Apple kicked off September with a bang this morning at its California Streaming event. On the slate were a range of new iPhones, Apple Watches, iPads and fitness updates. The event took place at 3:00 am local time so if you were asleep like a normal person, don’t stress, we’ve got you covered.
Here’s everything Apple announced today at its California Streaming event.
iPhone 13 range
There are once again four iPhone 13 models on offer this year but they have a few significant differences from the 12.
For starters, all the new iPhones are equipped with an A15 bionic chip which Apple claims is 50% faster than any competitor out there. There’s also a flashy new Super Retina XDR display which is 28% brighter than the 12 and a Pro Motion Display that offers up to 120Hz in refresh rates.
Naturally, the iPhone 13 camera has also seen some improvements. It features an advanced dual-camera system with a new wide camera and cinematic video mode which makes shooting a Hollywood movie on your iPhone that much more achievable.
The iPhone 13 Pro goes further with 3 cameras, one being a 77mm telephoto that has a 3x optical zoom and night mode.
Elsewhere you’re looking at longer battery life across the entire range and a bunch of colour options which include pink, blue, midnight black, starlight white and product red, and graphite, gold, silver and sierra blue for the Pro models.
The entire range is also equipped with the new iOS 15 system which was announced earlier this year.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the key specs of the new iPhone 13s.
iPhone 13 Specs
- A15 Bionic chip CPU (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine)
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
- iOS 15
- 128GB/256GB/512GB storage (no 64GB option but the starting price for the 128GB matches last year’s 64GB price)
- 5G connectivity
- 60Hz screen refresh rate
- Dual rear camera: 12MP Wide (Æ’/1.6 aperture) 12MP Ultra Wide (Æ’/2.4 aperture). Both feature new sensors, so Apple believes you’ll get better photos.
- 2.5hrs extra battery life (Apple is yet to reveal the battery size)
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Midnight, starlight, blue, pink and product red colour options.
The iPhone 13 will start at $1, 349. Pre-orders begin at 10 pm AEST on Friday, September 17 and it will then go on sale from Friday, September 24.
iPhone 13 Mini Specs
- A15 Bionic chip CPU (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine)
- 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
- iOS 15
- 128GB/256GB/512GB storage
- 5G connectivity
- 60Hz screen refresh rate
- Dual rear camera: 12MP Wide (Æ’/1.6 aperture) 12MP Ultra Wide (Æ’/2.4 aperture).
- 1.5hrs extra battery life (Apple is yet to reveal the battery size)
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- Midnight, starlight, blue, pink and product red colour options.
The iPhone 13 will start at $1,199. Pre-orders begin at 10 pm AEST on Friday, September 17 and it will then go on sale from Friday, September 24.
iPhone 13 Pro Specs
- A15 Bionic chip CPU (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine)
- 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
- iOS 15
- 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage
- 5G connectivity
- 120Hz screen refresh rate
- 3 12MP cameras (wide camera with an f/1.5 aperture, an ultra-wide with an f/1.8 aperture and a telephoto with an f/2.8 aperture)
- Improved video capability
- 1.5 hrs extra battery life (Apple is yet to reveal the battery size)
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- New finish
- Graphite, gold, silver and sierra blue colour options.
The iPhone 13 will start at $1,699. Pre-orders begin at 10 pm AEST on Friday, September 17 and it will then go on sale from Friday, September 24.
iPhone 13 Pro Max Specs
- A15 Bionic chip CPU (6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine)
- 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
- iOS 15
- 128GB/256GB/512GB/1TB storage
- 5G connectivity
- 120Hz screen refresh rate
- 3 12MP cameras (wide camera with an f/1.5 aperture, an ultra wide with an f/1.8 aperture and a telephoto with an f/2.8 aperture)
- Improved video capability
- 2.5 hrs extra battery life (Apple is yet to reveal the battery size)
- IP68 water and dust resistance
- New finish
- Graphite, gold, silver and sierra blue colour options.
The iPhone 13 will start at $1,849. Pre-orders begin at 10 pm AEST on Friday, September 17 and it will then go on sale from Friday, September 24.
Read more about the new iPhone 13 range here.
iPad
iPad (9th Generation)
After another year of working from home, it makes sense Apple’s expanding upon its iPad range. Earlier in the year, we got the new iPad Pro and today we got a look at the new iPad and iPad Mini.
The new iPad houses an A13 bionic chip which boosts performance by 20%. It also has a 12MP Ultra Wide front camera and a new 10.2-inch retina display.
This will be the 9th generation of iPad and with storage being one of the most common demands, it’s nice to see this edition will be available in sizes up to 256GB.
Nifty additional features like Centre Stage and True Tone should also help to make video calls a breeze.
The iPad (9th Gen) starts at $499 for Wi-Fi models and $699 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Accessories like the Apple Pencil, Smart Cover and Smart Keyboard are also compatible and are available for purchase separately.
Pre-orders begin today (September 15) and will be available in stores starting September 24.
iPad Mini
The iPad Mini received a significant update this year.
It’s gifted with the new A15 Bionic chip making it up to 80% faster than the previous gen. It’s got 5G compatibility, a USB-C port and a new 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display.
The iPad Mini also features a new 12MP front-facing camera with Centre Stage and a True Tone flash.
It comes in a bunch of new colours including pink, starlight (white), purple and space grey.
The iPad Mini starts at $749 for Wi-Fi and $979 for Wi-Fi + Cellular. Pre-orders are live now and availability starts in-store on September 24.
Read more about the new iPads here.
Apple Watch Series 7
With a new iPhone often comes a new Apple Watch and that’s exactly what we got this year.
The Apple Watch Series 7 confirmed a lot of rumours when Apple showed off a big redesign for its smartwatch.
The Series 7 has an Always-On Retina display that is 70% brighter with a larger screen area and thinner borders to give the watch a larger display than ever before. It has softer and rounded corners with up to 18-hours of battery life and 33% faster charging, with 8 hours of charge in 8 minutes allegedly.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is more durable this year with an IP6X certification and WR50 water resistance.
As expected, they are available in two larger sizes this year – 41mm and 45mm – and feature a new S7 chip.
Fitness features wise there’s nothing too significant here but there are new systems for tracking cycling workouts and better fall detection. ECG and blood oxygen monitoring are also included in this generation.
We’ve got a bunch of new colours on the watch this year including five new aluminium case colours – midnight, starlight, green, blue and product red.
Apple is yet to announce the local pricing and release date of the Apple Watch Series 7.
Read more about the Apple Watch Series 7 here.
Apple Fitness+
Apple’s dedicated Fitness+ subscription streaming service launched late last year and now it’s getting an update.
On the radar are new Pilates workouts, sessions for the snow season, Time to Walk episodes and new artists in the artist spotlight such as Billie Eilish and Imagine Dragons.
Within the Apple Watch itself and on Fitness+ are new guided meditation sessions and, as previously announced, the Breathe app is becoming the Mindfulness app.
Group workouts is another big update coming to Fitness+ which will allow 32 people to work out together using SharePlay. This will be enacted via group message threads or FaceTime calls on an iPad, iPhone or Apple TV.
Read more about the new Apple Fitness updates here.
That’s everything Apple gifted us with today at its California Streaming event.
Stay tuned for announcements on new MacBooks and AirPods which will likely come out before the end of the year.