Apple Event highlights: new iPhone 11, Apple Watch Series 5 and more announced
Apple's feverishly-anticipated Special Event in the Steve Jobs Theatre has now taken place and, simply put, it was a big show.
Apple (AAPL) hosted its annual media event in Cupertino, Calif., where it unveiled a new line of iPhones, a new Apple Watch and more. IPhones are the company's biggest moneymaker, but sales have declined for the last three quarters in a row. Tim Cook et al badly need to reignite some excitement around their products.
Apple (AAPL) hosted its annual media event in Cupertino, Calif., where it unveiled a new line of iPhones, a new Apple Watch and more. IPhones are the company's biggest moneymaker, but sales have declined for the last three quarters in a row. Tim Cook et al badly need to reignite some excitement around their products.
Apple kicks off iPhone event with news about its gaming subscription, Arcade
Apple wants to sell you video games.
Apple Arcade, a new subscription service, launches on September 19 and costs $4.99 a month. It provides access to a bunch of indie games and classic titles as well some from companies like Capcom and Annapurna.
While most mobile games are free to play and rely on a lot of in-game transactions to draw in revenue, Apple Arcade will be a premium option.
While iPhone revenue is on the decline, Apple has been leaning into services in the finance, publishing and entertainment industries.
iOS 13 arriving on September 19
Apple is releasing iOS 13 on September 19 as a software update for iPhone 6s models and later.
Major features include dark mode, a revamped Reminders app, and new efforts to address spam calls, such as sending calls from numbers that aren't in your contacts straight to voicemail.
Here's what else to expect with iOS 13.
Apple also said additional features will be available on September 30 with iOS 13.1, such as improvements to AirDrop.
IPhone 11 Pro cameras can record multiple videos at a time and more powerful
The three cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are able to record multiple videos at a time. The Pro is targeted at professional videographers and photographers but will help anyone shoot pro-quality photos and videos at twice as many frames per second, according to Apple(AAPL).
The Pro phone includes telephoto, wide and ultra-wide cameras and can also shoot in a new night mode that lets people capture images in lower light.
Every year when Apple unveils its latest line of iPhones it also announces a new bionic chip, and this year it's called the A13.
Apple (AAPL) claims that iPhones powered by the A13 bionic chip are more powerful than the phones from Samsung, Google (GOOGL) and Huawei.
To prove this point, the company showed two bar charts -- but they didn't have an X or Y axis. It said that the iPhone XR has already surpassed the Samsung Galaxy S10+, Huawei P30 Pro and Google Pixel 3 in computing power. It added that in terms of graphics, the new iPhone 11 also beat all three competitors.
Is the new iPhone truly going to be faster and more powerful than other flagship smartphones? Without more data, it's hard to take Apple's claims at face value.
Here's what all the new iPhones will cost
Apple announced three new iPhones on Tuesday. These are their prices:
- iPhone 11: $699
- iPhone 11 Pro: $999
- iPhone 11 Pro Max: $1,099
Older models will be cheaper, too: iPhone 8 will now start at $449, while the iPhone XR will cost $599.
At $4.99 a month, Apple TV+ undercuts streaming competitors
Apple TV+ will be the cheapest television streaming service on the market yet.
Investors and analysts were shocked when Disney announced in April that Disney+ would cost just $6.99 per month. But Apple said Tuesday that its service, which will stream original content with the likes of Oprah and Jennifer Anniston, will cost $4.99 per month when it launches November 1.
Here's how it stacks up in the increasingly competitive TV streaming field:
- Apple TV+: $4.99/month
- Disney+: $6.99/month
- Amazon Prime Video: $8.99/month
- Starz: $8.99/month
- CBS (No Ads): $9.99/month
- Showtime: $10.99/month
- Hulu (No Ads): $11.99/month
- Netflix (Standard Plan): $12.99/month
- HBO Now: $14.99/month. (HBO Max price not officially announced yet. Note: HBO and CNN are divisions of WarnerMedia.)
Total: $90.91/month
Not to forget the case
You don't want to scratch your new iPhone 11! So Apple (AAPL) is launching a new line of iPhone cases that come in a wide range of colors.
Apple doesn't wow (or disappoint) Wall Street
iMeh? Apple didn't launch anything all that exciting Tuesday that wasn't expected. But that may not be a bad thing.
Shares of Apple (AAPL) were relatively flat beforethe unveiling of the iPhone 11 and other new products. The stock was still mostly unchanged as the event wore on.
But the reason Apple is up more than 35% this year has more to do with the company's shift toward subscription services than new phones, iPads and Apple Watches. And Apple did deliver some compelling new services Tuesday at consumer-friendly prices.
Apple said its Arcade gaming subscription service, which launches on September 17, and its Apple TV+ lineup of original programs that will debut on November 1, will each cost just $4.99 a month.
And while Apple's stock may not have done much Tuesday, investors in streaming rivals took notice of that low $4.99 price tag. Shares of streaming leader Netflix (NFLX) fell nearly 4% while shares of Disney (DIS), which will launch its $6.99 a month Disney+ service on November 12, were down more than 2.5%.
We just heard about the Apple Watch's health impacts. Now we're finding out what updates the hardware is getting: Apple Watch Series 5.
Series 5 will have a new Retina display that is always on. That means the watch face is always visible. It has 18 hours of battery life.
The cellular version has a new emergency SOS feature for when you're traveling internationally to over 150 countries, where you can press and hold down the side button to contact emergency services -- without needing your iPhone.
The GPS version starts at $399, while the cellular model costs $499. Series 5 is available starting today, and will hit stores on September 20. The Series 3 Watch will now cost $199.
Apple unveils 7th generation iPad
Apple showed off its seventh generation iPad with its biggest display yet: a 10.2-inch Retina display.
Apple says it's faster, supports a smart connector for keyboards and features more multitasking features. It's also made of 100% recycled aluminum.
Cost? It will start at $329.
It's available for pre-order now and will ship at the end of the month.
Series 5 will have a new Retina display that is always on. That means the watch face is always visible. It has 18 hours of battery life.
The cellular version has a new emergency SOS feature for when you're traveling internationally to over 150 countries, where you can press and hold down the side button to contact emergency services -- without needing your iPhone.
The GPS version starts at $399, while the cellular model costs $499. Series 5 is available starting today, and will hit stores on September 20. The Series 3 Watch will now cost $199.
Apple unveils 7th generation iPad
Apple showed off its seventh generation iPad with its biggest display yet: a 10.2-inch Retina display.
Apple says it's faster, supports a smart connector for keyboards and features more multitasking features. It's also made of 100% recycled aluminum.
Cost? It will start at $329.
It's available for pre-order now and will ship at the end of the month.
Wait, so Apple products are cheap, now?
- $699 for the iPhone 11
- $199 for an Apple Watch
- $329 for an iPad
- $5 a month for Apple TV+
- $5 a month for Arcade
That's a lot less than folks were expecting. There are two reasons why Apple's prices are surprisingly low.
1)As Apple's hardware sales fall, the companyis looking to expand its base, hitting the lower-end of the market by offering some cheaper products. It did the same thing with the iPod a decade ago, introducing the Mini, Nano and Shuffle versions of the MP3 player.
2) Apple (AAPL) needs subscribers to bolster its top line sales, which have been in a years-long slump. By charging just $5 each for Apple TV+ and Arcade, Apple is going to attract a larger group of people who will try out the new services.
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