iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, Apple Watch 2, AirPods and other top announcements

Apple has revamped the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus with better battery life, a faster quad-core A10 Fusion chip, and improved camera performance. The iPhone 7 Plus now has dual rear cameras capable of doing some rather interesting things.

Apple iPhone 7, 7 Plus come in two black colour options, one which is glossy, the other which has matte finish; the other options are Gold, Grey and Rose Gold. Apple says the new jet black finish is accomplished through “a nine-step process of anodization and polish for a uniform, glossy finish.” Both iPhones are now water and dust-resistant with IPX7 certification.

Apple iPhone 7, 7 Plus come with the A10 Fusion chip which Cupertino says is a quad-core chip where two cores are high-performance and two are high-efficiency for lesser battery use. Apple is also promising better graphics capable of console level gaming on the new devices. On the battery front, Apple says the new iPhones will last two hours more than the previous generation.

The big change is to the camera, with the iPhone 7 camera getting a better f/1.8 aperture, and 6-element lens for brighter photos and videos. It also has OIS on the 12 MP rear camera now, something which was exclusive to iPhone Plus series. iPhone 7 Plus gets two 12-megapixel cameras, one shooting wide angle and the other telephoto. It also supports optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos and will allow for professional quality Bokeh effect.

Apple iPhone 7 Plus has dual-rear camera. (Source: Apple )

Apple says the new Portrait feature, which will allow for shallower depth of field, will be released later this year via a software update. Apple also said during the keynote they are relying on Machine Learning to separate the background from the foreground to achieve these portraits with shallow depth, which has been possible only on DSLR camera. The FaceTime camera is now 7MP and there’s video-stabilisation on the front camera as well.

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Apple iPhone 7 series also comes with immersive stereo speakers, and the 3.5 headphone jack has been removed. However Apply is introducing new EarPods with Lightning connector, and will also provide an adapter for those who still wish to use their 3.5 mm headphone.

The display resolution remains unchanged on the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, but Apple is promising a wider colour gamut. Both phones include support for up to 25 LTE bands, and LTE Advanced. The Home Button has also been redesigned to support Force Touch and works with the new Taptic Engine for more accurate and customisable tactile feedback.

Apple AirPods with the iPhone 7 phone. (Source: Nandagopal Rajan)

Apple AirPods

New AirPods are Apple’s latest wireless headphones, and these will cost Rs 15,400 when they launch in India along with the iPhone 7. The AirPods have a new Apple W1 chip, and can sync across all Apple devices. For example, a user can switch the audio source from their iPhone to iPad seamlessly on the AirPods. These can also be used to control Siri via a single tap. The AirPods will start shipping in late October.

According to Apple, “AirPods have extremely efficient wireless communication for a better connection, improved sound and industry-leading battery life.”

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Apple Watch Series 2 

Apple Watch Series 2 is the next generation smartwatch, and Apple claims their brand is second in popularity after Rolex when it comes to watches. Apple Watch Series 2’s biggest change is the inclusion of a GPS chip, along with the swim-proof capabilities for upto 50 metres. Apple Watch Series 2 can be taken for a swim and it will track this activity as well including calories burnt, stroke, etc.

The built-in GPS means Apple Watch Series 2 can be used for a run without an iPhone. Apple Watch Series 2 also has a brighter display, a dual-core processor, says Cupertino. According to the company, this is the brightest display they’ve put on a device, at nearly 1000 nits.

Apple Watch Nike + is seen in this photo. (Source: AP)

Apple Watch Series 2 can be used in the pool and open water to track swimming and will count laps, track average lap pace and auto-detect stroke type to measure active calorie burn.

The GPS feature means it will be more useful in helping with outdoor activities like walking, running or cycling. It also uses WiFi, GPS and locally stored satellite data to quickly identify location when a user is outside and can be used for hiking trips and trails.

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Apple Watch Series 2 comes with watchOS 3 on it, which has a New Dock that makes it simpler to launch apps straight from the watch face along with improved fitness and health tracking. More importantly, Pokemon GO can be played on the Apple Watch now, and any health data generated from doing so, including steps taken, will be tracked as well.

Apple Watch Series 2 will start at Rs 32,900 in India and Apple Watch Series 1 will now cost Rs 23,900.

Apple Watch Nike +

Apple has worked with Nike as well to create a special Nike+ version meant for runners, although it has the same features as the new Apple Watch. The Nike+ watch has a Sports band which comes in four, two-tone colour combinations, only in this collection. Apple Watch Nike+ also features two exclusive watch faces to help add apps which are used in running.

Apple Watch Nike+ will take advantage of the Nike+ Run Club app as the app is a part of the watch and can be accessed right from the watch face. The Nike+ Run Club app also offers daily motivation through smart run reminders, challenges from friends and even alerts informing when the weather is right to get outside.

Also read: Apple iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus First Impressions

Super Mario Run on iOS 

Apple announced Super Mario Run from Nintendo will be an iOS exclusive when it launches and will enable one-hand gameplay. Apple says over 140 billion apps have been downloaded from the App Store. The growth rate has been 106 per cent in downloads year-over-year. App Store has also generated over twice the revenue compared to competition. Tim Cook added that iPhone and iPad is the most popular gaming device with over 5,00,000 apps.

Super Mario Run is arriving first on Apple’s mobile operating system, which is a big move from Cupertino. Apple wants Super Mario Run to be the latest reason to buy iPhone and iPad and it will release just before the holiday season. Super Mario Run is going to be a paid game, though and the price has not yet been confirmed.

Also read: Apple Watch 2, Apple AirPods First Impressions

Apple iWorks

Apple’s iWork suite with apps like Paper, Numbers, KeyNote will now offer real-time collaboration. It’s something Google and Microsoft already offer in some form with their apps and while Apple is still catching up to its rivals, it is a much-needed feature. Apple’s iWork package allows syncing through iCloud, but the collaboration will help those who are working collectively on a document on presentation

Apple iOS 10, MacOS Sierra launch dates

Apple confirmed iOS 10 and watchOS 3 will be rolling out on September 13, and MacOS Sierra will release on September 20 for users. iOS 10 and watch OS 3.0 are free software upgrade, and with iOS 10 Apple is revamping it to improve notifications, iMessages. Photos also gets a big upgrade in iOS 10 with features like Memories; Siri is now open to third-party app developers.

Apple promises improved privacy with its differential privacy for users, while it will rely on AI and Machine learning to improve the OS experience. In macOS Sierra, the big addition is Siri as well and better cloud syncing features.