What should you know about the September 2019 Apple Event?
via apple.com
Here’s everything you should know!
The iPhone 11, 11 Pro, and 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11
Apple announced the iPhone 11 as a successor to the iPhone XR (not the iPhone XS line!). The 11 improves on the XR with a second (ultra-wide) camera and upgrades the front facing camera from 7 megapixels to 12 megapixels. Night mode has been added (playing catch up to Google Pixel’s Night Sight feature) for dramatically improved image quality in very low light settings.
Night mode, additional photo and video improvements, as well as improved speed and energy efficiency have been enabled by Apple’s new A13 chip. Apple claims iPhone 11 will improve the XR’s already excellent battery life by an additional hour.
Other noteworthy improvements include:
Spatial audio and Dolby Atmos
Wi-Fi 6 - 38% faster than 802.11AC
Audio zoom - focus on sounds from the direction the camera is pointed
Water resistance - 2 meters for 30 minutes (IP68 - Matching the XS, vs. XR’s 1 meter for 30 minutes IP67)
New ultra-wideband chip - for improved near-field communication à la improved AirDrop accuracy or supporting the rumored Apple tracker (similar to Tile trackers) rumored to be released later this year.
How much for all of this? The iPhone 11 starts at $699 ($50 less than the XR’s introductory pricing) for the 64GB option. That said, I would strongly recommend the 128GB ($749) version for most people. A 256GB version is also available for $849.
The iPhone XR’s price has been dropped to $599.
Overall the iPhone 11 is a good update to the iPhone XR and is the smartphone I would recommend for most people.
iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max
iPhone 11 Pro takes the iPhone 11 and turns it up to, well 11. (Eleven hundred dollars in the case of the Pro Max 💸💸💸💸)
Here’s the highlights:
The iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max update the iPhone XS and XS Max respectively
The XS and XS Max have been discontinued
3rd camera (Ultra-wide angle like the iPhone 11) added to main camera array (in addition to the Wide and Telephoto cameras carried forward from the XS)
12-megapixel front facing camera (vs 7 megapixel on XR and XS)
Night mode capabilities (also available on the iPhone 11)
Faster, more efficient A13 chip
Significant Battery life improvements
Pro has 4 hours more than XS
Pro Max has 5 hours more than XS Max
Pro has 1 hour more video playback than iPhone 11
Pro Max has 4 hours more video playback than iPhone 11
18-Watt Quick charger included with purchase
Improved display
Brighter OLED display than XS and 11 while still maintaining OLED’s excellent black levels
Same resolution as XS, much higher than iPhone 11 (Pro/XS 485 pixels/inch vs 11/XR’s 326 pixels/inch)
Improved water resistance - 4 meters for 30 minutes (vs 2 meters for 30 minutes for XS and 11)
What are the prices? The iPhone 11 Pro starts at $999 for 64GB and the Max starts at $1099.
Apple doesn’t offer a 128GB version for the Pro line, so I recommend the 256 GB to ensure you have enough space for the life of the phone which is a disappointing additional $150 more.
Was anything missing?
It was rumored that the new iPhones would be able to wirelessly charge Apple Watches and AirPods with the wireless charging case. Apple didn’t add this to the new iPhones.
It wasn’t really expected, but Apple didn’t replace lighting with USB-C. I do think this will happen in the next couple years.
Also, Apple still hasn’t added Apple Pencil support 😭 to iPhone.
So… when can I get them?
Pre-orders start this Friday, September 13 at 5 AM PST (8 AM EST 😊).
I’ll publish a more in-depth buyer’s guide soon to help you know which iPhone is best for you.
In the mean time, a friendly reminder, the iPhone 11 is a successor to the iPhone XR and the iPhone Pros are successors to the iPhone XS line. If upgrading from an iPhone X or iPhone XS, lean iPhone Pro. Otherwise consult Apple’s iPhone 11 vs 11 Pro guide to see if the Pro is worth it for you, the iPhone 11 is probably fine.
One last consideration: contemplate purchasing a case (available now) while you wait for your phone to arrive. This way, you won’t have to worry about being extra careful with your phone until your new case arrives.
One more thing about the new iPhones…
None of the new iPhones have 3D Touch, a pressure sensitive screen interaction introduced on the Apple Watch and iPhone 6S. Instead Apple has opted for Haptic Touch which is basically a fancy press-and-hold gesture with haptic feedback. This choice was likely done because of the difficulty of discovering 3D Touch interactions and the extra expense of implementing the rarely used pressure sensing technology into the displays. Pour one out for 3D Touch, a potential post topic and feature I used every day. You’ll be missed, though probably only by me. 💔
That’s it for iPhones, but that’s far from it for this event.
Apple Watch Series 5
Headlining features:
Always on display
Titanium or ceramic options available (for a price 💸💸💸)
Integrated compass sensor so watch knows which way it’s facing
32 GB storage (vs. 16 GB on Series 4)
Series 4 has been discontinued so if you want series 4 features, you’ll have to get a Series 5
ECG
Fall detection
Digital crown with haptic feedback
Bluetooth 5.0
Brighter display
Apple Watch Series 5 is available today starting at $399 for Wi-Fi/GPS 40mm and $499 with cellular. 44mm options are an additional $30.
I recommend the Series 5 for anyone that has a Series 2 or older as Apple is delaying the release of watchOS 6 for these older models. To me, this demonstrate that even the manufacture is having trouble making things work on these older devices, 3rd parties are going to have an even more difficult time.
Series 3 owners will see a significant improvement, but it likely has a year or 2 of useful life left in it.
If you are Upgrading from a Series 4 would be a hard sell for me. If you want the latest and greatest, more power to you.
Apple Arcade Price and Launch Date
Apple Arcade was IMO aggressively priced at $5 a month and can be shared with up to 5 additional people using Apple’s family sharing. Users will get access to over 100 exclusive games free from micro transactions and advertisements with more games be added every month.
Apple Arcade will launch September 19 with iOS 13 and September 30 on iPadOS and tvOS 13.
Apple’s Arcade announcement details can be found here.
Apple TV+ Price and Availability
Apple TV+ will cost an again aggressively priced $4.99/month and will be available November 1, 2019. This is a much lower price than I and many others were expecting.
Also, if you purchase any new iPhone, iPad, Apple TV, Mac or iPod touch today or after, you can receive 1 year of Apple TV+ free!
I’m not a huge TV watcher, but several of the shows looked interesting, especially if I’m going to get them for free with the purchase of a new iPhone.
Check out Apple’s announcement and show previews here.
New Introductory iPad Announced
Headlining features:
Larger display
10.2 inches (vs. 9.7 inches)
2160-by-1620 pixels (vs. 2048‑by‑1536 pixels)
Smart connector (connects and powers compatible keyboards)
Things to note:
Processor was not updated (still A10 - introduced with the iPhone 7)
Only compatible for 1st gen Apple Pencil
I don’t have much to say about this other than if you see a 9.7 inch iPad 6th gen available for a good price, it’s probably a good option.
Wrapping Up
This event was more exciting that I was expecting, especially in terms of Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade. While the new iPhones are not game changing, they are significant improvements to the XS and XR and are great options for customers with older iPhones. I have wanted the Apple Watch to have an always on display since day one and it’s finally here!
If the rumors are correct, Apple has quite a bit more in the pipeline before the holiday season. I expect there will be an October event with a significant number of new and updated products. Like, follow, subscribe, etc. and I’ll be sure to bring you the latest!