Apple unveils the next generation of the iPhone and Apple Watch

An in-depth look on the new iPhone 8, iPhone X, and Apple Watch Series 3

Steve Jobs unveils the original iPhone in 2007

Steve Jobs unveils the original iPhone in 2007

On Tuesday, September 12, Apple held one of their most highly-anticipated events in history. At 10:00 AM Pacific Time, 1:00 PM Eastern Standard, the new Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California was filled to max capacity. When the time struck the top of the hour, Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, took the stage to lead the event. Greeted by thunderous applause, Schiller jumped right into the unveiling.

 

What you need to know: iPhone
Three new iPhones were announced on Tuesday morning. The main attraction of Apple’s 2017 event was the iPhone X (ten). Deemed the title of “X” because of the iPhone’s ten-year anniversary, the iPhone X is slated to be the “biggest leap forward since the original iPhone,” says Apple CEO, Tim Cook. In addition, the presentation also revealed that the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus would also be produced at a lesser price.  Lastly, the event was closed out by a presentation of the newest Apple Watch, the Series 3.

 

What features have been added to the new iPhones:

The unique design of the iPhone X has everybody talking. For starters, the new phone will feature an all glass back that coincides with an either black or space gray siding. Apple also did away with their signature home button. Now that the whole front of the iPhone is a screen, accessing the home will be done by a simple swipe up. The most groundbreaking innovation though, was the announcement of Face ID. With the iPhone X, a user will be able to unlock their phone simply by looking at it. Apple has said that their Face ID software has a one-in-a-million chance of actually making a mistake when recognizing an iPhone’s owner, and that it will even be able to detect changes in hairstyle. With Face ID, a person can even use Apple Pay just by a glance at their screen. Apple is continuing their line with AirPods as well; all 3 iPhones again, will not feature a headphone jack. Additionally, the phones will also be compatible with wireless charging via a charging mat. No longer will people need to worry about 5 different cords coming from the same outlet – this is because the charging mat will be able to charge multiple devices at once. The iPhone X is set to start at $999, but on the bright sight, Apple is sparing you $1 under $1,000.

 

Now although the iPhone X has much of the attention, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are not far behind. They will have a home button, and lacking only Face ID, the 8 and 8 Plus will still be water and dust resistant, just like the X, and will also have a glass design. The iPhones will all be equipped with an updated version of portrait mode, and will have the new software of True Tone, which changes the whiteness of the screen based off of the lighting of a user’s environment. So in english, the phone will be able to darken or lighten it’s screen automatically to be at a perfect viewing perspective. Pretty cool right? The iPhone 8 will feature its traditional camera on front and back, while the iPhone 8 Plus and X will each have the front camera and the dual camera system on the back (two cameras). Lastly, Apple’s coined Retina display is said to have gotten even better than it already is. Although that does not seem very possible, it would not be surprising if the company was able to live up to their claims. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus are starting at $699 and $799, which the chance to skyrocket way higher.

What you need to know: Apple Watch

As someone who sports the original Apple Watch myself, I have to say, the Series 3 looks pretty exceptional. For those of you who do not know much about the Apple Watch, it can do many things. Answering texts, calls, emails, checking your heart rate, monitoring your fitness activity, looking at the forecast, and even going through social media are all features that the Apple Watch is designed to do [Oh, and it tells the time, no big deal]. The Apple Watch comes in two different sizes; the 38mm display and the 42mm display. The colors you can get the watch itself in are aluminum, gold, space gray, stainless steel, and space black. The unique part about the watch is that you can easily switch the band on it in seconds, making it easy to change between a sport band and a casual one.

 

Normally, in order to be able to use cell phone functions on the Apple Watch, a person would need to have their iPhone in range, which would presumably be their pocket. With the Apple Watch Series 3 though, that is no longer the case. The new watch will have cellular, meaning that if someone is wearing the watch, they will not need to have their phone on them. The watch is basically a phone on your wrist now.  Apple says that the Series 3 will now be swimproof as well, meaning that you can “answer your phone or respond to a text message while on a surfboard.” If that is not knarly or radical, then I do not know what is. It will also be able to keep track of your sleep via Sleep Score if someone wears their watch overnight, and be able to predict weather changes 15 minutes prior.

 

The Apple Watch Series 3 will come in four different styles – the Traditional Series 3, the Nike+, the Hermes, and the Watch Edition. As the Traditional Series 3 was described above, the other 3 models will all have the same new features. The only real differences are that the Nike+ model, for example, would feature certain running apps that other models would not, or that the Hermes model has a lot sleeker of a body compared to the traditional matte color. Another new change from previous Apple Watch models is that the circular side button, which normally matches the color of the watch itself, will now come in a bright red color. Reasons being so – beyond me. Also, because the Apple Watch will be able to stream its own music, the watch will now be able to sync to Apple AirPods. The Apple Watch Series 3 will start at $329 and can range all the way up to $729, so the watch definitely packs a punch when it comes to price.

 

When Battlefield students were asked about the new iPhones and Apple Watch, junior Olivia Dawson says, “I think that the phone [iPhone X] not having a home button will be an adjustment, but just like all Apple updates, you eventually get used to it and it becomes natural.” Dawson went on by saying, “I think the charging mat is really cool and because I personally love photography, anything that Apple can do to advance their camera is fantastic.” The new cameras are slated to have a larger and faster sensor, new color filters, and an even deeper picture than before.

 

Junior Cole Palmer expanded on the topic by saying, “As long as you can use your phone while it’s charging, I don’t really care how it gets the juice,” when referencing the charging mat stated by Dawson. “I also think the new Face ID is weird,” says Palmer. “Like, who knows where that data goes?” Palmer brings up a good point, especially with the recent issues of big companies buying and selling personal data, but that most likely will not stop Apple fans from purchasing the iPhone.

 

It is very clear that the new generation of Apple’s devices do bring changes to the models released in the years prior. What is unclear though, is how these changes will affect customer satisfaction, and just if they are flat-out useful or not. Only time will tell, and for Apple’s sake, hopefully the changes are in their favor.