Shanine Dorta - September 8, 2016
Apple held a press conference yesterday at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, in San Francisco, CA, where they unveiled highly-anticipated announcements surrounding upcoming products and technologies. Following are key takeaways from the event.
iEd
Apple will be supplying 114 underserved schools with technology.
- Teachers will receive MacBooks & iPads
- Over 50,000 students will get iPads
- Classrooms will be updated to feature Apple TVs
Swift Playground
With its Everyone Can Code program that focuses on children and technology, this Fall hundreds of high schools are set to teach courses with the Swift Playground app Developer Sandbox.
iWork
This real-time collaboration effort will allow for a more cohesive workplace/working experience. Colleagues and classmates will now be able to edit and work on Pages, Keynote and Numbers at same time.
Apple Watch
Becoming the most popular watch brand of 2015, the new Apple Watch (Series 1) will cost $269 and feature the following:
- New emergency services function offering a one-touch 911 button that also alerts your emergency contacts.
- Pokemon Go integration.
- A swim-proof Series 2 version which incorporates swim into calorie count and activity tracking. (Water resistant to 50 meters.)
- Faster processor with brighter display and a built-in GPS.
- New styles which will include white ceramic & Hermes bands.
- Nike+. Built with runners and athletes in mind, this will include a stretchy band and lightweight case, as well as reminders, routes and more. (Cost is $369 and will roll out in late October 2016.)
iPhone
iOS 10 is scheduled to be released on 9/13/16. Main updates include:
- Third party Siri integration
- Redesigned maps to be integrated into apps
- A new, unified “Home” HomeKit hub for home automation
- Enhanced messages section
iPhone7, 7Plus is scheduled to be released on 9/16/16. Ten new features include:
- Sleeker design with high gloss finish. Colors to include black/jet black, gold, silver and rose gold.
- A better Home button reengineered to be more responsive.
- New enclosure that’s water and dust resistant.
- Huge advancements in terms of the camera which now will include an optical stabilizer, wider lens, sharper images, a high-speed sensor, True Tone flash and richer color. (On the iPhone7 Plus two cameras will be available. They include a zoom feature, telephoto lens & software zoom, up to 10x.)
- Better Retina HD Display.
- Enhanced audio featuring stereo speakers (bottom & top.)
- Wireless Headphones with a digital port – removing the need for an analog jack.
- Wireless ear-bud experience via a new product called AirPods. These present the opportunity for 5 hours of charge, wireless battery case, touch control for Siri, and easy integration to phone/watch/laptop. They have also partnered with Beats and will use a new W1 chip for their products. (Cost is currently at $150 and will be available in a few weeks.)
- International ApplePay utilizing Felica technology. Roll-out to occur in Japan.
- Increased Performance using a new chip called A10 Fusion, the most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, featuring a 64 bit 4-core processor. It runs twice as fast as the iPhone 6, with less power. It also features a longer battery life (2+ more hours per day than the iPhone6.)
iPhone Upgrade Program
Apple has also made enhancements and have expanded their iPhone Upgrade program.
