Apple’s “Invitation Only” event held at the Steve Jobs theatre on Apple’s campus in California was largely an iPhone affair, but like any good Apple event there were more than we had anticipated with the company announcing details on both its hardware and new gaming and TV services.
iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro & iPhone 11 Max
The “Pro” versions of the phone are the ones Apple really wants you to buy. They include a new 5.8″ and 6.5″ OLED display as well as Apple’s new A13 Bionic chip at their core. A new triple camera system array are the Pros main feature however. Boasting a telephoto, wide and ultra-wide lenses the new camera array also brings a closer feature parity to Google with the introduction of a Night Mode for low light shots.
Both Pros are said to have greatly improved battery life also, with the 11 Pro achieving an extra 4 hours and the 11 Max an extra 5. Interesting a fast-charge adaptor is also included with the Pros to allow them to be adapted via their lightning port.
Pricing for the iPhone 11 Pro starts at A$1,749 for the 64GB model and A$1,899 for the iPhone 11 Pro Max with 64GB. They’re available in four colours and begin shipping September 20th.
The iPhone 11 makes use of the same A13 Bionic chip but comes with only a dual camera array and uses a 6.1″ IPS screen. It’s the iPhone R of this generation. Instead of the Pro’s steel design the standard 11 uses aluminium and is available in 6, more bright, colours.
The iPhone 11 starts at A$1,199 for the 64GB model and begins shipping September 20th.
Apple Watch Series 5
Apple also announced a new Apple Watch Series 5 at today’s event. The new watch adds a compass as well as an always-on display that dims when not being viewed.
The watch also marks a return of a ceramic enclosure as well as adding titanium to its menu. A new “Cycle Tracking” app was highlighted, which allows women to log information about their menstrual cycle, as well as the ability for the App Store to be accessed and apps installed directly from the watch.
The new Series 5 Apple Watch will be available in Australia September 20th and starts at A$649 for the Aluminium case, A$1,499 for Titanium & A$1,999 for Ceramic.
Apple TV+
Apple confirmed the launch of their new streaming TV services product, set to launch November 1st. The service will be available in 100 countries at launch and yes Australia is one of them!
The service will cost A$7.99/month, which is cheaper than Netflix and Stan here but will have a far, far smaller catalogue to draw from.
Thankfully it’s pretty easy to get a year of the service for free with Apple giving it away with the purchase of a new Mac, iPhone or Apple TV.
Apple TV+ originals will also include support for Dolby Vision & Dolby Atmos however depending on what device you’re using to consume the content your mileage will vary. AppleInsider have a full breakdown of what device supports what.
Apple Arcade
Apple’s subscription gaming service will also launch on September 20th. The US$4.99/month product will give users access to up to 100 titles at launch, which is expected to be detailed further in the coming weeks.
The games will be playable at all times, whether your device is online or not, include no ads and can “jump” from a portable device to your TV via an Apple TV.
7-th gen iPad
Lastly Apple busted out a new non-pro version of their popular tablet lineup. The new 10.2″ 7th-gen iPad adds Apple’s smart-connector allowing it make use of a series of accessories previously limited to the iPad Pro line.
The updated iPad will be available from September 30th and a Wi-Fi, 32GB version starts from A$529.