As the world anticipated, the Apple major event took place splendidly. Amidst the glitzy hullabaloo that often accompanies Apple’s launches, three noteworthy announcements emerged that you need to know. We’ll break them all down in this granular overview.
A Deep Dive into the 4-Inch iPhone SE
Starting with the most concrete news, the launch of the new iPhone cousin, the iPhone SE. This compact device boasts a smaller 4-inch display screen, mimicking the size of previous iPhone iterations. It houses an impressive 64-bit A9 chip processor which debuted on the higher-end iPhone 6s and 6s Plus. Consequently, iPhone SE users enjoy double the CPU speed and triple the GPU performance of the iPhone 5s, all while providing improved battery life through enhanced energy efficiency.
Narrating the ground-breaking blend of compactness and power, Apple stated: “iPhone SE manifests an exhilarating concept; propelling a beloved, iconic design to the future. The upshot is a device that marries aesthetics with unrivaled power for a four-inch display phone”, explained Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “iPhone SE crams a vivid four-inch Retina display, an advanced 64-bit A9 chip with M9 motion co-processor, a long-lasting battery, 12-megapixel iSight camera with True Tone flash, Live Photos, 4K video, quick LTE and Wi-Fi, and Touch ID with Apple Pay. The iPhone SE simply personifies the dreams of every enthusiast for a smaller phone.”
An interesting feature of the device is the Live Photos function. It’s more dynamic than your typical snapshot, capturing the moments before and after the shot is taken. This brevity allows users to relive the magic of each moment.
Being acutely aware that, in today’s photography-obsessed era, camera quality is paramount, Apple additionally reveals a superb camera upgrade for the iPhone SE. Here, the highlight is the powerful 4K video technology. Additional advancements include:
1. The ability to shoot HD video with 4K support at 3840 x 2160 resolution. After capturing 4K video, customers can edit on a Mac®, PC or iPad®. With the latest version of iMovie, users can even edit dual simultaneous streams of 4K on the iPhone SE.
2. Retina Flash elevates low-light selfies by making the display three times brighter with True Tone® lighting technology.
3. Features initially introduced with iPhone 6s, like up to 63-megapixel panorama photos and video capture at 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slow motion, amongst others.
Now, on to pricing. The iPhone SE comes in four metallic finishes, including rose gold. It will be available in space gray, silver, gold, and rose gold finishes in 16GB and 64GB models starting at a modest price point of $399/80,000 Naira/40,000 KES – an unexpectedly cheaper release from Apple.
Get Acquainted with the 9.7 inch iPad Pro
During the same event, Apple brought us updates on the iPad front as well. The celebrated piece of technology introduces a screen that is smaller than the iPad Air 2, along with a contrast ratio and a screen that is 40% less reflective. Dubbed the 9.7-inch iPad Pro, it brings to the table a new Retina display equipped with True Tone technology, four-speaker audio system, a rapid A9X chip, 12-megapixel iSight camera, 5-megapixel FaceTime HD camera, faster wireless connectivity, and support for Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard.
Launching at $599/120,000/60,000 KES for the 32 GB version and $749/150,000 Naira/74,000 KES for a 128 GB device, the iPad Pro caters to a wide range. They’ve also released a robust $899/180,000/90,000 KES version with a colossal 256 GB capacity.
A Price Drop for the Apple Watch
An unexpected but welcome announcement covered the Apple Watch. The timepiece, initially launched in 2014 for $349/70,000 Naira/35,000 KES, experienced a price reduction down to $299/60,000 Naira/30,000 KES. This move makes the high-tech accessory more accessible for customers worldwide.
iOS 9.3: A Game Changer
Perhaps the most significant revelation of the evening was the game-changing iOS 9.3. This software brings changes to Notes, Apple Music, and iOS for Education. A noteworthy feature coming with the upgrade, “Night Shift”, reduces a device’s harmful blue light emission, lowering potential eye strain. The Apple Notes application has evolved into a formidable tool, capable of sharing notes effortlessly yet securely, thanks to the new password protection feature.
With iOS 9.3, Apple Music gets an upgrade; you can now allow third-party apps to manage your playlists. This enhancement means you can update your entire Apple Music library using independent apps.
The transition to iOS 9 for Education is marked by critical improvements such as multiple students being able to use the same iPad, a classroom app for teachers to manage activity and assignments, and admins can now create Apple IDs through the Apple School Manager.
Additionally, Siri (Apple’s digital assistant) will now offer voice dictation for the Apple TV.
As the evening concluded, Apple CEO Tim Cook addressed the company’s ongoing debate with the FBI. He asserted that Apple would continue to refuse assistance to the government’s attempts to break into the phone of a suspected terrorist. However, in a recent development, the FBI has asked the court to postpone the case to explore alternative methods of breaking into the phone without Apple’s involvement.
In conclusion, with over 1 billion iOS-based devices now in circulation, Apple continues to dominate global tech ubiquity and innovation.
Paul Balo is the founder of TechBooky and a highly skilled wireless communications professional with a strong background in cloud computing, offering extensive experience in designing, implementing, and managing wireless communication systems.
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