Apple Announces New iPhones And Series 4 Watch With Life-Saving Features

Apple

It’s finally Apple picking season, and we’re pumped for what’s coming. Now the most valuable company in the world, worth more than $1 trillion with only Amazon close behind, the tech giant announced new technology and products at its special event on Wednesday.

Last year’s fall launch gave us the revolutionary iPhone X, so, of course, rumors spread like wildfire prior to the event this September. It was said that Apple would announce a new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max with OLED screens, a lower cost iPhone with an LCD display and single lens camera, and a new Apple Watch with a new face and edge-to-edge display. Additionally, after Apple’s announcement about new operating systems in June, we were excited to learn when iOS12, Watch OS5 and tvOS 12 would be released.

With all of the buzz surrounding so many new and updated products over these past few weeks, the special event on September 12 had us sitting on the edge of our seats. And once it began, it wasn’t a surprise to hear that Apple hit another homer out of the park.

Here’s what Apple announced at its September 2018 event and what you can expect from the tech giant over the next several weeks.

Apple Watch Series 4

Apple

With an edge-to-edge screen that’s more than 30 percent larger than previous models, a processor that is two times faster, new complications and customizable watch faces, the Apple Watch is just bigger than ever before in every sense of the word. New and updated features include:

• Three new heart features detect when your heart rate dips too low and if your heartbeat is irregular (a sign of atrial fibrillation) and give you the ability to take an electrocardiogram (ECG) by just putting your finger over the new digital crown on the side of the watch.
• The ability to detect when you fall, sending a message to loved ones and emergency services if the watch detects no movement after one minute.
• A new mic on the opposite side of the watch, further away from the speaker to reduce echoes on calls.
• Louder volume so you can better hear Siri and callers.
• New watch faces, including fire, water and vapor colors.
• Increased all-day activity tracking (up to six hours).
• Continued 18-hour battery life.
• Support and clearance from both the American Heart Association and the FDA, plus so much more.

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It’ll be available in three finishes, and all watch bands will continue to fit all Apple Watches, regardless of the series. Series 4 costs $399, Series 4 with cellular will run you $499 and the Series 3 has been reduced in price to just $279.

If you’re ready to order a new watch, the Apple Watch Series 4 will be available for order on Friday, Septemner 14, and will ship on Friday, September 21. All Apple Watch owners will be able to enjoy the new OS5 starting on Monday, September 17.

iPhone Xs and Xs Max

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Apple said these are the smartest and fastest iPhones to date, and the new features on the new iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max are pretty sweet. New and updated features include:

• Edge-to-edge, OLED screens with ultra retina and HDR displays.
• Water resistance in up to 2 meters of water for 30 minutes.
• The most durable glass on a phone to date.
• Two times more storage, with room for more than 200,000 photos.
• Siri shortcuts that let you ask Siri to help with daily tasks like ordering your fave coffee and starting your playlist for your commute to work.
• A12 bionic chip technology that offers improved gaming and camera experiences.
• Improved, 12-megapixel, wide-angle back camera with updated True Tone flash and a 7-megapixel, True Depth camera on the front. Plus, zero shutter lag, thanks to smart HDR technology, a new depth control photo editing feature and a sensor that functions two times faster for video.
• Thirty more minutes of battery life on the iPhone Xs and 1.5 hours more battery life on the iPhone Xs Max.
• Dual SIM technology so you can have two phone numbers or two phone plans on the same device.
• Stereo sound for both listening and recording.
• Improved Facial ID recognition experience.
• Made with new sustainable, recycled materials.
• Real-time machine learning, iOS12 and more.

Apple

The screen on the iPhone Xs will be 5.8 inches in size, while the iPhone Xs Max will have a screen that is 6.5 inches in size. Both will be available for order on September 14, and will ship on September 21. The iPhone Xs costs $999 and the iPhone Xs will run you $1,099. All iPhone owners will be able to enjoy the new OS12 starting on Monday, September 17.

iPhone Xr

Apple

For those looking for the same advanced technology as the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max but in different colors and for a more budget-friendly price, there’s the new iPhone Xr. Features include:

• 6.1-inch LCD, edge-to-edge display.
• Tap to wake, Heptic Touch, Face ID, portrait mode with depth control and real-time machine learning just like the iPhone X.
• One and a half more hours of battery life than the iPhone 8 Plus, and more.

The iPhone Xr will be available for order on October 19 and will ship on October 26. It retails for $749.

Other Apple announcements included:

Apple Give Back

No matter your device condition, you can mail your iPhone in to Apple and they’ll give you the value of it so you can go buy a new iPhone. Apple will then give your phone to someone else in need. If it’s not worth anything, Apple will recycle it for free.

HomePod Airplay And Pairs

Updates to the HomePod include the ability to ping your devices around the house, access to more apps and the ability to pair with other HomePods in the house for a better surround sound experience.

tvOS

Apple’s tvOS is getting an upgrade to tvOS 12, which is available on Monday, September 17, with Dolby Atmos support and more than 100 video partners.

New macOS Mojave And Redesigned App Store

Mac users will be able to upgrade to the new macOS Mojave on Monday, September 24 and will also see a newly redesigned App Store on the same day.

Which Apple product or technology are you most excited about? Join the conversation in our LinkedIn Group!

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