Apple announced some new products and upgrades at the “Time Flies” 2020 virtual event held yesterday.
Unfortunately, it did not announce the much-anticipated iPhone 12. The major highlights were a range of gadgets, including the Apple Watch SE, Apple Watch 6, iPad Air 4, another new iPad, iOS 14, iPad OS 14, WatchOS 7, tvOS, Apple One subscription, and other services.
Apple Watch Series 6
The revolutionary Apple Watch Series 6 comes in a similar design with previous Apple Watch models but in more colour variants. It has a sensor that tracks blood oxygen saturation and provides information about the breathing sequence and heart rate of the user. The device features the new S6 chip processor that is faster than the Series 5 chip. It has an always-on display that is 2.5 times brighter than the Series 5, and a “Family Setup” option which allows you to set it up for a family member without an iPhone. The Apple Watch Series 6 starts at $399, is available for pre-order, and shipping starts September 18th.
Apple Watch SE
The Apple watch SE starts from $279 and has a similar design with the Apple Watch 6. It also supports Family Setup and Fall Detection but operates with the S5 processor. It is more affordable than the Apple Watch Series 6 and will be available on September 18th.
Apple iPad Air
The iPad Air is Apple’s first iPad to get an edge-to-edge display since the iPad Pro. It has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and a 100% recycled aluminium enclosure. Touch ID is inside the power button rather than the Home button that was used in the iPad Pro. It has no Face ID detector but has more advanced features than previous-generation models. Some of these include the A14 Bionic processor that delivers a 40% CPY performance boost and a 30% increase in graphics performance. It also has a USB type C connector that ensures connection with more third-party accessories. The selling price starts at $599 and will be available in blue, rose gold, green, and other range of colours by October.
Apple iPad
Apple also unveiled a new iPad that has the A12 Bionic chip for improved performance. It offers a 40% CPU boost over the previous model and a Neural Engine that enables more AI features. Other features include the Smart Keyboard and Apple Pencil. It starts at $329 and is already available for pre-order.
Apple One Subscription
Apple did announce the much-anticipated Apple One subscription. You can pay for a bundle for one month and save extra cash in ordering individually. The Bundle can be a combination of the iCloud, Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, and Apple News+. There is the individual plan at $15, the family plan at $30 (includes 2000GB cloud space for six family members), and the premier plan (Apple News+, $30 worth Apple Fitness+, and 2TB iCloud Storage).
Apple Fitness+
The fitness service integrates the Apple Watch workout app for notifications such as heart rate, time, and breathing sequence. The Apple Watch also displays data from each segment and the summary of the workout session – whether yoga, cycling, etc. The service will be available before the end of the year and costs $10 per month or $80 per annum.
Finally, Apple announced new software updates, including the iOS 14, iPad)S 14, Watch OS 7, and TvOS 7. The WatchOS 7 adds new features such as the sleep app which uses the motion sensor to track your sleep, an automatic handwashing detection encourages you to wash your hands for 20 secs, etc. Probably, the macOS Big Sur will be released alongside new MAC models later this year.
Watch out for a more detailed review of each of these gadgets soon.