199.
The iPad gets a refresh
As expected, Apple used the event as an opportunity to overhaul its entry- to mid-level iPad variants. The bog-standard iPad saw the most [4]modest upgrade , with the form-factor remaining unchanged, but the processor upgraded to the Apple Silicon A12 chip. Pricing remains at $329, or $299 for education customers, for this eighth-generation fondleslab.
[5]
The eighth-generation iPad ... Source: Apple
And then there’s the iPad Air, which is somewhat of [6]a curious duck . If the iPad Pro is aimed at professionals, and the bog-standard iPad is best suited to educational and netizen use, the Air occupies the hinterlands in-between.
It’s not immediately obvious what its raison d’etre is. As a mid-ranger, it comes with a more powerful processor, along with a marginally larger screen than Cupertino’s entry-level iPad. And that’s about it.
This refresh doesn’t buck that trend, although it’s notable for being the first Apple device to use the Silicon Valley goliath's newest hexa-core A14 Bionic processor, leapfrogging the delayed iPhone 12. This chip uses a 5nm fabrication process, contains 11.8 billion transistors, and touts an overhauled quad-core GPU and a 16-core neural-network accelerator.
According to Apple’s benchmarks, the A14 touts 30 per cent faster graphics performance against the A12. AI performance is similarly boosted, with the A14 twice as fast as its predecessor.
Separately, the iPad Air comes with a new iPad Pro-like design, with a boxy aesthetic and straight sides. The screen is increased to 10.9 inches, while the Liquid Retina display offers a resolution of 2360x1640. TouchID remains stubbornly present in the iPad Air, allowing fingerprint-based authentication. This has been moved from the Home button, and now sits atop the power button.
[7]
iPadOS 14 running on an iPad Air ... Source: Apple
It’s also worth mentioning that this effort ditches the Lightning port for USB-C. That ain’t a bad thing, mind you. USB-C brings a degree of commonality with other devices, allowing punters to charge the iPad Air with the same cable used for their laptops and phones. When it hits shelves, it’ll have a price tag of $599. The iPad Air and eighth-gen iPad also come with [8]iPadOS 14 .
Services get bundled
Tim Cook’s time at the helm has been characterized by an emphasis on services, with Apple launching alternatives to the likes of Spotify and Netflix. Following that trend, Cupertino used today’s event to introduce an alternative to Peloton, called Apple Fitness+, which [9]offers on-demand fitness classes and training.
Building upon that is Apple One, which bundles Apple’s various subscription services into a single monthly payment. The package retails at $14.95, and includes Apple TV+, 50GB of iCloud storage, Apple Music, and the firm’s Arcade game subscription service. Pay double, and you get 1TB of storage, as well as Apple News and Fitness+.
All quiet on the iPhone front. And the computer front. And the AirTags front
As widely expected, today’s launch event was a modest affair. We didn’t get a new iPhone. Nor did we see any new Apple Silicon computers. Meanwhile, the long-rumored Tile competitor believed to be called AirTags is nowhere to be seen.
Instead we got two tablets (well, one and a bit: the basic iPad is largely unchanged), and two new watches.
But we did see a greater emphasis from Apple on recurring subscriptions, with the Cupertino idiot-tax operation eagerly trying to corral its punters into an ever-closed ecosystem of services. That’s fairly canny, and will help Apple chip away at Spotify’s market share.
We also saw the same repetitions of Apple’s purported eco-friendliness, which will this time be put into practice by removing the USB power adapter from its Apple Watch line-up: the gizmo to wirelessly charge the smartwatch is included, but the USB adapter feeding it is not.
It’s hard to take this seriously, though, given Apple’s computer line-up (which eclipses the Apple Watch in terms of revenue) is largely designed to be impossible to repair and maintain.
It’s worth noting that the [10]#AppleEvent hashtag, specially set-up with Twitter and complete with a little Apple logo, used to announce today's stuff is expected to remain active for a while, so don’t discount the possibility of a second product launch later in September or October, which will quite possibly reveal the inaugural Apple Silicon Macs as well as a flock of new iPhones. ®
Get our [11]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/09/apple-watch-series-6-delivers-breakthrough-wellness-and-fitness-capabilities/
[2] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/09/15/pr_handout_apple_watch_6th_series.jpg
[3] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/09/apple-watch-se-the-ultimate-combination-of-design-function-and-value/
[4] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/09/apple-introduces-eighth-generation-ipad-with-a-huge-jump-in-performance/
[5] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/09/15/pr_handout_apple_ipad_2.jpg
[6] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/09/apple-unveils-all-new-ipad-air-with-a14-bionic-apples-most-advanced-chip/
[7] https://regmedia.co.uk/2020/09/15/pr_handout_apple_ipad_air2.jpg
[8] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/06/ipados-14-introduces-new-features-designed-specifically-for-ipad/
[9] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2020/09/apple-fitness-plus-a-personalized-fitness-experience-comes-to-life-with-apple-watch/
[10] https://twitter.com/hashtag/AppleEvent?src=hashtag_click
[11] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Something isn't making sense
"We also saw the same repetitions of Apple’s purported eco-friendliness, which will be put into practice by removing the USB charge cables from its Apple Watch line-up."
Maybe it's just because I don't have one, but I was under the impression that most smartwatches, including Apple's, use a nonstandard connector so they can be more waterproof, smaller, and give their manufacturers an extra income stream from sale of chargers. Even if Apple's watches have always used the same connector, anyone who hasn't purchased one before won't have one and anyone purchasing one now probably got rid of the last cable when they gave it to the same person they gave the old watch to. It seems to me to be the cable least likely already to be available to users. Lightning cables, however, would already be available to anyone who has previously purchased Apple gear (and are more easily purchased at shops), USB-C cables are becoming more common and may soon start to accumulate, and Micro USB cables can be found in quantities of five to ten in any closet in my home (or my family's homes). Am I just wrong about Apple's watches using a cable type specific to that unit and they're more common than I thought? If not, what are they thinking?
Re: Something isn't making sense
"I was under the impression that most smartwatches, including Apple's, use a nonstandard connector"
Apple's watches charge wirelessly, the current charger is magnetic and the watch locates itself on the charger. i use a night stand i got from amazon for ~£15 a few years back that charges both my watch & phone wirelessly (induction?)
an example of what can be had for not a lot, ok more than £15 but.......
https://smile.amazon.co.uk/FDGAO-Wireless-Charger-Charging-Station/dp/B087LY8CDJ?ref_=ast_sto_dp
Re: Something isn't making sense
The power adapter / cable isn't included. You get the wireless charging gizmo that you place your watch on, but there's no USB power adapter in the box to feed power into that gadget.
C.
Re: Something isn't making sense
Ah, that makes a lot more sense. Thanks for the clarification.
understatement of the new decade
"As a mid-ranger, it comes with a slightly more powerful processor, along with a marginally larger screen than Cupertino’s entry-level iPad. And that’s about it."
the A14 is billed as significantly more capable than its predecessor and an indication of whats to come in the iphone 12 & next ipad pro.
The A12 is pretty snappy in its own right.
Arguably if your after an 11" ipad pro you'd be better off just getting this air as spec wise, other than the camera, its equivalent but a few hundred cheaper.
the ipad is for the children, the air for mum & dad & the pro for those that don't want to lug a laptop but wait for the next pro don't buy a current one as the new air is as good if not better than this gen 2 pro.
will be interesting to see the cpu scores when this hardware is available.
Re: understatement of the new decade
Well, TBF the very next paragraph goes into the A14's leap in performance over previous generations.
C.
No mention
of battery life at all?
Re: No mention
10 hours for the ipad air
Battery lives
In the words of Apple, "battery life varies by use." ie: here's a number, maybe it's what you'll experience.
In short, according to Apple, the Watch Series 6 has an 18-hour battery life; the 8th-gen iPad has an "all-day" battery life; and the iPad Air has an "all-day" battery life.
C.
and an altimeter that’s constantly measuring readings.
You know, for those of us that are worried that all the hot air in our heads is making us float off the ground.
I'd be happy with knowing that I can buy that little coupler dingus for the gen 1 Pencil without having to either a) grovel to Applecare, b) grovel to someone at their genius bar, or c) buy one of the 84713 knock off clones on amazon. (or, for that matter, a new cap.)
TouchID remains stubbornly present in the iPad Air
You mean it'll work when I'm wearing a mask? What a good idea.