Apple debuted several new and improved products at an event on Wednesday that emphasized enhanced safety and emergency features and women’s health with the introduction of the Apple Watch Series 8 and Ultra models, as well as updates to the SE Series, the next generation AirPods Pro and the new iPhone 14 series.
Apple Watch Series 8 puts safety first
The Series 8 comes with advanced sensors and technology and features a large, always-on with narrow bezels that push the screen to the edge. It has detailed dials and is swim, dust and crack resistant.
Series 8 also comes with fall detection, emergency SOS and medical identification. Like the Apple Watch Series 7it has sleep tracking, cycle tracking, blood oxygen tracking, and “mindfulness” that provides insight into your body to help you maintain healthy habits.
Apple officials said Series 8 is more committed to women’s health with a new temperature sensor and introduces a suite of advanced cycle tracking with information about ovulation. Women can get retrospective ovulation estimates of when they ovulate.
Apple officials emphasized that the Series 8 is designed to keep data secure and private and that information on the device is encrypted.
As for safety features, nearly half of car accidents occur in rural areas, and most involve only one vehicle, an Apple official noted, citing the U.S. Department of Transportation. With that in mind, the Series 8 can detect if you’ve been in a serious accident and automatically connect you to emergency services and notify your emergency contact.
Even with the new temperature and motion sensors, the Series 8 still has 18 hours of battery life.
Apple Watch Series 8 will be available in 100% recycled aluminum, midnight starlight silver and red, and in three stainless steel finishes, silver, gold and graphite.
International roaming will be available from more than 30 carriers by the end of the year. Prices start at $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular. The Series 8 is available to order now and will be available on September 16.
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Apple Watch SE is a family-friendly option
Apple’s more affordable watch is now available in midnight silver and starlight and features a redesigned caseback. It is now made of nylon composite materials and a 30% larger screen.
The SE has a family setup feature that allows parents to use their iPhone to pair watches for kids who don’t already have their own iPhone. Kids can call and message contacts that parents specify, connect to emergency services, and share their location.
Prices start at $249 for GPS and $299 for cellular. The SE is up for pre-order now and available on 9/16.
Apple Watch Ultra designed for athletes
The Apple Watch Ultra is designed to “pull boundaries” during rough experiences. It comes in a 49 millimeter “aerospace-grade titanium” case for corrosion resistance and a flat sapphire crystal. Apple said it is the largest screen ever in a watch and is designed to make it easier to read in bright sunlight.
It comes with a new button that is customizable for a range of functions, and Apple has added a second speaker for increased volume to ensure better call clarity even in windy conditions.
The Ultra also has up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge and up to 60 hours with a new battery optimization setting.
Ultra comes in a variety of tires that are all made for the outdoors: the Alpine loop, the ocean tire and a lightweight textile trail tire.
Apple Watch Ultra has a built-in 86-decibel siren that you can activate to alert others to your location up to 180 meters away. Ultra is designed to withstand “intense dynamic forces” and activities such as kitesurfing and wakeboarding.
It is designed to be twice as water resistant and for divers it creates a “dive computer” that shows the current underwater depth, water temperature and current information.
The Ultra Watch is available to order now and will be available September 23 for $799.
AirPods Pro gets improvements with its second generation
The next-generation AirPods Pro come with a new H2 chip with high-bandwidth connectivity and “personalized spatial audio” that the company said makes the sound “feel like you’re on stage with your favorite band performing around you.” It has improved active noise cancellation and a new, extra small earplug.
AirPods Pro comes with new touch controls so you can adjust the volume with a light swipe up or down, as well as extended battery life of six hours on a single charge and 30 hours of battery life in the charging case. If the cover is misplaced, there is an added speaker on the bottom of the cover to help you find it with louder tones.
The new AirPods Pro will cost $249 and will be available to order on September 9, with availability September 23.
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iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus with a larger screen
Apple also introduced its iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, which are 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches respectively. Both models feature Super Retina OLED technology, aerospace grade aluminum and ceramic shield, and are water and dust resistant and available in five colors.
The 14 comes with an all-day battery and the 14 Plus comes with the best battery life ever in an iPhone, Apple officials said.
In terms of performance, the 14 series has an improved A15 bionic chip and 5-core GPU and is 18% faster. It comes with a new front camera with a larger sensor and faster aperture, and a 49% improvement in low-light capture. There’s a new autofocus feature in the front camera that’s designed to focus faster, even in low-light conditions. The Series 14 also has improved video stabilization.
In terms of connectivity, it comes with 5G and new eSIM support, eliminating the need for a SIM card.
Apple has also built a feature so that when the iPhone 14 is pointed at a satellite, the antennas can connect to satellite frequencies for emergency services. The emergency SOS feature is available for free for two years.
The iPhone 14 starts at $799 and at $899 for the iPhone 14 Plus. They can be reserved on September 9. The iPhone 14 will be available on September 16 and the iPhone 14 Plus will be available on October 7.
iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max make multitasking easier
The Pro and Pro Max are 6.1 inches and 6.7 inches, respectively, with thinner bezels. They have a new lock screen and always-on display.
The iPhone Max introduces a space “that clearly and consistently displays alerts and background activity,” called “dynamic island.” Now when you get an alert, the dynamic island will relay the information without distracting you from other phone activities, such as when your Lyft ride shows up. It also includes a new proximity sensor behind the display.
The Pro series is powered by Apple’s new A16 Bionic chip, which the company claims is the fastest chip available in a smartphone and focuses on power efficiency, display and camera. It has a six-core CPU, a new 48-megapixel camera and better low-light photography.
The Pro Series can communicate with satellites when Wi-Fi and cellular service are not available. It has crash detection using high G-force accelerometer gyroscope and automatically calls emergency services.
The iPhone 14 still starts at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,099. They come in black, silver, gold and deep purple. They can be pre-ordered on September 9 and will be available on September 16.
