Apple have unveiled the next big things in its lineup, which include a new iPhone, a new iPad, and some notable software updates. But the new products weren’t the only focus. The tech giant kicked off the presentation at its Cupertino campus by addressing its fight against the FBI over device encryption — an important legal battle it's pursuing to ensure that our mobile devices keep our personal data private.
“This is an issue that impacts all of us, and we will not shrink from this responsibility,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said.
Apple also had its vice president of environment, policy and social initiatives, Lisa Jackson, step onstage to detail how its facilities, packaging, and products are increasingly environmentally responsible. To wit: 99% of its paper packaging is now made from recycled paper or sustainably farmed wood, and the company developed a robot for disassembling old iPhones to recycle their parts. The message: We’re more than just a tech company that makes hardware.
But of course, the new hardware was the real reason for the event. Here’s what you need to know about Apple’s latest announcements.
The iPhone SE
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus have a new, smaller sibling: the iPhone SE (“Special Edition?” “Smaller Edition?” Apple didn’t specify what the acronym stands for). It's basically a souped up iPhone 5s that takes some design cues from the iPhone 6s. It’s got a 4-inch Retina display on front, and comes in the four colours of the company’s most recent iPhones, including rose gold.
On back, it’s got a 12-megapixel camera loaded with all the same features as the iPhone 6s camera, including up to 63-megapixel panorama images, Live Photos, and slo-mo video. On front, its selfie camera has the same True Tone flash that lights up the screen to illuminate your face when you want to snap a picture in the dark.
Inside, it’s got the same A9 processor as the 6s, which means it’s three times faster than the old iPhone 5s. And that smaller package comes at a more palatable price point: £359 for 16 GB, and £439 for 64 GB. It will be available for pre-order on March 24, and begins shipping March 31.
iPad
Apple also introduced a new 9.7-inch iPad — a follow-up to last year’s iPad Pro. Like how the iPhone SE is basically an iPhone 6s in iPhone 5s clothing, the new 9.7-inch iPad Pro is a 12.9-inch iPad Pro but in a smaller package.
It’s got all the same features of the larger iPad Pro, including an A9X processor and a screen that’s 40% less reflective than the iPad Air 2.
It comes in the same four colours as the iPhone SE.
iOS 9.3 & Apple TV
We’ve also got some nice software updates to look forward to. iOS 9.3 is available today. With it comes Night Shift, which automatically shifts your iPhone’s display colour to the warmer end of the spectrum after sunset in your location. By reducing your exposure to blue light before bedtime, it may help you sleep better.
iOS 9.3 also brings the ability to password protect Notes with Touch ID (super handy if you want to jot down something private) and also brings updates to Apple News, the Health app, and CarPlay. iOS 9.3 is available for download today.
But one thing we’re really excited about is an Apple TV update that broadens Siri’s dictation capabilities on the set top box. Instead of just being able to search movie and TV show titles and sports information, you can now use Siri to dictate usernames and passwords in apps, search in the App Store, and more. This is good news, because using the Apple TV remote to type in anything is a huge pain in the butt.
(Since there were no Apple TVs on display in the hands-on area, here's a picture of some Apple Watches.)
CareKit
For those monitoring chronic health conditions, Apple made a new platform developers can incorporate into their apps: CareKit. CareKit makes it easier to check that you’re doing all your health-related to-do’s each day, such as taking medications and checking your blood pressure, and also has a symptoms and measurement tracker, so you can keep tabs on what you’re feeling, and what triggers better or worse reactions.
Apple Watch
Last but not least (okay, maybe least), Apple made a few updates to its watch. First, you can now grab a new style of band: woven nylon. Apple also added colours to the Sport band line, and added a black option for the handsome Milanese loop. It also reduced the price of the Apple Watch from $349 to $299 (in the U.S. , UK pricing tbc) — so if you've been curious to try one, perhaps the time is now.
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