Apple’s (NASDAQ: APPL) highly anticipated “Let us loop you in” event is behind us, and it’s now safe to say that most speculations floating around the Internet were, indeed true, including the release of a new, four-inch iPhone, a smaller version of the iPad Pro, and the introduction of iOS 9.3.
This event was significant for Apple because it’s probably the last introduction in the Town Hall Theater, since the company is moving to their new campus in 2017. It was also significant for customers who are looking forward to replacing their aging computers and laptops with updated models. It’s customary for Apple to release new laptops at this time of year, and it has already been a year since the last refresh of their laptop line. Unfortunately, no laptop-related announcements were made, which means that we have to wait until WWDC in June before the next generation of MacBooks with Skylake processors is released.
However, Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, didn’t hesitate to mention their ongoing negotiations with the US government and the FBI, over access to user encrypted data, which given the recent developments in the saga, is now pretty much a moot point. However, he opened up the event by saying that Apple did not expect to be at odds with its own government, but that they strongly believe the company has a responsibility to help users protect their data and privacy.
The first hardware announcement of the event concerned the Apple Watch, originally launched in 2015 and ranging in price from $349 to $17,000. It has since “become the top selling smartwatch in the world,” according to Cook, who added “about a third of our Apple Watch wearers regularly change their bands.”
To give customers even more customization options for the watches, Apple has introduced a new band made out of woven nylon, which will be available in a variety of colors and feature a unique four-layer construction. The spring lineup will also include sport and leather bands, with the Space Black Milanese Loop band currently garnering the most attention.
Those interested in purchasing an Apple Watch will be pleased to know that the price has been reduced to $299. It would appear Apple is trying to compensate for the fact that the smartwatch hasn’t significantly changed since it was first released despite many innovations seen in competitive Android Wear watches.
Cook, while saying “apps are the future of television,” remarked the new Apple TV led to the “largest sales ever.” His presentation included some interesting statistics, showing there are currently around 5,000 apps available on the App Store for the device.
Apple clearly wants to stick with the current formula, but with some improvements. The company has announced the release of the tvOS 9.2 update, which introduces a bundle of new features. Attendees cheered loudly when Cook announced that Siri voice dictation now includes usernames and passwords, and Siri can now be used to search the App Store for films and TV shows. The company demonstrated how Siri can understand even relatively complex commands, such as “Show me movies directed by the Coen brothers.”
The tvOS 9.2 update also adds the ability to access the entire iCloud Photo Library, the option to organize apps into folders, and the support for Bluetooth keyboards for comfortable couch typing.
The biggest announcement of the event was made by Greg Joswiak, VP of product marketing for Apple, who introduced the iPhone SE, a smaller, 4-inch version of the beloved iPhone 6s with the looks of the iPhone 5s. He justified the release of the smallest smartphone in Apple’s current lineup by saying that “some people simply love smaller phones.” In fact, the company sold over 30 million 4-inch iPhones in 2015 alone, according to Joswiak. Apparently, a large number of the users favoring the smaller phones are in China, and it will be interesting to find out how many purchase the smaller phone for the lower price and how many actually prefer the smaller phone itself.
The iPhone SE is equal in performance to the 6s, thanks to the A9 processor, which is reportedly twice as fast as the chip in the older 5s. Both the rear and the front-facing cameras also seem to be identical with those present in Apple’s flagship smartphone. The main one has a resolution of 12 MP and is capable of capturing stunning 4K video footage, and self-portraits are made easy, by using the front-facing camera which includes the useful screen-based flash from the 6s.
The always-on integrated M9 motion co-processor collects sensor data from integrated accelerometers, gyroscopes, and compasses to track users’ fitness activity throughout the day and allow for button-less Siri activation. These extra features shouldn’t negatively affect the battery life, because the smartphone is supposed to deliver “battery improvements across the board.”
Joswiak continued his presentation of the iPhone SE by saying that the developers have “also given it great wireless capabilities,” including up to 50% faster LTE speeds with more LTE bands to allow for better global roaming. There’s also 433Mbps 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, and Touch ID with a secure element to facilitate for wireless payments with Apple Pay, their mobile payment and digital wallet service that directly competes with the likes of Android Pay and Samsung Pay.
The cost of the iPhone SE is set at $399 for the 16GB version and $499 for the much more useful 64GB version. It’s somewhat surprising to see Apple sticking with such a low starting storage size, despite users and critics often expressing their dislike for it. Customers will also have the option to get the smartphone for free with a two-year contract or at $17 per month with a 24-month installment plan. Orders will begin on March 24 and shipping will begin in the US and Australia at the end of this month, with more than 100 countries to follow by the end of May.
The last hardware announcement was the introduction of the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. Sales of the original, 12-inch iPad Pro were disappointing to the company, based on the expectations for their extra-large tablet, with studies showing that their tablet market share hasn’t increased from the previous year. That’s largely because the otherwise fantastic hardware always felt greatly limited by the operating system, which was, after all, originally designed to fulfill a completely different role. So, when Apple executive Phil Schiller asked himself, “Why make an iPad Pro that is smaller?” the audience listened very carefully as he replied, “Many [users] will find [the new iPad Pro] their ultimate PC replacement.” Apple seems to be aware of the fact that many PC users have already found a suitable PC replacement in the form of Microsoft Surface devices. Their tout at PC users comes off as an attempt to steer the attention of potential customers away from their competition.
Even the presentation of the device shows that Apple is struggling to define exactly who their target customer is, and why they would buy their new products. A good deal of time was spent introducing the new oxide TFT display driven by Apple’s custom timing controller, despite the fact that all iPads leave only a very little to be desired in terms of screen quality. The new display should be 40% less reflective and 25% brighter than the iPad Air 2 and support two new features, Night Shift and True Tone display.
Night Shift is very similar to the popular desktop application called f.lux, as it adjusts the display’s color temperature through the day to prevent eye strain and help users fall asleep faster at night. The True Tone display technology is similar in practice, but, instead of adjusting the temperature based on the current time, it measures the color temperature of the ambient light and adjusts the display to match.
The 9.7-inch iPad Pro also features the Pro Audio speaker system, A9X processor, the same camera as is on the iPhone SE, and support for “Hey, Siri”. The device will launch on March 31 with an entire line of accessories, including the Apple Pencil and Keyboard, and a handful of lighting adapters.
It will come in silver, gold, space gray, and new rose gold color and start at $599 for the 32GB version. There will also be a 128GB option for $749 and 256GB version for $899. It was apparent that the audience wasn’t too pleased with these prices, but the device actually fits neatly above the entry-level iPad Air 2.
The March event saw its fair share of non-hardware announcements, including a closer look at the latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system, iOS 9.3 (released yesterday). Apart from Night Shift and True Tone, Apple has worked with many leading auto manufacturers to develop Apple CarPlay, a more convenient way how to use iPhone in a car. They’ve also partnered with several educational institutions to further solidify their place on college campuses and in classrooms all over the country, and by enabling iOS 9.3 with a multi-user support to simplify sharing of devices between students. Last, but not least, notes in the Notes app can now be password-protected, which again, just goes to show that Apple is seriously committed to helping customers protect their private information and maintain privacy.
But privacy and security are not the only areas in which Apple is fighting for a good cause. Their ResearchKit is “used to solve some of the biggest problems facing medical research,” according to Jeff William, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer. The feature allowed researchers to conduct the largest Parkinson’s study in history, discover that there are more kinds of type 2 diabetes than originally thought, and to find asthma triggers in all 50 states.
William explained that a technology like this could also be used to help with post-surgical regimens and help people take a more active role in their care. That’s why Apple has decided to create an open-source framework for apps, called CareKit, with the first application tp be used by people who are suffering from Parkinson’s disease. It will allow them to monitor what’s affecting their health and design a better, individualized treatment plan. More CareKit apps should be available in the near future.
Overall, the March event didn’t really manage to surprise those who paid attention to rumors, since most of what was announced had been expected for quite some time. Probably the most pleasing aspect was seeing Apple stand behind their customers and taking a firm stand against the government. This historical significance of their actions could mean more to many potential customers than any processor or Retina display ever could.