Whether or not you’re a hardcore Apple fans, their announcement events are always interesting to watch.
Of course, our fascination with Apple’s events started from way back, when the late visionary Steve Jobs used to helm the announcements.
Just a couple of hours ago, Apple held its “Hey Siri” event, what was considered to be one of the most news-packed events this year. The tech giant officially delivered a slew of improvements, most notably the new Apple TV and a giant tablet, on top of the iPhone updates.
Here are a few things worth noting:
1. The reason why it’s called the “Hey Siri” event
Apple is known to drop really inconspicuous hints when it comes to letting people in on what their keynotes may/may not be about. In this case, they called it the “Hey Siri” event. Why? Because Apple’s humble TV remote got a major revamp and is now known as the Siri Remote. The device is a combination of a traditional remote, glass trackpad, motion controller, and Siri invocation tool. So you can use your Apple TV with your voice. Ta-dah!
2. Hello there Apple iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus
As expected, Apple introduced the newer iPhones – iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus. The new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will be built from a new, custom aluminium alloy and they will come with the 3D Touch (Force Touch), a new type of touch interaction with the iPhone’s display. Sensors located beneath the display backlight measure the distance between the glass and backlight, giving an impression of how “hard” a user is pressing. As such, the phone can differentiate between a normal tap and a hard press, giving a whole new layer of controls and shortcuts access within apps.
3. It’s “Rose Gold” but really it’s essentially pink
Ah, the leaked pictures were spot on, after all! For those of you who have always wanted more colour options for the iPhone, the “Rose Gold” option is now available. The softer, “rosier” iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus will inevitably attract fans of more feminine colours – particularly females. Apple, you’re doing it right! The other colours (silver, gold, space grey) are still around, of course. They ain’t goin’ anywhere. Yet.
4. The largest iPad to date, unveiled
Dealing with the rumours head on, Apple unveiled a giant, almost laptop-like iPad. In fact, it’s their largest iPad to date. Called the iPad Pro, it comes with a 12.9-inch Retina display and “desktop class” performance. Apple claims that the new tablet offered similar processing power to 80% of the portable PCs that were sold over the past 6 months. Judging by the accessories that come with it e.g stylus, keyboard, it’s likely that this was made to take on the Microsoft Surface and will eventually replace the MacBook Air – somewhat.
5. Better Apple TV for all, even gamers
The Apple TV is back, better than ever, and it’ll run a separate OS called tvOS. It will also have a Universal Search feature that lets you search across apps like iTunes, Netflix, and Hulu, as well as feature Siri in a big way. Needless to say, it’s also far more powerful as it features a 64-bit A8 processor and can support Bluetooth 4.0. On top of that, it’ll double as a gaming console, as there’s a new app store dedicated for apps and games for the Apple TV.
We know what you’re thinking! When will all of these be made available, right?
The iPad Pro will be available in November while the new Apple TV will launch in October. As for the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus, pre-orders start 12th September and general availability will follow on 25th September in selected countries.
Get more details on the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus over at our big brother site, Lowyat.NET.
Sources: Lowyat.NET (1), The Verge, Lowyat.NET (2).
