On 12 September, Apple presented its latest line-up at the Steve Jobs Theater. Most of the rumours proved right. Three of the new iPhones are new Apple Watches.
The event was perfectly orchestrated in true Apple fashion. The company has truly mastered the skill of triggering that want-it-now reflex in the audience. (That’s until it’s crushed by a massive price hammer, but keep reading.) Apple presented two new iPhone flagships and a more affordable model available in bright colours. On top of that, the Apple Watch has undergone a complete overhaul and is now available in two versions.
The new flagships are called iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. They feature up to 512 GB memory and a 5.8″ or 6.5″ OLED display. What’s more, the iPhone XR is now also available with a 6.1″ LCD screen.
What they all have in common is the new A12 Bionic processor using 7-nanometre technology. Bionic? Similarly to Nvidia and its Tensor Cores, Apple has also gone for machine learning algorithms and has incorporated a neural engine in its new, self-developed processor. All three designs sport a frameless design and a notch.
The smaller iPhone XS has a 5.8” Super Retina Display with OLED technology. The new display’s resolution is 2436×1125 pixels at 458 ppi. This makes it identical to the iPhone X in terms of display size and pixel density.
The larger iPhone XS Max boasts a huge 6.5” display, making it the largest iPhone of all time. Its OLED screen has 2688×1232 pixels and the pixel density is also at 458 ppi. Compared to the OLED display of the iPhone X, the new «HDR» OLEDs impress with a wider colour gamut.
The «S» in XS and XS Max refers to the Super Retina Display.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are available in three memory sizes: 64 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB. You also get to choose between the colours silver, space grey and gold. According to Apple, the new models are made from the toughest glass yet and a stainless steel metal frame. Supposedly the prettiest, fastest and best iPhones ever to be produced. And what else do they claim to do?
The battery life has been improved. The iPhone XS should have 30 minutes of extra stamina compared to the iPhone X; the iPhone XS Max 90 minutes more. Unfortunately, I have not yet found any precise mAh information.
Both new flagships are waterproof and IP68-rated. This means they can survive being dropped in depths of up to 30 metres for half an hour. Yay, finally an iPhone I can use in the bath!
The new devices are Dual SIM. One of them is a classic SIM, the second one comes with a more recent eSIM standard, which has been used in the Apple Watch for a while now.
A completely new feature is the specially designed A12 Bionic processor. The 7-nanometre chip has a six-core CPU. The quad-core GPU has also been reworked and is now expected to be significantly faster. Another innovative feature is the «Neural Engine» that allows machine learning. Apple already uses this new chip in Apple Maps or for tagging photos. Face ID is also expected to have faster reaction times thanks to this chip.
Developers can also use the engine in iOS 12 for augmented reality apps. Three developers demonstrated what is possible at the Steve Jobs Theater. Game developer Bethesda showed «Elder Scrolls Blade». Looks amazing. The only fly in the ointment was the notch. Next up was an app called «Homecourt». The app’s mission ist o revolutionise basketball training. The demo video showed athletes that were filmed during a game and then analysed by the app. The app recognises where the players are standing, at which angle they throw the ball towards the hoop and if they scored or not. The purpose of the app is to help basketball players improve their skills. Amazing! Finally, the game classic Galaga was shown – in a multiplayer AR version. It looked a little nervous but was amazing.
Sure, these were all highly optimised showcases. Nevertheless, the possibilities the development framework ARKit 2 offers are impressive. If and how augmented reality will be used and if this technology manages to have a breakthrough – let’s wait and see! Personally, I’d be interested in an app that counts how many times the word «amazing» was used during the keynote.
Apple has improved the camera but not in a way you might have expected. There are now two rear cameras for photographing: 12 MP wide angle, f 1.8 and 12 MP tele, f .4. The front is equipped with a selfie cam with 7 MP, f 2.2. Videos are shot at 4K and 60 FPS. When it comes to hardware, no changes were made compared to the iPhone X.
But there have been changes made to software. The camera also uses the new «Neural Engine» for face recognition and image enhancement. If I understood correctly, the following was explained at the keynote: Several consecutive recordings are made and, by the magical power of algorithms, these are turned into one extremely amazing recording. The presented examples are impressive. Shots like that are only possible with extremely good timing and a lot of luck.
Another new feature is bokeh effects made possible thanks to the dual camera. A controller allows you to adjust the «depth of field» to suit your taste. Phil Schiller, marketing senior vice president, says: «This is a new era of photography. Some will call it computational photography.» Yep, me, for example. We’ll be writing a review on these new features and how they fare in real life. Plus we’ll be comparing the images to Android competitors.
Yep, when it comes to flagships, Apple raises the bar even more than usual. Don’t shoot the messenger.
iPhone XS
iPhone XS Max
Erm, the good news is: The gold finish isn’t more expensive.
The devices are expected to be available for preorder from 14.9. That’s this Friday. Deliveries will probably start being made from 21 September.
The iPhone XR is aimed at customers who do not wish to spend more than 1,000 francs for a new iPhone. This model is available in the following bright colours: white, black, blue, coral, yellow and red. Please give me a minute for my eyes to adjust to the bright yellow.
The XR doesn’t have an OLED display, «only» a 6.1” LCD display. The latter is also frameless. And it features 1792×828 pixels. That’s 326 ppi. In other words, the XR has a significantly lower resolution than the flagships. The phone is IP67-protected – that means dustproof and waterproof for 30 minutes at 1 metre of water. The case is crafted from aerospace-grade aluminium. Mars, here I come!
The XR is powered by the same A12 processor. Apple choses to compare it to the iPhone 8. Following this logic, the former lasts 90 minutes longer. The XR is available with 64 GB, 128 GB and 256 GB. That half-terabyte is reserved for the older brothers.
Apple quotes the following prices for the iPhone XR:
This colourful model is currently not ready for order. Apple probably wants to avoid reducing the run for the flagships. The pre-order phase for the XR starts one month after that of the flagships. That means pre-order starts 19 October and it should be available from 26 October.
The Apple Watch has been completely reworked. Not only is it slimmer, the watch also contains a dual-core, which is twice as fast as the CPU from Series 3. Nothing’s changed for the battery and it still lasts 18 hours. The Watch Series 4 sports a frameless display, giving it a whopping 30% more display surface than previous models.
And the space is used to full capacity: For the Watch Faces, Apple really stepped up its game. They are now a lot more flexible when it comes to customising. For example, with contact shortcuts, time and weather station or performance figures for athletes. The brand-new UI has a luxurious look. Personally, I think they’ve gone a bit overboard with some of the visuals. On the other hand, it’s not like I have to use all the eight widgets simultaneously.
The other features that were presented prove that Apple really means business when it comes to health.
The gyroscope was beefed up and speeded up. It should now be able to detect falls and – if you want – alarm emergency contacts. It also measures your heart rate more precisely and is said to recognise heart rhythm disturbances. «You should see a doctor!», the Apple Watch advises at the keynote.
Another new feature is built-in electrodes. At the push of a button, they record and display an electrocardiogram. Here too, the Watch independently carries out the analysis and produces an evaluation of possible problems. What’s more, these features have all been approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.
Although these features are interesting, they have yet to prove themselves in practice. In any case, smartwatch competitors really need to do their homework in order to keep up with these features.
Apple wants 449 francs (without cellular) for Series 4. With eSim, Series 4 will set you back 549 francs. The new models are available for pre-order from 14.9. and will be delivered from 21 September. WatchOS 5 is available for download from 17.9.
Too expensive? Too cheap?
The competition has ended.
I'm the master tamer at the flea circus that is the editorial team, a nine-to-five writer and 24/7 dad. Technology, computers and hi-fi make me tick. On top of that, I’m a rain-or-shine cyclist and generally in a good mood.