Everything Apple announced at its ‘Far Out’ event

Apple has introduced iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch 8 series, Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch SE and Apple AirPods Pro. With all these devices, it has offered new features like satellite connectivity, Spatial Audio and Active Noise Cancellation etc.   

‘Plus’ one for iPhone

Three years since expanding the iPhone line to three phones a year, Apple is adding yet another to the portfolio. This year’s iPhone 14 range has four devices, including the Apple iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Essentially, the company is bringing more distinction between the iPhone and Pro lines, by adding its 2022 processor only on the iPhone 14 Pro series. So, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus still run the A15 Bionic chip, while Pro devices are powered by this year’s A16 Bionic.

The difference in performance shouldn’t be noteworthy though, and it shouldn’t make a big difference in markets like India, where older devices have been driving sales.

All the four devices allow users to send Emergency SOS messages using satellite connectivity, meaning emergency services can be accessed even when there's no mobile network. The feature is only for the US at the moment, though. The new iPhones will also be able to detect when a user cas been in a car crash, and will be able to send automatic SOS messages.

The Pro models also include Always-On displays, which work with the new widgets on iOS 16. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max have 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively, with support for Apple’s dynamic refresh rate feature, called ProMotion. 

A new class of pro camera systems is another first for the iPhone 14 Pro line. Apple has historically avoided high resolution cameras, even when Android competitors have marched to 100MP and above systems. The Pro models this year will have a 48MP main camera, and a software driven image processing engine, called the Photonic Engine. The company claims that the new camera systems will deliver better low light imaging.

In India, iPhone 14 Pro will start at ₹1,29,900, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max sells at ₹1,39,900 and above. The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are cheaper, starting at ₹79,900 and ₹89,900, respectively. The Pro models and iPhone 14 will be sold from September 16, while the iPhone 14 Plus will be available from next month. Pre-orders for the devices begin on September 9. 

A rugged Apple Watch

Apple introduced a rugged Apple Watch, called the Apple Watch Ultra, for the first time. The device has a 49mm titanium casing, which is larger than any case-size Apple has offered on its watches so far. On earlier iterations of Apple Watches, the case-size offered was between 38mm and 46mm.

Apple also claims that this is the brightest Apple Watch display so far, offering 2000 nits brightness. The device presumably has a larger battery inside, because its claimed battery life of 36 hours is double that of regular Apple Watch devices. The Watch Ultra will last up to 60 hours using the low power settings, according to Apple. 

The three new bands — Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band — are meant specifically for the Apple Watch Ultra. It also has an Action button that can be customized for instant access to features like Workouts, Compass Waypoints and more.

Topping off the list of firsts here is the price. The Apple Watch Ultra will be the most expensive Apple Watch yet, at ₹89,900. It will be sold from September 23, along with the Apple Watch Series 8 and SE, which are priced ar ₹45,900 and ₹29,900, respectively.

‘Twice’ as much noise cancellation via Airpods

The long-awaited update to the Airpods Pro was also announced last night. The device uses Apple’s new H2 chip, which Apple claims will cut twice as much noise as its predecessor. It also support active noise cancellation, transparency mode and spatial audio.

The AirPods Pro (2nd generation) will be available to order on Apple’s online story for ₹26,900 from September 9. The company is also dropping the price for the AirPods (3rd generation) to ₹19,900, while the AirPods (3rd generation) with MagSafe Charging Case will be sold for ₹20,900.

Rahul Singh

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Rahul Singh, president, financial services, HCL Technologies. The views in this article are his own.