In the early hours of this morning, Apple unveiled a range of new products. The much anticipated new iPhone and Apple Watch models were both announced. But there were some surprise announcements too.
This mornings ‘September 2021’ Apple Event saw six significant product announcements. An updated iPad, all-new iPad Mini, Apple Watch Series 7, iPhone 13, and iPhone 13 Pro. And there are some new features to Fitness+, Apple’s home-fitness workout service.
Many of the new products are now available for pre-order from Apple online. With the availability of some as soon as next Friday (September 24th). Apple Watch Series 7, however, has yet to have its exact release date confirm. Apple has confirmed it will be available later in the year.
New products and the key new features are as follows:
Apple Watch Series 7
At first glimpse, Apple Watch Series 7 may look similar to the previous Apple Watch Series 6. But it isn’t the case at all. It has an updated design, larger display, is more durable, and has faster charging.
Key new features of the Apple Watch Series 7 include:
- Larger display thanks to a reduction in bezel size
- Five new aluminium colours including midnight, starlight, green, and a new blue and (PRODUCT)RED
- 70% brighter always-on display
- 41mm and 45mm case sizes
- More crack-resistant without compromising optical clarity
- 18-hours of battery life and 33% faster charging
A range of new software updates will be available to current and previous-generation Apple Watch models, with the release of watchOS 8. It features updates to cycling (including auto-pause), Fall Detection, Workouts, and much more.
Pricing for Apple Watch Series 7 models is yet to be confirmed.
All-new iPad Mini (6th-generation)
iPad Mini has got its most significant refresh in many years, with an all-new design, 5G, second-generation Apple Pencil Support, and much more. Perhaps most striking about this new model is the edge-to-edge display with no home button. Thanks to a design recognisable with the iPad Air and iPad Pro.
Key features of the 6th-generation all-new iPad Mini include:
- An all-new all-screen design with squared-off edges and no home button
- Larger 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display
- Available in four colours including, pink, starlight, purple, and space grey
- TouchID via a button at the top
- Apple Pencil (2nd generation) support
- A15 Bionic chip with a 40% boost in performance and 80% faster graphics
- Updated Ultra Wide front camera with a new 12MP sensor and a much larger field of view enables Centre Stage
- 5G and USB-C connectivity
In Australia, the new iPad Mini is available from a recommended retail price of A$749. Versions are available in 64GB or 256GB storage with either Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi+Cellular connectivity. Models are available for order from today with a release date of Friday, September 24th, 2021.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini
From the outside, the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Mini look almost identical to the previous generation iPhone 12 and iPhone 12 Mini. But several significant upgrades separate the two generations, including:
- 6.1-inch and 5.4-inch displays with Ceramic Shield
- redesigned rear camera layout with diagonally arranged lenses enables the advanced dual-camera system
- Smaller ‘notch’ (FaceID) on the front
- 28% increase in max outdoor brightness (Display)
- 2.5 hours longer battery life for the iPhone 13. And 1.5 longer for the iPhone 13 Mini
- Wide camera, with 1.7 µm pixels offering 47% less noise and brighter photos
- Smart HDR 4 features improved colour, contrast, and lighting for each subject in a photo
- Custom-designed Ultra-Wide camera with a new sensor captures images with more detail in the dark areas of photos and videos with less noise
- A15 Bionic chip offering a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU
In Australia, iPhone 13 is available from a recommended retail price of A$1,349. The iPhone 13 Mini is slightly cheaper, available from a recommended retail price of A$1,199. Versions are available in five colours in 128GB, 256GB or 512GB storage. Models are available for order from 10 p.m. AEST on Friday, September 17th. With availability beginning Friday, September 24th.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are the most advanced iPhone models available, replacing the previous-generation iPhone 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max.
As with the iPhone 13, the iPhone 13 Pro visually is very similar to the previous models. But they have received some significant updates including:
- All-new Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion featuring an adaptive refresh rate up to 120Hz
- New sensors and lenses for all three rear cameras
- Macro photography on the new Ultra-Wide camera
- Up to 2.2x improved low-light performance on the new Wide camera
- Night mode on all cameras
- Smaller ‘notch’ (FaceID) on the front
- Cinematic mode for beautiful depth-of-field transitions, macro video, Time-lapse and Slo-mo, and even better low-light performance
- 2.5 hours longer battery life for the iPhone 13. And 1.5 longer for the iPhone 13 Mini
- Storage space of up to 1TB (1000GB)
- A15 Bionic chip offering a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU
In Australia, iPhone 13 Pro Max is available from a recommended retail price of A$1,849. The iPhone 13 Pro is slightly cheaper, available from a recommended retail price of A$1,699. Versions are available in four colours in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and now 1TB (1000GB) storage. Models are available for order from 10 p.m. AEST on Friday, September 17th. With availability beginning Friday, September 24th.
Fitness+
Apple’s home workout service, Fitness+, built around Apple Watch, will gain new workouts and features, including:
- Meditation, a simple way to practice mindfulness
- Pilates, a new low-impact, body-conditioning workout type
- Workouts to ‘Get Ready for Snow Season’ to help build strength, balance, and endurance
- Group Workouts with SharePlay
In Australia, Fitness+ is priced at A$14.99 per month. The first month is free for new subscribers, or three months with the purchase of a new Apple Watch. It is also available bundled with other Apple services with Apple One.
