Wrapping up Apple's iPhone 7 event
Apple recently concluded its annual conference and as it usually happens, they came out with several announcements for both existing and new products. Of the rumours circulating before the official event, many were proven to be true, even some of the more controversial ones which will likely be at the forefront of Apple-tech discussions for months to come. Without further ado, here are the most important points to take away from the conference.
The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are coming
As expected, Apple has revealed the new generation of iPhones with some substantial improvements and one very questionable change. The internals of both devices have been upgraded, allowing for improved battery life, more processing power, and better on-screen colours. Furthermore, the new iPhones have stereo speakers and are dust and water resistant. The ‘Home’ button is gone, replaced by a touch surface which relies on the Haptic engine, much like the Magic Trackpad. Furthermore, the iPhone 7 Plus features a dual camera system as Apple’s fantastic photography tech continues to improve. On the more controversial side of things, the rumours about the headphone jack were confirmed; there will be none of that in the new iPhones. The headphone jack will be replaced by a Lightning port and an adaptor will be provided in every iPhone 7 box.
The Apple Watch – Series 2
Not content simply with a new phone, Apple chose to announce a new generation of watches as well. With a built-in GPS system and water resistance up to 50m, it seems like Apple wants to take the Watch into a new, more standalone direction. The Series 2 will also feature a screen twice as bright as the previous model as well as a dual-core processor that 50 percent faster. Though these improvements are substantial, there was no mention on battery life which may well be diminished in favour of these upgrades.
New headsets
The new wireless earbuds by Apple will be called AirPods and will retail for $159 when they ship out in late October. The buds will be using a new technology developed by Apple which allows for automatic pairing with all of your iCloud devices. Beats will also be producing a line of similar headsets which will start from $149.99 all the way to $199.99.
iOS 10, watchOS 3, and macOS Siera
Software also played a big role in the conference as not everyone is expected to adopt the latest models right away. To that end, iOS 10 and watchOS 3 will both be arriving on September 13 whereas Mac OS Sierra will land on September 20.
Grabbing the gaming crowd
In a surprise announcement, Nintendo and Apple will be teaming up to bring a new Mario game to iOS. Dubbed ‘Super Mario Run’, the game will be a combination of traditional Mario with the endless runner mechanics which have proven to be quite popular in the mobile gaming market. Furthermore, the Apple Watch will receive a unique Pokémon Go app which will allow users to see extra information, including how many calories they have burned while using the main app.
