In the tech world, the month of September is mostly considered to be Apple’s month. This is because Apple gets to announce new hardware, new iPhones, new Apple Watches, new Air Pods. Sure enough, on September 7, 2022, Apple held its huge iPhone 14 event themed “Far Out”. Apple launched its new family of iPhones along with a slew of other products.
If you didn’t have time to tune in live, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ve summed up the most important parts and releases for easy skimming.
New iPhones
The headliner of the show was undoubtedly the iPhone 14 series. Apple announced not one, not two, but four new iPhones. The iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and the big boy, the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 will have a 6.1 inch display, while the iPhone 14 Plus will come in at 6.7 inches. Both will run last year’s A15 Bionic chip, first seen in last year’s iPhone 13 Pro. There’s a 12MP rear camera (which Apple now refers to as the “main” camera) with a larger sensor on the back, while the 12MP front facing camera is getting a fancy new auto-focus system for better and faster selfies.
The iPhone 14 pro and 14 Pro Max will have similar display sizes to the 14 and 14 Plus. So what are the differences?
- Both Pro models will run on the all new A16 Bionic chip.
- Apple has also shifted the front-facing camera notch away from the edge and into the display itself with a design it calls the “dynamic island”, which is meant to let the pill-shaped camera cutout sort of blend into darker elements of the interface like so:
- For the first time in an iPhone, the Pro models will come with always-on displays.
- 2000 nit outdoor brightness for greatly improved outdoor visibility.
- The rear side of the phone has 3 lenses: a 48 megapixel main camera, a 12MP telephoto lens, and a 12MP ultra-wide lens that Apple says is capable of much sharper shots than before.
As for the reason behind the “Far Out” theming of the event, these new iPhones are getting emergency satellite connectivity. Should you end up in danger in a spot with no Wi-Fi or cell connectivity, these new iPhones will be able to connect to satellites to send compressed emergency messages and alerts. Apple says the satellite service will be included for free for two years, but hasn’t yet mentioned cost after that.
Availability
The iPhone 14 will start at $799, while the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899. Pre-orders start on September 9th; the iPhone 14 will ship starting September 16th, while the iPhone 14 Plus will ship starting October 7th.
The iPhone 14 Pro will start at $999, while iPhone 14 Pro Max will start at $1099. Both go up for pre-order on September 9th and start shipping on September 16th.
New Apple Watches
At a glance, the new Apple Watch Series 8 looks a whole lot like the Series 7 from last year. Under the hood though, it’s got a few new tricks:
- A pair of temperature sensors can track changes to your body temperature over time. This can, for example, help wearers more accurately track ovulation cycles.
- More capable sensor suite that can detect if you’re in a car crash and begin the process of contacting emergency services.
Apple also launched a budget friendly Watch, the Apple Watch SE (2022). As its name suggests, it’s an upgraded version of the Apple Watch SE.
This model exists as an entry point for budget-conscious shoppers who only need the basics. It features the same processor and even the car crash detection feature as the Watch Series 8 but doesn’t have the temperature sensor or other premium health-tracking hardware.
For the last couple weeks, there have been rumors that Apple was working on a more rugged Watch tuned for athletes. Sure enough, Apple announced the Apple Watch Ultra.
Here’s what’s different from it’s smaller sibling the Watch Series 8.
- A dedicated action button that lets you do things like instantly start your workout, or mark the next segment of a race.
- A larger digital crown meant to be usable while wearing gloves
- It’s louder, thanks to a second speaker, and its got a built in 86db siren mode for situations where you need someone to be able to find you, fast.
- Improved compass functionality to keep you heading in the right direction, allowing you to track direction/distance to custom-set waypoints.
- A quick-toggle night mode that shifts the screen to red to limit how much your eyes need to constantly readjust in a dark environment.
- 36 hours of battery life (or 60 hours of battery life on a “new battery optimization setting coming later”)
- It’s certified for recreational scuba, allowing you to take it down to 130 ft underwater
- New sports-focused bands, like a woven “Alpine” loop for climbers and an “Ocean” loop meant to fit over a wet suit.
Availability
Apple Watch Series 8 will start at $399 for the GPS model, or $499 for the GPS + Cellular model. It’ll ship starting September 16th. The Wi-Fi-only Watch SE (2022) model starts at just $249, while the LTE model starts at $299. The Apple Watch Ultra will start at $799; shipping begins on September 23rd.
New AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)
The new AirPods Pro have been in the making for the last three years. The new second generation AirPods Pro are a follow up to to the first gen AirPods Pro launched three years ago. So what’s new?
- A new, low distortion audio driver and amplifier for improved sound
- If you’ve got an iPhone with a true-depth camera, you’ll be able to use it to make a “personalized spatial audio profile” based on the shape of your ear.
- Touch-based controls on the stem, instead of the squeeze-based controls of V1.
- Noise cancellation which is now, according to Apple, twice as effective.
- Up to 6 hours of listening time per charge, with up to 30 hours of additional charge in the carrying case.
- There’s a speaker built-in to the bottom of the case that can be triggered to help you find it when it slips into your couch
- The charging case can now be charged with an Apple Watch charger, in addition to a lightning cable.
Availability
The new AirPods Pro Series 2 will sell for $249 starting on September 23rd.
