iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, Apple Watch Series 11, and AirPods Pro 3
Earlier this month, Apple held their annual September event to introduce new iPhones, new Apple Watch, and AirPods Pro 3.
In short, the prerecorded event was used to introduce the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max, both in mind breaking Cosmic Orange, Apple Watch SE 3, Series 11, and Ultra 3. Apple also introduced AirPods Pro 3, with improved Active Noise Cancellation and, in a first for AirPods Pro, a workout heart rate sensor.
Other products that were rumored, such as a new Apple TV box, MacBook Pro laptops, and AirTags 2, will have to wait for another chance in the limelight. There’s aways October.
What Did I End Up Buying?
This year, I got a little carried away with a pre-order extravaganza.
Going into the event, I was looking for just about any excuse to replace my old Bluetooth Palm Buds Pro ear buds. (Yes, thatPalm, but in name only.) The plan was to retire the Palm buds and cycle down my AirPods Pro 1 ear buds to be my at the office ear buds for listening to music from my iPhone. While watching the Apple video, I paused it and placed the pre-order for engraved AirPods Pro 3. My AirPods Pro 1 buds will work nicely at the office. Back to the video.
Apple Watch was up next. Watch SE 3 is a nice upgrade for people who wanted to get into the Apple Watch without spending too much money. I like the big screen and the large battery on Apple Watch Ultra 3, but my weekly pickleball games hardly need the kind of protection that a thick chunky watch like Ultra 3 provides. But, if I’m being honest, I just don’t love the look of the Ultra. If Tim or John gave me one, sure, I’d use it, but I can’t see myself buying one with the raised ledge and digital crown guard.
Apple Watch Series 11 is where it’s at. Available in aluminum and titanium again this year, I went to go with a “Sport” silver aluminum Series 11 upgrade from my Series 10. (Remember the Sport, Watch, and Edition monikers?) It’s a small spec bump to be sure, but with a trade in and a fresh battery, it seemed worth it. Also, through the power of watches’ 26 running on a Watch Series 9, 10, 11 or an Ultra 2 or 3, the FDA has approved a hypertension (aka high blood pressure) warning algorithm. Apple Watch can’t diagnose high blood pressure, but it can warn you if, after 30 days of readings, that you might want to follow up with a doctor for further review. Apple Watch. The device that will save your life. That’s a pretty great marketing subtext. At the end of the segment, I paused the video again and placed a Watch Series 11 pre-order with a trade in for an in-store pickup on launch day. Back to the video.
But the main attraction for the September event is the new iPhones. This year, Apple unveiled iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, and the ultra-thin iPhone Air. The iPhone 17 is a great all-around iPhone. Most people and corporate purchasing departments should buy this iPhone by default. If you want the absolute thinnest and lightest iPhone, the iPhone Air is for you. If you are an iPhone power user, iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are for you. In what I can only describe as an amazing twist of fate, the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are available in Cosmic Orange (!!), Deep Blue, and Silver. Black, Gold, and Rose Gold are on hiatus this year. As are all of variants of Grey. I’m not sure what happened in Cupertino, but someone scored a major victory and snuck colorful paint jobs past Tim Cook for the Pro models! Pro models should come in fun colors like the no adjective iPhone line.
Let’s face it, I was always going to get the new Pro Max model because I want to have the best possible camera with an optical zoom with me at all times. But this year, there are some really nice upgrades. The Pro Max comes with an all-new unibody design, just like MacBook Pro laptops. There is an all-new front facing Center Stage selfie camera, improved rear facing 48MP Pro Fusion camera system with 8x optical zoom. You can get a quick rundown of the models and their features on the iPhone Compare page.
Wrap Up
Apple unveiled some really nice upgrades for anyone who plans on getting new gear this year. Most people don’t, and shouldn’t, upgrade their iPhone every year like I do. To be fair, I don’t upgrade my Macs or iPad every year. But you only get to go around once in this life, and I want to make sure that I have the very best everyday camera system with me to capture the moments that my family and I will hopefully cherish for many years to come, so I upgrade ever year.
Earlier this week, Back Market – a refurbished electronics reseller – had an interesting ad campaign that really caught my attention. As part of their “Hack Market” advertising effort, Back Market, in essence, AirDrop spammed customer and demo devices inside Apple retail locations with a link to their website that promotes the purchase of used devices.
Back Market’s purpose is to purchase used electronics, “renew” them, and then resell the used equipment at a substantial savings to customers. By promoting the purchase of used devices is that it keeps perfectly good devices from becoming e-waste and going into a landfill. In my opinion, this is a win-win for gadget fans. It allows you to get a recent device at a great price and helps the planet. But more on that a little bit later.
According to Romain Dillet and Ingrid Lunden, writing for TechCrunch.com Back Market, based in France, is a marketplace for customers to sell their used electronics and offer them to customers who are looking to save money by purchasing used equipment at varying price points. The company has been established in Europe for several years. Buying used electronics extends the useful life of the device. This use, sell, reuse process has become known as the “circular economy.”
In 2018, Back Market opened an online store front and began operations here in the US. They offer a wide range of electronics including laptops, gaming consoles, cameras, home appliances, and yes, Apple hardware. They even offer a student discount. That’s a pretty cool company if you ask me.
I hadn’t heard of Back Market before this week. Previously, I had purchased used and refurbished devices either directly from Apple, Gazelle, or eBay. So, I watched the YouTube video that is part of the “Hack Market” campaign.
Naturally, I had to check out their website and ended up buying something. Mission accomplished.
I started by looking at refurbished iPads and MacBooks, but I really didn’t have a need for one. I thought that I might buy one and leave it at the office so I had a personal device that I could tether to my iPhone to check email, surf the web, and those sorts of things. But, after some thought, I could just do that on the iPhone 13 Pro Max that was already in my pocket. Then I took a look at renewed Apple Watch Series 6 stock. I immediately gravitated to the Series 6 44mm Stainless Steel Watch. I had been considering trading in my Series 6 44mm Aluminum Nike+ edition towards the purchase of a Series 7 45mm Stainless Steel model. But, wow, the new price even with the trade in was a bit steep given that I have a new Mac Studio and Studio Display on the way.
Back Mark, on the other hand, was selling an Apple Watch Series 6 44mm Stainless Steel watch in excellent condition for $299 plus tax. The refurbished Stainless Watch was on sale for less than a new Series 7 Stainless with an Apple trade in for my current Aluminum 44mm. I thought about it for a couple of days, and I purchased the new-to-me Stainless on Thursday. I picked 3-day shipping. It arrived the next day from New York.
The Watch that I received was, indeed, in excellent condition. Looking closely at the used Watch, I was not able to detect any scrapes, scuffs, dents, scratches, or knicks. Clearly this Watch’s previous owner took as much care of their gadget as I do.
Back Market ships their devices is a standard bubble back mailer. Inside the mailer is cardboard box that has some bubble wrap that contained my Apple Watch, a knockoff Sport Band, charger, and power brick all in inexpensive plastic packing. My first impression was that there was a lot more plastic than I was expecting, but I didn’t think it was excessive. Conversely, Apple’s use of paper packaging is remarkable, however, their refurbished devices are more expensive. I’m chalking up Back Market’s packing methods up to overall operating cost reductions.
I have purchased a lot of Apple bands over the years since the introduction of the original Watch. I also have at least two Apple Watch chargers and power adaptors. So, I set the Back Market accessories aside. I probably will bring the charger to the office incase either I or one of my coworkers forgets to charge their watch overnight.
Overall, I’m pretty happy with my purchase and I would definitely buy more renewed electronics from them again in the future. The Back Market website was easy to use. I felt that the prices were reasonable, and as I get older, the idea of refurbishing and extending the service life of our electronics makes a lot of sense.
Today Apple released iOS 15.0.1 the fix for iPhone 13 owners who lost the ability to use the Unlock with Apple Watch when upgrading from iPhone 12.
This update includes bug fixes for your iPhone. * Unlock iPhone with Apple Watch may not work on iPhone 13 models * Settings app may incorrectly display an alert that storage is full * Audio meditations could unexpectedly start a workout on Apple Watch for some Fitness+ subscribers
I was happy to see that Apple was able to get this update out within the first week of iPhone 13 availability. As an iPhone 13 Pro Max customer, I was frustrated that my brand new iPhone had one less important feature than the iPhone 12 Pro Max that it was replacing.
Once I got home and I was able to install the update, I was happy to see that my iPhone once again was able to unlock while wearing a mask after checking in with my Apple Watch Series 5 and Series 6.
To install iOS 15.0.1 on eligible iPhones, tap Settings > General > Software Update.
Apple has confirmed that the iPhone 13 models launched this past weekend have a bug that prevents them from using the Unlock with Apple Watch feature.
After upgrading to iPhone 13 with iOS 15.0 (builds 19A341 or 19A346) customers are no longer able to use the feature to unlock their brand new iPhones while wearing a face mask and Apple Watch.
I was trying to get Unlock with Apple Watch working on my new iPhone 13 Pro Max all weekend long. The feature had been working without issue on my iPhone 12 Pro Max with iOS 14.8, Apple Watch Series 5 and 6, and watchOS 7.6.2. Thinking it was something that I did wrong, I posted a short video of the problem on Twitter.
Apple has identified an issue where Unlock with Apple Watch may not work with iPhone 13 devices. You might see “Unable to Communicate with Apple Watch” if you try to unlock your iPhone while wearing a face mask, or you might not be able to set up Unlock with Apple Watch. This issue will be fixed in an upcoming software update.
Working in the IT field, I get it, software written by humans will have bugs. The problem with Apple lately, is that they seem so focused on pushing out new products and major software releases on an annual schedule, testing can sometimes fall by the wayside. In the worst case, which is also becoming more frequent in my opinion, a bug is never fixed.
For me, and possibly many of the people who were also upgrading to a new iPhone 13 last weekend, I found this a bit of a letdown and a lousy experience that my brand new out of the box iPhone was less capable than the iPhone it just replaced. During a weekend that I was excited for my new iPhone and family and friends wanted to see it, the impression that they were left with was that a $1,200 iPhone 13 Pro Max didn’t work as well as its successor. And that’s not a great customer experience during the iPhone 13 product launch.
I have never trusted myself with expensive watches. I would always scratch up the screens so I would always get inexpensive watches. Prior to Apple Watch, the only expensive watches I purchased were in the $130 range. Fast forward to the Apple Watch, and my original Sport and Series 4, have fared well, but if you look at the screen carefully and under good lighting, you will see several scuffs in the glass. I knew that they were going to get scratched from the get-go, so I am not terribly upset.
The game changed when I got my Series 5 Stainless Steel Apple Watch. The Series 5 is the most expensive watch I have ever owned, and I was not going to take any chances with it. I decided to protect it with a rubbery clear bumper case. It was big and thick but offered a clear view of the screen. I really did not like the added bulk that the case added. I felt that it robbed me of the sleek design of Apple Watch. On top of that, I recently noticed that the edges of the rubbery case had started to brown – a common problem with these kinds of cases. Thankfully, Spigen has a no compromise solution for me.
The Spigen ProFlex EZ Fit tempered glass screen protector for Apple Watch offers customers a tempered glass screen protector to protect the screen without adding bulk to Apple Watch.
I have been using Spigen’s glass screen protectors on my iPhones for multiple years now and I have found them to offer great protection while not getting the way during daily use. I purchased the ProFlex two pack and planned on installing them on my Series 4 and Series 5 Watches.
One of the nice upgrades with Spigen glass screen protectors are the plastic installation trays. Unlike older systems where you are left your own devices to line up and apply screen protectors, Spigen’s trays make installing perfectly aligned screen protectors a breeze. I also appreciate that the Spigen ProFlex screen protectors come with an oleophobic coating, similar to the coating that Apple uses, so that it is super easy to clean fingerprints from the glass.
Installation was super easy. First, you take off the band that is on Apple Watch and clean the screen with the included wipes and cloth. Next, place the Apple Watch in the provided alignment tray. Once in the tray, peel the back off of the screen protector that is attached to the applicator. Using the included squeegee to press down and apply the screen protector to the face of the Watch. A few good firm passes from bottom to top should do it. Finally, carefully, remove the applicator tab from the Watch, remove it from the applicator try, and rub out any tiny air bubbles. And that’s it, you are good to go. Reattach your favorite band and enjoy your Apple Watch knowing that its screen is protected from the day-to-day accidental bumps that could scuff or scratch the screen.
The biggest concern for me was going to be usability. I wanted a glass screen protector to protect the screen, but one that did not have a thick ridge that my finger would rub over when swiping up or down when trying to access notifications and Control Center. I am happy to report that while there is a bit of a ridge that I feel when swiping up to access Control Center, it is very minimal. I prefer the rounded edge for Spigen’s GLAS.tR iPhone screen protectors. It would be nice if Spigen could do something similar with the ProFlex screen protector in a future update.
Overall, I think the Spigen ProFlex EZ Fit tempered glass screen protectors for Apple Watch look and feel great. It allows me to ditch the chunky case and enjoy the look and feel of Apple Watch without worrying about scratching the screen.
The ProFlex EZ Fit screen protector is compatible with Apple Watch SE and Apple Watch Series 6, 5, and 4. Available in both 44mm and 40mm sizes, the ProFlex costs a reasonable $19.99 at Spigen.com.
For super Apple nerds, it’s the most wonderful time of the year again.
Today, Friday, September 13, the Apple Store is offline getting ready for the 2019 iPhone pre-order rush!
The way this works is that at 8:00am EDT the Apple Store goes back online, and in Black Friday fashion, there is a digital mad dash to get into the web store so that fans can place their orders for Apple’s new gear. This year, Apple is rolling out the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and the iPhone 11 Pro Max.
First up, is iPhone 11. The iPhone 11 is the direct replacement for the very well received iPhone XR released in 2018. Available in six colors. In addition to the usual options of space grey (black), silver (white), and (PRODUCT)RED options, iPhone 11 is also available in three new colors, bright yellow, mint green, and mauve.
Getting themselves out of the Roman numeral mess, Apple is chucking the X (read, ten) naming convention and rebranding the top tier phones as iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max. What’s “pro” about these devices you ask? The price, in my opinion. If you purchased an iPhone X, iPhone XS, or the Max editions of these phones, and you aren’t eagerly awaiting the opportunity to spend $999 exactly at 8:00am, then there is no reason you need the buy this year’s new Pro iPhones. iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are available in the usual space grey, silver, and gold. New this year is the Midnight Green color, seen above, which reminds me a lot of Apple’s other mobile device, the age old Newton MessagePad.
Without getting into all of the super nerdy stuff about the A13 Bionic, with it’s super fast GPU, and four high efficiency cores, or its slightly improved battery life, Apple is throwing their weight behind the new three lease camera system. I’ll be the first to admit that the three lens camera bump looks damn weird. (Can we still call it a bump? I think we need to refer to it as the “Optical Area”.) For the trade off in taking all of that space on the back of the iPhone, Apple is shoving some pretty impressive tech into the camera system. And to be sure, camera nerds and professionals who know what they are doing, this camera system is going to be impressive. If you are alike me, and are more of a point and shoot kinda guy, the new camera system combined with the nerdy stuff in the A13 Bionic CPU, will help improve your photos by looking at the picture and computationally, as in lots of complicated math done as blazingly fast speeds, spit out a photo that will look the best that it can be. If you take a lot of photos in low light situations, like when the family is gathered around the table singing Happy Birthday with the lights down low, the new automatic Night Mode camera feature will help reduce noise and bring details out of the shadows to give you crisper looking photos.
Apple is also rolling out Watch Series 5 this year. Series 5 is an incremental upgrade over last year’s Series 4 model. If you are still using an Apple Watch Series 3, or earlier, this is the year to upgrade. I replaced my original Apple Watch with a Series 4 last year and it is fantastic! The big deal feature for Apple Watch Series 5 is the new screen technology which allows the screen to be on all the time. This has been a major complaint of people who prefer the ability to glance at their wrist and see the time without having to move their arm.
Finally, Apple is also releasing a new 7th Generation 10.2-inch iPad. Starting at $329, this is incredible device because now, you can optionally add an Apple Smart Keyboard ($159) and the Series 1 Apple Pencil ($99). Combined with the new iPadOS 13, due out later this month, the entry level iPad will also be able to read and write to external USB devices, like flash drives. If you love using your iPad, and are still using the 3rd Generation 9.7-inch iPad, or the iPad Air or iPad Air 2, this is the model to get. I was using this same configuration with my iPad Pro 10.5-inch last night at a meeting. It was just the right machine for taking notes, looking up information, and not getting in the way of other papers, drinks, and appetizers that were on the table. Your mileage may vary, but the new 7th Generation iPad has gone from a content consumption device to a full-fledged portable computing device that is up to most tasks
CEO Tim Cook had said that Apple was “doubling down” on security to clamp down on leaks coming out of the company. While visions of the then unreleased iPhone 4 danced in my head, Apple suffered two massive leaks in the run up to today’s fall event. The accidental leaking of the HomePod firmware few weeks ago and the golden master iOS 11 build this past weekend really spilled the beans on many of the surprises that Apple had in store of us. While I am saddened that a lot of surprises were spoiled, I’m hoping for some truly delightful hardware and software announcements.
What follows are my first impressions about the new products and software Apple announced today.
Welcome to Apple Park
The September 2017 event is the first public event to be held at the new Apple Park campus, and the first time products are being unveiled in the new Steve Jobs Theater. From everything I’ve seen so far of Apple Park, the place looks amazing. (But, I’m not sure I would want to work in those wide open spaces.)
It’s a fitting tribute to Steve that “All You Need is Love” by The Beatles is playing while we get some really impressive shots of the new theater. While the facility is impressive, I find it hard to ignore some of the yellow caution tape and orange cones still visible outside.
As the presentation gets underway, we hear Steve Jobs talking about Apple.
Tim opens up the event by saying: “I love hearing his voice. And this inspiring message.”
Damn. I really miss that guy.
One of the things that I really do appreciate about Tim Cook’s Apple is that even on important days like today, he takes time out to call attention to the people who have been impacted by the devastating storms in recent days. In addition to Apple’s corporate donation to bring people relief, Apple is promoting it’s customers — you and me — to make our own contributions via iTunes. If you haven’t already made your contribution, please, do so now.
Just in case you were wondering, and, let’s face it, I was, Apple Park will have a vistor’s center, opening later this year, with a new retail store. I really, I mean, really need to make a trip to One Infinite Loop and now Apple Park also. This new campus really does look impressive.
Retail Update
It has been a long time since we last received a retail update. This is also the first time that we have seen Angela Ahrendts on stage. A lot of folks, myself included, have been wondering when we might see her speaking at an Apple event like this.
Ok…uh, I’m not sure I’m “California” enough to call my local Apple retail establishment a “Town Square”. To me, it’s still the Apple Store. Just for the record, I still prefer MacOS, too. Old habits die hard. All of that said, the designs of the new marque stores and even the remodeled shopping mall locations, like the one I visited not that long ago, are really cool places to shop and play with all of the new toys.
One of these days, I should drop in and stick around for a Today at Apple session. They seem cool and a fun way to learn a new trick about using my Apple gear.
And, I’m happy to hear that the Apple 5th Ave location will get it’s gigantic glass cube back once the space has been fully renovated!
It is just me, or do you thing Apple should do a new coffee table book and wallpaper set of glam shots of their marque stores? I’d love to have these shots on my 5K iMac and MacBook Pro. Ok, I’ll stop now, but I still think that a new coffee table book talking about the history of these places and wallpapers are free ideas for Apple.
Apple Watch Update
Tim’s claim that Apple Watch grew 50% YoY without sales numbers to back it up feels a lot like looking at a Jeff Bezos Amazon Kindle or Alexa growth chart.
Did Tim just say, “This is blow away”? Does Scott Forstall get a royalty for that? Come to think of it, I miss that guy too.
Hey! The Woz is in the building! (Watch the audience pan immediately following the Apple Watch feel good video.)
Jeff Williams takes the stage to give us an update about what’s new in watchOS 4
I’m glad to see the new features of the Apple Watch Heart Rate app. The new elevated heart rate warning feature looks like it is the only reason you need to go out and get a new Watch. With the weather getting colder now, I’m not sure how much more walking I’m going to be doing at night, but come this spring, I might have to retire my original Watch and get a new Series 3 Watch.
Apple watchOS 4 is a free update for all Apple Watch customers on September 19.
So, now Apple Watch Series 3 has cellular service built-in. I’m sure that there are a lot of people who are excited about this. Me? Not so much so. Call me cheap, but I don’t want to give the carriers a dime more than I absolutely have to. My previous Watch Series 3 comment aside, when I do finally get around to upgrading my Watch, I plan on getting a model without cellular.
It is pretty cool that Apple has apparently worked out a deal with the carriers so that your iPhone and Watch share the same phone number. That should make things easier on the reduced UI of the Watch (compared to that of the iPhone UI). It’s also pretty cool that when your Watch is out of range of your iPhone, the Find My Friends location switches from the phone to the watch.
I’m not a subscriber to Apple Music, or any other streaming service, so the Apple Watch + Cellular + Music Streaming thing is completely lost on me. Might be great for you, and that’s totally fine, but I’m giving it a “m’eh”.
Ok, now we’re getting to the fun stuff. All the new tech that’s crammed inside Watch Series 3. I like the fact that Siri can talk now on Series 3. It’s one of the things I miss about using Siri on my Watch verses all of my other Apple devices with Siri.
Well, hello there, W2 chip! And, using the display as the antenna for the wireless radios seems like a cool idea…as long as Apple does’t end up telling us that we’re wearing it wrong.
I’m also glad to hear that Series 2 and Series 3 cases are the same size. That means my collection of bands from my original Watch should still be compatible.
Orders for Apple Watch Series 3 will start on September 15 and goes on sale on September 22.
Apple TV Update
Tim talks a little bit about the major milestones in TV technology. Apple TV 4K is the next obvious step. I don’t watch all that much TV and I don’t have a 4K TV. So, while this is a cool announcement, like Apple Watch + cellular + Music, it’s hard for me to get really excited about this.
Eddie Cue comes out to talk about the specifics of the new Apple TV 4K. Coming from a guy who wears Hawaiian shirts to work on Friday, I’m a little disappointed by the tame shirt Eddie is wearing. But, I digress.
With Apple TV 4K being asked to push all of those HDR pixels around, it’s no wonder why Apple stuffed an iPad Pro A10X Fusion chip in the new Apple TV.
What is cool is that Apple is updating iTunes with 4K movie content as the same price as iTunes HD content. That’s really nice seeing how 4K Blu-ray discs are more expensive than the standard Blu-ray version. 4K content at the same price as HD content on iTunes, I think, will be a driver for people to move from Blu-ray players and discs.
Ok, Eddie, now I’m impressed. Free HD movie upgrades to 4K versions at no additional charge. Honestly, we knew a 4K Apple TV was coming because leaks. I was fully expecting another iTunes Plus moment where people can play the difference between HD and 4K to get the upgrade without having to play full price. It’s nice to see Apple eating the cost on this and not passing it on to customers.
Also I’m glad to hear that the Netflix app, and the it will get here eventually Amazon Prime app will provided 4K steaming support to the Apple TV. Apple needs these two partners providing Apple TV users with 4K content.
Live sports…..Zzzzzz….
I will give you the ThatGameCompany Sky game demo looks pretty cool. I’m still looking for that killer game that will make me use want to play a game on Apple TV rather than my iPad Pro. Sky will be available for Apple TV, iPad, and iPhone this winter.
Apple TV 4K orders start on Friday, September 15 with unit sales starting the following week on September 22.
iPhone Update
Tim is just getting back on stage to talk about iPhone. I just had a terrible thought. Please don’t let Tim pull out “One more thing” to introduce D22, the new, expensive iPhone we all have been talking about for the last year and was confirmed by the HomePod firmware leak.
Tim lays it on pretty thick for the non-Apple nerds by going over the last 10 years of iPhone hardware/software innovations. They have come a long way in the last decade.
Phil Schiller comes out to talk about iPhone 8. Yup, 8, as in skipping right over 7s.
While the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus look very similar to the iPhone 6/6s/7 models, the iPhone 8 series sees the return of the glass front and back design last seen on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S from 2010 and 2011. My first iPhone was the 4S. I still have it on my desk. It looks like I will have to keep waiting for the return of the squared off sides like the iPhone 4 and 5 series had.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus come in three colors this year: Silver, Space Grey, and new Gold finish. The aluminum antenna bands match the front and back plates. I won’t like, I think that they look nice. If I didn’t already know that there is a third iPhone coming this year, I would be ordering a Space Grey iPhone 8 Plus. It looks really nice.
I’m really glad to see True Tone displays coming to the iPhone. After living with the new 10.5″ iPad Pro for a few months, it really does make the display on the iPhone 7-series look inferior.
The iPhone 8-series will be the first iPhones to feature the new A11 Bionic chip.
That’s a LOT of horsepower for a pocket computer. Let’s face it, these things stopped being just “phones” a long, long time ago.
If you care about mobile photography you need to have an iPhone 8 Plus. Hands down. No question. Full stop.
The new advanced lighting AI feature is really cool. Really cool. Available as a beta feature on the iPhone 8 Plus, the Camera app is able to digitally change the lighting in a photo while you are preparing to take the photo. It is also very cool that you can alter the lighting after the photo is taken. Phil was very clear the point out that this is NOT a photo filter system. This is real-time lighting analysis.
What Apple is able to do with the camera hardware and software for shotting photos, high def video, and AR features is amazing. I have no idea how you go about doing this stuff. Its just like magic.
Palm Pre on Touchstone Inductive Charger, circa 2009
The iPhone 8-series now supports inductive charging!
The iPhone 8-series now supports inductive charging! I’ve been waiting for this feature since getting my iPhone 4S back in 2011. Finally.
The wireless charging using in the iPhone 8-series is called Qi. Mophie and Belkin received a glancing reference about their charging pads. there’s no mention of an Apple branded charging pad. Yet.
Ok, now it’s time for the rubber to meet the road. Apple is only offering iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus in two storage capacities: 64GB and 256GB. With the iPhone 7 Plus, I went for the middle, 128GB, which is gone now. That’s good news, I think, because my general impression is that people just need more storage on their phones. My wife’s iPhone 6s is perpetually full. The bad news is that the starting prices are going up, up, and away! iPhone 8 will start at $699, while iPhone 8 Plus will start at $799. Ouch!
Pre-orders for iPhone 8-series starts this Friday, September 15, and go on sale on Friday, September 22. iOS 11, which did not get any stage time, will go live for everyone on Tuesday, September 19.
On more thing…
Oh, Tim. I really don’t know how I feel about this. I remember back to Steve’s keynotes and how excited I got. It was like watching a baseball game where the New York Yankees come from way behind in the bottom of the 9th, against the Red Sox, to win the game. Those were awesome. This doesn’t feel awesome to me. Don’t get me wrong. I get what Tim’s going for, given the accolades at the beginning in Steve’s honor, but this misses the mark, I’m afraid.
“We have great respect for these works and we don’t use them lightly.” Ok, at least there’s that.
Please welcome, the iPhone X.
The iPhone X looks cool. I’m glad that it has a new glass back and a stainless steel frame. It looks amazing. I am having a hard time with the name, thou. X. As in 10. Didn’t Mac OS X just get renamed to macOS? Was it because the X was moving from the Mac to the iPhone? I don’t know. X is cooler than 10, but I think iPhone Edition would have made a better name.
I’m glad that there are only two colors for iPhone X; Space Grey and Silver. I’m not a fan of the Gold/Rose Gold colors. There’s a special place in my heart for (Product) RED devices, and I can see an iPhone X in (Product) RED coming in six months, but for now, yeah, I’m good with Space Grey and Silver. I’m sure that I’ll be ordering the Space Grey model.
iPhone X’s display is call the Super Retina Display, which, of course, brings all the goodies. I am really excited to see this display in person.
Raise to Wake and Tap to Wake are fine features, but I already miss Touch ID and the Home button. That said, I generally like the feel of the new display, notch and all. But the gut reaction is that I would immediately flip the status bar, putting the clock on the right and radio signal and battery indicators on the left.
Face ID = Simple. Nature. Effortless. Thank goodness, Phil didn’t say “courageous”.
I’m not smart enough to understand how a neural engine works, but if Face ID is as easy to use as Touch ID was, I don’t care. Neural engine might as well as been synonymous with “frickin’ awesome”.
Phil also says that Face ID can’t be fooled by photos or professional quality masks. That’s a shot at Samsung. Apple has clearly done their homework with all of the hardware they put into this iPhone. Time will tell if Face ID is any easier to crack than Touch ID or Samsung’s thing, but I’m willing to give Apple the benefit of the doubt here. This looks really cool and I can’t wait to get my hands on iPhone X.
C Fed is on stage to demo iOS 11 running on iPhone X!!
Face ID for unlock looks like it is going to be fine. Even when paying for groceries with Apple Pay. The new swipe gestures, I think are going to take some getting used to, after all, we are talking about 10 years of muscle memory, but I think after a few days, it will be fine too.
Cool! Portrait Mode selfies!!
Yeah, my kids don’t need an education. (I’m kidding.) I have all new accessories to buy on top of the crazy expensive iPhone X. AirPower really does look super coo!. #Need. It is going to be a long wait for AirPower to come out “next year.” On the plus side, I don’t have to buy another AirPod charging case now. So there’s that.
Ouch!
Pre-order for iPhone X is October 27 – wha? Over a month away. If I had Animoji now, there might be a soft serve frownie face here.
Ouch again. But I’ve already taken that day off from work.
Here’s the 2017 fall iPhone line up. Obviously, I want all of this stuff “yesterday”. It’s going to be a long, drawn out wait for November 3 to arrive.
Overall, I thought this was a good event and I’m looking at getting my hands on these new toys in the months ahead.
Apple gave us four updates for our iDevices and Macs today.
Earlier this afternoon, MacOS Sierra 10.12.3 arrived offering graphics improvements for the October 2016 edition MacBook Pros. The Sierra 10.12.3 update closed up a hole in Preview that was mucking with searching scanned PDF files.
iTunes 12.5.5 was also released for MacOS (and Windows PC) adding “minor app and performance improvements”.
Also arriving today was 10.2.1, a minor security and bug fix update for iPhone and iPad. watchOS 3.1.3 tagged along to give Apple Watch owners a small tune up also.
And, last, but not least, Apple TV got a minor bump up to tvOS 10.1.1 from 10.1.
All of today’s updates are minor security and bug fixes, with no major features or new functionality added.
Look for the iOS 10.3 beta releases to start arriving any day now.
Just a few days ago, I was talking about my accidental trip into the Amazon ecosystem. Today, I want to evaluate where I am going with Apple hardware. What follows is what I think I will be my Apple hardware purchasing plans for 2017 with a little bit of commentary thrown in for fun.
2017 iPhone
Rumors about the 2017 iPhone have been circulating since before the iPhone 7 launch. What we do know is that the 2017 iPhone, regardless of whether Apple acknowledges it in any meaningful way, will be the tenth anniversary iPhone. We know that the 2017 iPhone will have a new system on a chip, probably called the A11. Maybe more RAM. Personally, I would like to see the return of the squared off sides, like the iPhone 4 and iPhone 5 series, but I don’t think that will happen. What I do think will happen is that we will get a curved iPhone display just like the one used on the Samsung Galaxy S7 edge. With all of this in mind, I do plan on buying a new 2017 iPhone Plus. We don’t know if the 2017 iPhone will be an ‘S’ year or not. I feel that if Apple gives us a dramatic form factor redesign in 2017, they should call it the iPhone 8. If there is more than one ‘large’ model, I will likely get the largest screen/best camera model.
Purchasing Probability – Yes, please!
2017 iPad
I use my iPad Air (October 2013) and 12.9-inch iPad Pro (November 2015) every day and I love them. For me, the iPad has taken a central role in my daily computing. Reading the news? Surfing my favorite websites? Catching up on Twitter? Reading ebooks? Watching TV shows and movies? Checking and replying to email? Yup. All of this gets done on my iPads. The iPad Pro covers work-work and ebook reading for class. The iPad Air takes care of my personal needs. In 2017, I am hopeful that Apple will release new iPad Pros. Screen sizes are up for debate. I don’t expect to replace my work-issued iPad Pro. Cost is the main reason here. I would hope that Apple releases an updated 12.9-inch iPad Pro that brings it up to parity with the 9.7-inch iPad Pro. The way I use my iPad Air, it is still working well for me. I do not expect to upgrade my personal 9.7-inch iPad in 2017. I do think that 2017, with iOS 11, will be the last year for my beloved Air. Check back with me in 2018 to see if there is a new 9.7-inch iPad in my future.
Purchasing Probability – Not likely.
Macintosh
The Macintosh is still an important product for me. Maybe because I have bene an Apple user and fan for so long. Maybe because I prefer Mac OS over Windows and Linux I know I am in the minority here, but it’s the way I feel.
In 2016, I purchased a new 5k iMac and I love it! I chose to go with the 2TB Fusion drive and a 3.3GHz Intel Core i5 CPU. Thankfully, Apple still allows customers to upgrade the RAM on the iMac, so I stuffed it full of 8GB DIMMs and maxed it out with 32GB of RAM. There’s no SSD – they are still too expensive for a 1.0TB or larger drive – and I didn’t get a Core i7 CPU either. And that’s fine. I think my iMac is super-fast, considering my upgrade from a 2009 17-inch MacBook Pro. So, I don’t plan on getting a new iMac in 2017.
I’m on the fence about the 2016 MacBook Pro. I miss having a MacBook for the times I want to do work away from my iMac and home office. Still, the frustration with the MacBook Pro’s inconsistent battery life, 16GB memory limit, and the use of an older Intel Core CPU are tugging on logical side of my brain, and is disrupting the famous Apple reality distortion field. See the Ars Technical 13-inch MacBook Pro review for more details.
On the go writing with Microsoft Word and surfing with Safari can easily be done with my iPad Pro. BBEdit on the Mac and Coda on the iPad Pro are a good match. But not having OmniGraffle (or Visio), XCode, or Eclipse on the iPad hurts a bit. I know I can spend another $100 to get OmniGraffle for iOS, but if I am being honest, I don’t use it enough to justify the cost. I don’t expect there to be new MacBook Pro notebooks in 2017, so I am leaning toward a 2016 MacBook Pro without the Touch Bar and Touch ID. I would get the 16GB RAM upgrade, however, the aforementioned battery issues, are keeping me from spending the money to upgrade to a 512GB SSD and an i7 CPU. So, no new iMac and there is still a 50/50 chance for a new MacBook Pro.
I feel sorry for Mac Pro and Mac mini fans. They are long overdue for some new hardware. Hopefully, 2017 will be their year.
Purchasing Probability – Looking favorable for a 13-inch, Space Grey MacBook Pro.
Apple Watch
The Watch is a good product. I’m glad I have it over a Fitbit or a Nike+ Fuelband. I owned both, but I feel that the Apple Watch offers more utility then those other devices. I love having important to me notifications on my wrist. I should exercise more, and hey, who shouldn’t, but in day-to-day usage, I just don’t use the fitness features of the Watch over tracking my walks. With that said, I don’t see myself upgrading to a Series 2 Watch anytime soon. My original, aka Series 0, Watch Sport model with watchOS 3 is good enough for me.
Purchasing Probability – Not likely.
Apple TV
I do not expect that Apple will refresh the Apple TV in 2017. I have a 32GB fourth generation Apple TV. I use it often to watch Netflix and some movies and TV shows purchased from iTunes. But I don’t use it every day. I am not a big apps user. I don’t expect to buy a new Apple TV. I would buy a new Siri Remote if Apple released one, but I don’t expect any new remote to appear in 2017.
Purchasing Probability – Not likely.
Apple Accessories
In 2016, Apple exited the monitor business. In place of the Cinema Displays, Apple co-designed a new 5K display with LG called the UltraFine 5K Display. My iMac doesn’t have USB-C, so I don’t see myself buying a second monitor. In all honesty, I like the cleanliness of a single monitor on my desk.
Apple is also rumored to be out of the router and Wi-Fi business. As I recently wrote, this means the end of the line for AirPort networking equipment. I just purchased my last refurbished AirPort Express. I wish Apple would stay in this business, because they are very reliable and very easy to setup.
With Apple exiting both of those businesses, I don’t see myself buying the LG display or another AirPort. If I find myself needing a second monitor in 2017, I need a second monitor or new networking equipment, I see myself getting the Dell UltraSharp 27 Ultra HD 5K UP2715K and an eero mesh Wi-Fi network 3-pack.
My iMac came with a new Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse 2. I don’t expect to replace them in 2017. Mostly because I still like using my Apple Wireless Keyboard (2006) and my Apple Extended II keyboard (1995). I have gotten better with typing on the Magic Keyboard, but I prefer the key travel of it’s larger format cousins. I would get a new wireless Magic Keyboard if it included all of the function keys of the Bluetooth Apple Wireless Keyboard (2006), but we all know that Jony Ive won’t allow such a monstrosity to be created. Maybe if the Magic Keyboard was released with the same amount of key travel and included the Touch Bar and Touch ID I might spring for it. After all, I’m not above spending $200 for a great Apple keyboard.
Purchasing Probability – Unlikely, without the release of an iMac compatible Touch Bar and Touch ID Magic Keyboard.
Closing Thoughts
So, there are my plans for Apple hardware in 2017. I don’t think that there are going to be any surprises for me. New releases of Mac OS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS are surely going to be welcomed and will delight customers. I think I am most excited about a new iPhone. I feel that a new MacBook Pro would be helpful with my school work, primarily with my upcoming programming classes this year. I wish I had the option of upgrading to 32GB of memory, but there are still issues to be worked out there.
Update: Friend of the blog Mike C called me out for not mentioning that Bluetooth devices also need to be paired with your new iPhone after performing an iTunes or iCloud backup restore. That oversight has been corrected below.
Congratulations on getting your new iPhone 7 or iPhone 7 Plus!
Now that you have your brand new iPhone it’s time to upgrade from your old one. While the process will vary from person to person, I have come up with a list of six steps to make the transition as smooth as possible.
Step 1: Unpair your Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch is a great tool for notifications, fitness tracking, taking a quick phone call or sending a dictated text message. To ensure all of your data stays intact while moving over to your new iPhone, unpair it from your current iPhone. Doing so backs up your Watch data to your iPhone. To help, Apple has posted a support article called Unpair your Apple Watch and iPhone to help you navigate the process.
Step 2: Backup your current iPhone with iTunes.
When you use the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC to create an encrypted local backup, iOS will also backup sensitive data including fitness and activity data and email account passwords. Using iTunes to create an encrypted local backup of your iPhone is a different process that the nightly iCloud backups you are probably already doing. To refresh yourself on how to use iTunes to backup an iPhone, look at Apple’s How to back up your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch support article; specifically the “Use iTunes” section.
When you run an encrypted backup, you also preserve your Apple Watch data in the process, allowing you to restore your data to Apple Watch later on.
Make sure that you write down your encrypted iTunes backup password!
Step 3: Power off your old iPhone.
At this point, I like to put my old iPhone into airplane mode. The point is that your old iPhone should not have network access.
Step 4: Power on your new iPhone and follow the on-screen prompts to complete the initial setup.
This step assumes that you are activating your iPhone at home. If you purchased your iPhone at a retail location and a well-meaning sales associate tried to setup your iPhone you may have a different experience.
Step 5: When prompted, select the option to restore your iPhone data from an iTunes backup.
At this time, select the option to restore from an iTunes backup and connect your iPhone to your Mac or Windows PC. I like to have iTunes already launched before connecting the iPhone for restoration. In iTunes, select the backup you performed in Step 2 as the one to be restored to your new iPhone.
Step 6: Sit back and have a refreshing beverage of choice, following any iPhone and/or iTunes prompts to complete the restore.
For me, this is the hardest part about getting a new iPhone – the waiting for all of the data to transfer from my Mac to my new iPhone! Be patient. It can take a long time to restore your data. One the restore is done, take a look around to make sure everything is working normally.
Step 7: Pair your Apple Watch to your new iPhone.
When you start the pairing process, you will be prompted to restore your Apple Watch data from a backup. Select the backup that was created as part of Step 1 to restore all of your health and activity data.
Miscellaneous Odds and Ends
Here are some things to consider doing after you have completed your iPhone upgrade.
Change your iPhone device name by going to: Settings > General > About > Name
Pair up Bluetooth devices like Beats headphones, wireless speakers, and car hands free systems
Verify your loyalty cards are setup. You may need to re-login to your online member accounts
Setup Apple Pay credit and debit cards
Sync any iTunes purchased ring tones and alert sound effects
Double-check that iCloud is setup the way you like by going to: Settings > iCloud
Corporate users will want to validate their Microsoft Exchange server settings
The process of backing up and restoring an iPhone and Apple Watch can seem to take forever, especially when you are excited to start using your new phone. Taking the time to follow these simple steps will get you up and running as quickly as possible can keeping all of your settings and data intact.
