The Apple event opened with a focus on new services and new devices from the bitten apple. Unveiled the new Apple Watch 5 and the iPad 7
The appetizer, if you will, was based on four courses. Sure, maybe someone was expecting some unexpected novelty (the one more thing made famous by Steve Jobs), but all in all it was a pretty good appetizer. To make a long story short, before unveiling the three new iPhone 11 (iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max), Apple has presented new services and devices.
A cross-section of what is the new business philosophy of the house of Cupertino, which wants to integrate into a single ecosystem hardware devices, software products and what is becoming its most important and profitable business: the services. It is no coincidence, in short, that Apple has opened today’s event devoting ample space to its subscriptions. Even if a little late, Apple wants to retrace the paths already taken by other giants of Silicon Valley as Amazon, Google and Netflix trying to recover the ground lost in past years.
Apple Watch 5
We start, however, from what was the most interesting “scope”: the Apple Watch Series 5. The smartwatch from the house of Cupertino does not change in appearance, but that does not mean that it is identical to its predecessor. There are many new features, although not immediately visible. To realize how much the Apple Watch has changed just look at the screen: with the fifth generation was introduced the always on display, so you can always see the “faces” of your phone, regardless of the position of the wrist.
Apple has kept us to know, however, that the battery life will not be affected at all. Thanks to new sensors that vary the brightness depending on the situation in which you are, the refresh rate of the screen (it can go from 1 Hertz to 60 Hertz) and other settings. There is also software optimization, which allows you to monitor consumption and ensure that the 18-hour battery life of the Apple Watch Series 4 is confirmed for the Series 5.
Much attention, then, has been devoted to information about the health of the wearer of the bitten apple smartwatch. In addition to the electrocardiogram, introduced with the past generation of the smartwatch, the Apple Watch 5 has automatic fall recognition; automated calls to emergency numbers around the world (just press and hold the main button for a few moments to start the call) and a personal “health folder” containing all your data and medical information.
The Apple Watch Series 5 is immediately available on the Cupertino company’s website with a starting price of $399 for the GPS-only version and $499 for the version with eSIM.
seventh-generation iPad
Another highlight of the California morning was the new seventh-generation iPad. Again, no changes in aesthetics, except for a slightly larger screen than in the past. The diagonal of the display goes from the “usual” 9.7 inches to 10.2 inches of the iPad 7 just presented. The most interesting aspects, however, are others. The seventh generation iPad is designed with iPadOS in mind, so that the user can take full advantage of the new operating system optimized to run on board the tablets of the bitten apple. The iPad 7 also comes with a Smart Connector to connect the Apple Keyboard and turn the tablet into a small notebook with extreme portability. The iPad 7 will be available at a price of 389 euros in the Wi-Fi version with 32 gigabytes.
Apple TV+ and Apple Arcade: the new subscription services from Apple
As mentioned, however, great attention has also been devoted to subscription services, which Apple will begin offering in the coming weeks. These are not absolute novelties, but products that the Cupertino company had already presented in previous months and that now, finally, are available to the public.
Apple Arcade, the cloud gaming service, will be available from September 19 at $4.99 per month and will be integrated directly into the App Store. After subscribing, simply open the app store on Apple devices to access the collection of games made exclusively for the new service from the bitten apple. Once installed, the games will be available to everyone in the family on all compatible Apple devices.
Apple TV+ will be available Nov. 1 in more than 100 countries for $4.99 per month. Three Cupertino-produced series will be available at launch, along with dozens of other Apple-exclusive TV series and movies. Those who purchase an iPhone, iPad, Mac or Apple TV will get a free year’s subscription.