Here's a round up of the most important announcement from Apple's March 21 event. Look no further and read on!
The Cupertino tech giant and one of the richest tech companies in the world , Apple made a host of new product announcements late last night. Besides launching the much awaited iPhone SE and the new 9.7 inch iPad Pro, there were also a number of important updates announced for the Apple Watch, Apple TV and more. Here are 10 of the most noteworthy announcements from Apple’s march 21 event.
iPhone SE: The cheaper 4-inch iPhone
One of the most awaited devices in 2016, the Apple iPhone SE was announced on March 21 at Apple’s Cupertino headquarters.
SPECS
The iPhone SE features a 4-inch screen and is a mix of the iPhone 6S and the iPhone 5S.The phone runs on Apple’s 64-bit A9 chipset and houses a 12MP iSight camera, similar to the iPhone 6S. The camera features a dual-tone flash and supports 4K video recording capabilities as well as Live Photos. Apple says the the iPhone SE now has faster LTE and WiFi support, along with a new microphone & enhanced battery life. The iPhone SE also gets support for Apple Pay.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
The iPhone SE will be available in 4 different colour options including a Gold and a Rose Gold variant. Following are the storage and pricing options for the iPhone SE:
16GB iPhone SE: $399 (Confirmed India Price: Rs. 39,000. India availability: April 8)
64GB iPhone SE: $499
Pre-orders for the iPhone SE are set to begin on March 24. Owing to the popularity of a 4-inch iPhone, there is also an 8GB version of the iPhone SE expected in markets like India. At the launch event, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “Many, many customers have asked for this and I think they're going to love it.”
iPad Pro: The smaller 9.7 inch tablet
SPECS
Taking its size cue from the iPad Air 2, the iPad Pro features a 9.7 inch display and is powered by the A9X processor (similar to the 12.9 inch iPad Pro). The new iPad Pro weighs less than 1 pound (or 0.45 Kg). Apple claims that the screen of the new iPad Pro is 25% brighter and 40% less reflective that the iPad Air 2 screen and also that it is the brightest display on offer in the market. The new iPad Pro also features a ‘True Tone’ display which adjusts the screen’s colour temperature as per real-time lighting conditions. With 4 in-house speakers, Apple says that the new iPad Pro is twice as loud as the iPad Air 2. In the camera department, the iPad Pro gets a 12MP rear camera with Dual-tone flash and Live Photos support. When it comes to additional accessories, the new iPad Pro can be paired with a new, smaller smart keyboard and the existing Pencil stylus. Other accessories include a lightning powered SD card reader and a USB camera adapter.
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
The 9.7 inch iPad Pro will be available in four different colour variants – Silver, Gold, Rose Gold and Space Grey. Following are the storage and pricing options for the new iPad Pro
iPad Pro WiFi 32GB: $599 (Confirmed India Price Rs. 49,900, Rs 61,900 for the 32GB Wi-Fi and Cellular. India availability: End April)
iPad Pro WiFi 128GB: $749
iPad Pro WiFi 256GB: $899
The LTE models are set to cost $100-$130 on top of the above mentioned prices. Pre-orders for the new iPad Pro are set to begin on March 24.
iOS 9.3: Update with additional features
The iOS 9.3 update gets some new features for the iPhones and iPads. One of the most talked about feature is a new Night Shift mode, which changes the colour temperature of the display based on the location and time zone of the device. The Night Shift mode reduces the jarring blue light emission from the displays, making for comfortable viewing at night.
Apple has also upgraded security standards for the Notes app. Notes can now be locked using a password, a welcome update since most people store private password and banking information in their Notes app.
3D touch shortcuts have also been added for the Weather, Store, Compass, Health and Stocks apps.
With iOS 9.3, Apple’s news app will now feature better suggestions and more relevant trending topics.
The iOS 9.3 update also adds Watch support for Apple Health along with a bunch of new features for CarPlay, such as song suggestions, nearby points of interest.
Apple Watch: Price cut & new straps
No, Apple has not upgraded the Apple Watch but it gets a revamped look with a bunch of new colourful straps as well as a price cut. The Apple Watch will now start from $299 as opposed to the earlier pricing point of $349. New colour variants are now available for the sports and leather bands, along with a space black option for the metal milanese loop band. A whole new band model made of woven Nylon was also announced at the event.
Apple TV: tvOS 9.2 & Siri Search
Apple TV users can now upgrade to tvOS 9.2 with which they will get a Siri dictation feature. Typing with the Apple TV remote was always a pain and Apple seems to have addressed that problem well. Apple TV users can now ask Siri to search for movie titles and enter passwords. Apple is also adding a new element called ‘Folders’, using which home screen apps can be grouped together in different folders. tvOC 9.2 will also give users the ability to browse through their iCloud library and watch Live Photos on their TV screens.
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Adamya Sharma
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