New iPads, Apple Watch Series 7 unveiled

Apple’s next product will be the Apple Watch models, Cook said. The specifications are announced by Apple’s COO, Jeff Williams.

The new models called Apple Watch Series 7 will have a redesign, according to a promotional video released by Apple. The new models have a 20% screen area compared to last year’s 6-series models, but retain an industrial design with rounded edges. Apple says the screen is more resistant to cracks and charges faster.

Apple has redesigned its software to show more information on the screen, the company said. There are several new watch faces.

The entry-level model is available in five colors, including blue and red. It is also available in aluminum, steel and titanium cases, all of which have different prices. Previous Apple Watch bands will still work with newer models, Apple said.

Apple did not reveal a release date for the new models, but said they would be available “later this fall”.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has moved on to product announcements, starting with a new iPad. The video was recorded in an empty auditorium.

Apple’s cheapest iPad, simply called iPad, gets an update with a faster A13 processor and a better 12-megapixel front camera for better video calls, like on Zoom. It has a wider lens to capture more people in a single scene and can have LTE wireless connection.

It costs $ 329 with 64GB of storage. It’s more storage but the same starting price as before. It will go on sale next week.

Apple also announced a new iPad Mini, which features a smaller 8.3-inch screen. It has a redesign with a new, flatter design language, like the iPhone 12. It has smaller bezels without a fingerprint sensor on the front and is available in multiple colors, including purple. It has a 12-megapixel rear camera and stereo speakers.

The Touch ID sensor has been integrated into the top button, which turns the screen on and off. It uses a USB-C connector, instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning connector. It can support 5G wireless connection. It works with Apple’s stylus, the second generation pencil.

It starts at $ 499 and will hit stores next week, Apple said.

Apple opened its show not with new material, but with a short video highlighting some of its shows on its Apple TV + streaming service. Apple is funding billions of dollars in new video content, including shows starring Reese Witherspoon and Jon Stewart. It costs $ 4.99 per month or is bundled with other Apple services, and the company has never disclosed the number of subscribers. – Kif Leswing

Guests at the event sported the tagline “California Streaming,” and it opens with a music video set at several major California landmarks, including among the redwoods and downtown Los Angeles. Apple’s headquarters are in Cupertino, California, on the outskirts of San José.

Apple CEO Tim Cook took the stage soon after and praised the state, calling it a place for people with big ambitions and big dreams. – Kif Leswing

Five minutes before Apple’s show starts, 352,908 people are streaming the event on YouTube. This is a sign that Apple can still generate immense consumer demand for its new gadgets through its coordinated launch events.

Last year, more than 1.5 million people attended Apple’s live streaming launch in September, which did not include the iPhone 12 announcement.

The product launch is also broadcast on Apple’s website. – Kif Leswing

Apple’s next big iPhone software update, iOS 15, will be available on the latest iPhones. But that means we should also expect a software release date on older iPhones. Last year, Apple launched iOS 14 on September 16, although the new iPhones weren’t released until October. I think we’ll see the iOS 15 version docked in the coming weeks.

IOS 15 includes many new updates. It supports FaceTime calls with Android and Windows users, and changes to iMessage help you keep track of photos and links people have sent you.

One of my favorite features, Focus, lets you turn off notifications from certain apps when you want your iPhone to stop bothering you. Apple is also working on adding driver’s licenses to Apple Wallet. But FaceTime SharePlay, which will let you watch shows on Disney +, Apple TV +, and other supported apps with friends, won’t be available at launch.

– Todd Haselton

Customers who wish to purchase products from Apple.com will have to wait until the end of today’s launch event. Apple has stopped taking orders from its online store, as has been its tradition for decades. “Be back,” Apple’s website says to customers trying to place an order.

Apple has the technology to update its store without downtime, but it maintains the practice because now customers will no longer buy last year’s iPhone at last year’s prices a few minutes before the new one. not be revealed. It also creates a hype for Tuesday’s launch – at the expense of a few hours of sales that it likely catches up when the site goes live.

–Kif Leswing

Earlier on Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the iPhone event on Twitter with a post showing a photo that appeared to have been taken in Joshua Tree National Park.

“Hello from a little different place this time,” Cook said in the tweet. “We’re streaming in California in 3 hours!” Goodbye. “

Since the start of the pandemic, Apple has been broadcasting prerecorded events from its headquarters in Cupertino, California. Before the pandemic, Apple typically invited its partners and the press to popping events at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus.

– Todd Haselton

It’s no secret that computer chip shortages are impacting industries, from cars to smartphones. Apple even warned in its latest earnings call that iPhone production could feel the strain.

So if it costs Apple more to produce iPhones this year, will Apple have to increase prices to maintain margins? Or will it absorb the costs to keep iPhone prices at the same level?

We’ve seen mixed reactions from other tech hardware makers. Roku, for example, said in its latest earnings report that it keeps its streaming TV devices at the same price even as supply constraints increase production costs.

On the other hand, Sonos recently increased the prices of some of its products to compensate for increased production costs.

We’ll see how Apple deals with the issue when it announces iPhone pricing towards the end of its event on Tuesday.

–Steve Kovach