If you missed the main event, fear not, we’ve summarised all of the best announcements from the event in this neat little blog. Everything from the new iPhone, Apple Watch Series 7 and the unexpected announcements concerning Apple's iPads, notably the new iPad Mini.
The new iPad mini: Small form, big possibilities
Apple unveiled the powerful new iPad mini, which comes in four finishes and has a bigger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. The new iPad mini, which has the brand new A15 Bionic processor, provides up to 80% quicker performance than the previous generation, making it the most powerful iPad mini yet.
Faster communication is enabled by a new USB-C connector, while cellular versions with 5G provide more flexible mobile operations. New improved cameras, Center Stage, and Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support provide users new ways to shoot photographs and movies, interact with friends and family, and scribble down their thoughts when inspiration strikes.
Putting Center Stage, center stage
Center Stage, which automatically pans the camera to keep users in view as they walk around, is enabled by an upgraded Ultra Wide front camera with a new 12MP sensor and a significantly wider field of vision. When others join the chat, the camera recognises them as well and seamlessly zooms out to include them. The iPad Pro's Center Stage experience is now accessible on the iPad mini, allowing users to have even more engaging video conversations.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini, better than their predecessors
Featuring a stunning design with smooth flat edges in five magnificent new colours, Apple unveiled the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini on Tuesday. It has a new Wide camera with larger pixels and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation (OIS) that improves low-light photographs and movies, as well as a new method to customise the camera with Photographic Styles and Cinematic mode that adds a new level of narrative to films. The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini both feature Apple's A15 Bionic chip for lightning-fast performance and efficiency, as well as longer battery life, a brighter Super Retina XDR display that brings content to life, and incredible durability thanks to the Ceramic Shield front cover. They also have twice the storage at 128GB, an IP68 water resistance rating, and support for 5G.
iPad gets a big upgrade
The powerful new A13 Bionic processor provides 20% performance improvement over the previous iPad model. The new iPad is up to three times quicker than the best-selling Chromebook, and six times faster than the best-selling Android tablet. Users will be able to run more demanding apps and games on the lowest-cost iPad thanks to the improved performance boost. Another feature powered by A13 Bionic's Neural Engine is Live Text in iPadOS 15, which uses the device's in-built intelligence to recognise text in a photo and give users options based on it.
With the new 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and Neural Engine on the new iPad, users can enjoy even more engaging video chats with the Center Stage experience, a feature Apple seems to be investing heavily in bringing to their already extensive product lineup.
Series 7, the latest in the Apple Watch lineup
When it comes to the Apple Watch Series 7, the display on the Series 7 is the biggest and most sophisticated ever thanks to the redesign of the Always-On Retina display. Slightly thinner borders increase screen area without increasing the watch's overall dimensions, which is advantageous for those who are still getting used to the rather thick device being attached to their wrist.
There are fewer sharp edges on Apple Watch Series 7, and the display has a unique refractive edge that allows full-screen watch faces and applications to appear to fluidly merge with the case's curve. Additionally, the Apple Watch Series 7 has a redesigned user interface tailored for the bigger display, resulting in improved readability and use, as well as two new watch faces, Contour and Modular Duo, which in my opinion look absolutely stunning. Users can also expect the same 18-hour battery life and 33% quicker charging thanks to the display upgrade.
Better, Faster, Bigger: iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max
In addition to a new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion and an adjustable refresh rate of up to 120Hz, both models have been completely redesigned on the inside and exterior. New Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras produce beautiful images and videos, driven by the unrivalled performance of A15 Bionic, which is more powerful than the top competitors. The professional camera system gets its largest upgrade yet.
Photographic Styles, a new computational photography tool in the Camera app, lets you customise the appearance of your photos, and both models now include a Night mode on all of their cameras. With Cinematic mode's stunning depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even improved low-light performance, video has taken a giant step ahead. Dolby Vision and ProRes are now accessible for the first time on iPhones with both models.
It’s clear from the updates to their phone lineup that Apple is begging to make a return to their creative industry past, focusing their new products on designers, photographers and videographers. A welcome return for many, but time will tell if the £1,049 pricetag saturates the common market too.