In Apple’s recent WWDC (World Wide Developers Conference), we saw the announcement of various new Apple products. After 2017, all of these conferences have been taking place in their new Apple Park campus in Silicon Valley. The venue of this event occurs in the Steve Jobs Theatre. This event has been very anticipated since the September conference because the devices and accessories announced were not what people expected. With this past October conference, we got to see the expected products and even more!
On a regular year, Apple usually holds three to four conferences per year in-person. Due to our current situation, we saw something very different as the audience. Usually, in the lobby of the theatre, the products that Apple announced are on display for people to see and get a feel of what the product will be like.
This year, the conferences were very different as there was no live audience. I liked how these conferences have been held as they seem more cinematic and less of a slide presentation. There was more that they were able to do, such as having animated backgrounds, elaborate sets, and very seamless transitions when it came to talking about the various items and features.
HOME POD MINI
The first item to be introduced in this keynote was the new Home Pod mini. Similar to the Home Pod, this miniature speaker has everyone’s favorite virtual assistant, Siri. Packed with innovation, the Home Pod mini delivers unexpectedly big sound for a speaker of its size. At 3.3 inches tall, it takes up almost no space but fills the entire room with 360‑degree audio that sounds amazing from every angle.
Unlike the larger Home Pod, the mini provides a new way of interacting with music at home. This speaker features a full range dynamic driver that gives you loud audio with minimal distortion. For you to receive the fullest potential of this speaker, Apple has designed a new powerful S5 chip that allows for computational audio. This allows the Home Pod mini to analyze the music’s characteristics to apply tuning models to optimize loudness, adjust the dynamic range, and control the driver (where the sound comes from).
If you are interested in buying more than one Home Pod or Home Pod mini, these devices can be synced across your home, creating a stereo sound. As this device is aimed at Apple users, there is a handoff experience that allows your iPhone and Home Pod to connect when they are nearby. Cool tech, right? By simply asking Siri, you can listen to Apple music, podcasts, and even third-party apps like iHeartRadio, Spotify, Pandora, and so many more. With this new technology, Siri can recognize everyone’s voice in your home, giving each family member their own unique experience. Home Pod mini automatically connects with the Home app on your phone, controlling your lights and other smart devices similar to Google Home and Amazon’s Alexa.
The Home Pod mini will be available for “just” $99. Preorders for the Home Pod mini will begin on November 6, and on the week of November 16, shipment will begin.
4 NEW iPHONES
If the Home Pod isn’t something you are interested in, you might enjoy the next item that was announced, which is used by 44% of people here in the US: the iPhone.
This year Apple introduced four new iPhones: iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max with all new fun colors. The iPhone is a favorite fan device for everyone, as it is a very simple device to use.
In this conference, Apple introduced 5G capability to their new lineup. 5G capability means better performance, download speeds, higher quality of streaming, and so many other benefits for faster performances.
Other than 5G, other small changes come with this new phone. These phones have similar aluminum housing to older phones such as the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 5. This makes it so that the 5G antennas within the phone can work to their fullest potential.
The front and back glass is made with a new ceramic glass that makes these phones more durable than prior years.
With the new glass, Apple introduced their new OLED Super Retina XDR display that has each pixel lit individually. This makes the pixels individually controlled and gives you rich colors and color precision. Each phone has a higher resolution with twice as many pixels as iPhone 11. With 460 PPI, texts and photos will seem sharper. The new A14 bionic chip is the fastest processor to be inside of a smartphone. According to Apple, this new chip is faster than at least 50% of the CPUs in other smartphones. This chip improves performance and efficiency making games and streaming on your phone easier. Each phone is now water and dust resistance; up to 6 meters under water for 30 minutes.
Each phone features a different camera system. The iPhone 12 and 12 mini feature two 12-megapixel cameras. The ultra wide camera now has a 2.4 aperture and 120 degrees field of view. The new wide camera features an aperture of 1.6, a 26mm focal length and optical image stabilization. The iPhone Pro cameras feature better technology such as computational photography that allows for each pixel of the phone to process different parts of the image allowing for more texture.
The pro lineup comes with 4 cameras that feature a 12 mega-pixel ultra wide camera, 12 mega-pixel wide camera, 12 mega-pixel telephoto camera with a 55 mm focal length. These two phones now include a raw setting which is helpful for photographers who shoot on their iphones and want to have more editing capabilities. A new video recording system, Dolby has been added to these pro iPhones to make filming more cinematic. All of these phones include 4k 60 pfs and better low light capabilities. The 4th camera has a LiDAR sensor which stands for Light Detection and Range that measures how long light takes to reach an object and reflect back. LiDAR will allow for better focusing in low light and reduce capture time. This sensor will allow for better AR, object and room scanning, and better photo and video effects.
MagSafe is a new wireless technology that allows fast charging to work more efficiently. The coils that are used for wireless charging now use magnets which work for alignment. This makes it so that iPhones can have better connectivity with new accessories. New silicon, leather, and clear cases were introduced, including the MagSafe charger and the MagSafe wallet that snap on. Other third parties are already working with MagSafe and how new accessories will work.
Apple is all about working with the environment. Similar to how they cut waste with Apple watches to use less material, Apple has decided not to include the headphones as there are already around 700 million headphones out in the world used by Apple users. The headphones aren’t the only thing that isn't included with your phone, but the power adapter is another item that is missing from the box. Apple estimates that there are around 2 billion power adaptors out in the world besides the third-party power adaptors. Your iPhone’s boxes are now more compact without these items, reducing the amount of cardboard used.
The new phone colors are different depending on the model. The iPhone 12 and 12 mini come in blue, black, red, white, and green. The Pro series comes in silver, graphite, gold, and a new color, pacific blue. The iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 will be available for preorder Friday, October 16, and available starting this week on Friday, October 23rd. iPhone 12 Pro Max and iPhone 12 mini will be available for pre-order on Friday, November 6, and shipment will begin the following week on November 13. The iPhone 12 mini comes with a 5.4 in display, the iPhone 12 comes with a 6.1 in display, iPhone 12 Pro with 6.1 in display, and the iPhone Pro Max with 6.7.
In my personal opinion, there was a lot of stuff covered about the new phones and their processors. I don’t see myself getting one of these iPhones, but I will buy a Home Pod mini. I enjoy how the regular Home Pod sounds when you are watching movies, and adding another speaker would make watching movies even better. Especially with the current situation we are in, a home theatre setup is ideal. As the world continues to shift to a more virtual means, Apple continues to follow the trends and enhance its lineup every year. With these new additions to the camera, editing, and much more, one wonders how much the iPhone 12 will have an impact on consumers and whether they will buy into the hype.
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