Apple’s “Hey Siri” event in a nut-shell
If you somehow missed Apple’s event on Sep 9th, here is a quick recap. In a nutshell, Apple introduced 5 products today, in order of twitter mentions they were;
- iPhone 6s (Plus) – 27K mentions
- iPad Pro – 20K mentions
- Apple TV – 17K mentions
- Apple Pencil – 9K mentions
- Apple Watch – 8K mentions
A study by Brandwatch says that Twitter users used the #AppleEvent hashtag more than 217,000 times around Apple’s big product announcement event yesterday, and that the tweets came fastest when Microsoft took the stage during the event.
The moment when the most #AppleEvent tweets appeared was when Microsoft’s VP of Office products Kirk Koenigsbauer took the stage to talk about how Microsoft Office products will work nicely on Apple’s giant new iPad Pro tablet.
Unlike previous events, this event was packed with new product launches. From Applet TV to Apple Watch and form iPad Pro to usual iPhone’s “S” upgrades. However, probably the most anticipated part of event was launch of iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
New and Rosier iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
Today’s event was always about introducing new iPhones, and Apple didn’t disappoint. The new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will be built from a new, custom aluminium alloy, and will be available in silver, gold, space grey, and rose gold. As expected, they will have Force Touch, which can detect where you’re pressing on the screen and how hard.
Both phones have retained their dimensions, but got a boost with new A9 chip. Apple claims that the new chip offers 70% faster in CPU tasks and 90% faster in its graphic performance than its predecessor, A8 chip. I will share the benchmark tests once they are available. But, if true, this will see a significant boost in apps and games performance.
As expected, Apple brought 3D Touch to the new iPhones today. The feature is similar to the Watch’s simpler Force Touch, which allows users to clear all notifications with one press.
A small upgrade in cameras with capability to shoot 4K videos, was another welcome addition.
Pricing and availability:
Phones will be available for Pre-order on 12th Sep and in retail starting 25th Sep. Apple has retained its prices, for the phones. Check out below table for more details..
| Pricing | iPhone 6s | iPhone 6s Plus |
|---|---|---|
| 16GB | S$1,048 | S$1,218 |
| 64Gb | S$1,218 | S$1,388 |
| 128GB | S$1,388 | S$ 1,558 |
Finally, a new Apple TV
A long awaited Apple TV refresh finally arrived. Apple has been selling its Apple TV as long as iPhone, but the set top box has neither sold in similar quantities nor earned even a significant fraction as much money for the company. While neither of those facts are likely to change, the new 2015 Apple TV is poised to radically change the TV and game console industries.
Apple TV finally feels alive, thanks to its smart and sophisticated remote and of course the Siri integration. The new remote will have the following features, according to sources:
- A larger new design with a built-in touchpad for navigation
- The hardware will still be made from metal, but the casing will be black in color to match the set-top-box
- Larger, tactile buttons to activate Siri and go to the Apple TV’s home screen
- A standard rocker switch for controlling the Apple TV’s volume output
- A built-in microphone for Siri voice input
- Accelerometers for motion control for some parts of the operating system and games
- Replaceable batteries without the need to charge the controller.
Thanks to the Apple TV now running an iOS 9 core, it is likely that the search functionality will be able to work across apps from the Apple TV App Store. Of course, this will require developers to ensure search compatibility with their apps, but Apple’s apps should work with the universal search feature out of the box. As the Apple TV is an Internet streaming-based device, the search will work beyond content stored/cached for offline playback.
Pricing and Availability:
| Pricing | Apple TV |
|---|---|
| 32GB | $149 (S$ 210*) |
| 64Gb | $199 (S$ 280*) |
iPad Pro – A Novelty Sized iPad
The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad has been referred to as the iPad Pro in many claims, and sources have now confirmed that iPad Pro will be the actual marketing name of the device. Codenamed J99 and J98 internally, the new models will feature a larger, 2732 x 2048 display that is encased in a thin bezel similar to the designs of both the iPad mini and iPad Air. Said a source, “it literally looks like a big iPad.” The device will have a similar aluminum back with curved edges, a FaceTime camera on the front, and an iSight camera on the rear. We can’t imagine why people would casually use a camera on a nearly-13-inch tablet, but perhaps it will be useful for App Store apps, video recording in professional settings, and for FaceTime.
New iPad pro has gathered mixed reviews over internet, some consumer show little interest in the giant device, where pro-productivity geeks cheered the news. With iPad Pro and Smart Keyboard as well as Apple Pencil, Apples seems to have reversed their stand for 2-in-1 devices and Stylus.
Pricing and Availability:
iPad Pro and its accessories will be available starting November, 2015 in select countries.
| Pricing | iPad Pro |
|---|---|
| 32GB | $799 (S$ 1,130*) |
| 128GB | $1,079 (S$ 1,340*) |
| 128GB (LTE) | $1,079 (S$ 1,525*) |
| Smart Keyboard | $169 (S$ 240*) |
| Apple Pencil | $99 (S$ 140*) |
Don’t forget about the Apple Watch!
The Apple Watch got slightly more useful and better-looking today with the announcement of several new apps and bands. The most notable new bands were designed by luxury brand Hermès, whose three custom brown leather straps include a double-wrapped band that fits with a custom, slightly elongated watch face.
Also announced were several new pastel-colored bands for the Apple Watch Sport, and a red band created in collaboration with Bono’s HIV/AIDS charity Product Red. The aluminum Sport will be offered in gold, rose gold, and anodized aluminum finishes. New native apps for the Watch include Facebook Messenger and GoPro, plus a medical app called Airstrip that lets users measure their vitals in real time. And the Watch’s latest operating software, Watch OS 2, will launch on September 16th.
