October 2020 Apple Event
Alright folks, this is the Apple Event we've all been waiting for. What was hoped for in September has now come true for the October 2020 Apple Event - the iPhone 12 and a whole lot more. As always, I highly suggest watching the event recording, but if that is too much time to dedicate, we've got you covered. So let's get started!
October 2020 Apple Event: HomePod Mini
Tim got us kicked off right away talking about how Apple designs products for our homes. To bring the HomePod to more people (and at a more affordable price point), we now have HomePod Mini. I've been personally waiting for this product as I wasn't too excited to have to buy a full HomePod for my upstairs and downstairs. I love the sound quality and the convenience of having my HomePod in my kitchen, but now I can get the Mini for my bedroom.
The smaller globe and touch screen top of the HomePod Mini allows users to continue to have the amazing sound element that the original HomePod was known for. The brain and analysis of the music will create an amazing audio experience as expected. HomePod Mini's can sync and be a stereo pair (if in the same room) or synced across multiple rooms.
Along with HomePod Mini, we've got improvements coming to Siri. During this segment of the event, my HomePod was going insane with all the calls to "Hey Siri." Siri now has better voice recognition and of course the Mini syncs with HomeKit for your smart home. Apple also released a new intercom feature. Intercom can now work with all devices and speakers, so your intercom now will play on speakers and push a notification to devices - including AirPods. This is a huge way to connect everyone inside the home and I can see being a huge benefit to large families.
HomePod Mini will be available in both the base gray and in black. Orders begin on November 6 with shipping starting November 16. All of this bundled up for just $99.
October 2020 Apple Event: The iPhone 12 Line
5G is finally here! To kick off the iPhone 12 line, we all expected that 5G would be one of the biggest talking points and Tim didn't hold back before jumping right in. To make sure iPhone users were going to get the best experience, Apple worked with all the carriers - with Verizon being brought out to the Apple stage. Over 4 gbps for peak download times and 200 mbps upload speeds, Verizon has a pretty impressive set of stats for their 5G network. So with the launch of the iPhone - Verizon is booting up their nationwide 5G network. All the iPhone 12's will have 5G - so let's dive right in.
iPhone 12
The iPhone 12 has an all-new design with a similar aluminum design we all loved on the iPhone 5. Brilliant colors and form factor has been maximized for 5G. You've got 5 colors - black, white, red, green, and blue. It is thinner, smaller, and lighter than the iPhone 11. This was done with the Super Retina XDR display (OLED) with a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio. The cover glass is now engineered with Ceramic Shield - a new toughness process to increase the durability and become the strongest of any other phone (a 4x better drop performance rate). The iPhone 12 has 5G and has the A14 Bionic chip to deliver the best performance while using the least amount of power.
iPhone 12 now has a dual camera system which includes the Wide and Ultra Wide lens. With everyone using their phone as their main camera, we continue to see Apple focus in on a better photography experience. HDR 3 and machine learning will continue to provide a better photographic experience to adjust for the conditions. Night mode will now exist on both the back and front cameras, a first for Apple. With the improved cameras, video will be improved as well.
A lot of us have been waiting for the Apple charging we never got. However, with iPhone 12 comes a new type of charging experience due to the built in magnets inside of the phone itself. That's right - MagSafe is back baby! This new style of charger means new cases with magnets and new MagSafe accessories (including a new Duo charger for the watch and iPhone). This charger is something I've been waiting years for and can't wait to get my hands on.
Now some people are going to be upset about the next part - chargers are no longer coming in the box. The environmental impact is huge by them shrinking the box size and no longer providing the cubes that most of us see all over our house or a pair of wired earpods. iPhone 12 will have a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box and that is it.
iPhone 12 Mini
With virtually no transition at all, the iPhone 12 Mini has been born. It includes the same features of the iPhone 12, but just smaller by only having a 5.4-inch display. They literally are the same phone except for different sizes. I wasn't expecting this at all. It will now be the smallest and thinnest 5G iPhone in the world.
The iPhone 12 Mini will start at $699 with pre-orders starting November 6 and the iPhone 12 will start at $799 with pre-orders starting on Friday, October 16.
iPhone 12 Pro
iPhone 12 Pro includes a stainless steel band with back glass in 4 new colors, black, white, gold, and blue. The Pro models include the Ceramic Shield and IP68 rating for water and dust resistance. This line of course includes the MagSafe life of chargers and accessories.
The displays are now 6.1" on the Pro and 6.7" on the Pro Max. The Super Retina XDR is the biggest screen ever. The Pro performance comes from the A14 chip which has the most advanced image processing ever coming out of a phone before. Deep Fusion technology will now be on all 4 cameras on the front and back. The Ultra Wide, Wide, and Telephoto cameras give the most flexibility when it comes to photo lengths.
On the Pro Max, they also included sensor-shift, a technology from SLR cameras to help keep lenses stabilized to avoid camera shake. A new feature coming later this year is Apple ProRAW - the combination of Apple's computational imagery with the photographer's choice of RAW imagery. With support coming to apps to take advantage, I can't wait to see what Adobe is able to do with this new technology moving forward.
Pro Video means HDR video recording is now available on the iPhone. It will also record in Dolby Vision HDR at 4K at 60 frames/sec. The iPhone 12 Pro Max will allow you to actually edit Dolby Vision on the fly from the phone - without the need for uploading to an external system.
The innovation of LiDAR means that light scanning is now included on the iPhone 12 Pro. Object and room scanning, effects, and Augmented Reality (AR) support means that the iPhone 12 Pro will be the go to device for AR. The LiDAR scanner allows the cameras to identify depth and improve focus and sharpness.
The iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999 with pre-orders starting on Fridya, October 16 and the iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1099 with pre-orders starting on November 6. Both start at 128GB for storage space and go up to 512GB.
iPhone 12 Line Up Pricing
So the total line up looks like the following:
- iPhone 12 mini starts at just $699
- iPhone 12 starts at $799
- iPhone 12 Pro starts at $999
- iPhone 12 Pro Max starts at $1099
October 2020 Apple Event: Wrap Up
And with that - we wrap up the Apple October Special Event. I know I'll be buying a HomePod Mini and the new iPhone 12 Pro in blue. See anything that you might be jumping into? Rumor has it there will be a November Event coming soon, which Apple has not done before, so stay tuned as to what that might include. Will we be seeing the new Apple headphones? Will we get to see the first Apple Silicon Mac? With this new approach to events, Apple just keeps on giving us new technology to look forward to.
Apple Special Event - Sept. 15, 2020
It was time for another exciting Apple Event on Sept. 15, 2020 as we knew some updates were coming from Apple, there just wasn't an agreement on which ones. A lot of the rumors were that this was going to be an Apple Watch and iPad event - leaving the iPhone 12 for October. As I bounced around to check out the rumors, I was pretty sure they all held up. The delays on the iPhone 12 and some hardware upgrades made sense for Apple to get the new watches and iPads on the market first. So let's just jump right in.
If you want to catch the entire event yourself, Apple has it posted on their website or you can find it in the AppleTV app on any Apple device.
The Apple Event
This event was all about the Apple Watch(es), the iPad, OS updates, and the slick new services coming from Apple as Apple One. Here is a quick breakdown of what was revealed.
Apple Special Event - Apple Watch
WatchOS7
Watch OS7 included some great updates like sleep tracking, hand washing detection, and VO2 Max for tracking your blood oxygen. There are more watch faces, which is always a nice touch as well. Family setup allows for those without a phone to have their watch set up for them. This allows parents to use their devices to set up and monitor the watch for their kids.
Apple Watch 6
Apple Watch series 6 provides a few upgrades from the series 5 but honestly hasn't given me enough reason to upgrade from my series 5. If you're still on a series 3 or earlier, then there are some serious reasons to upgrade, but even on a series 4, you might not see enough benefit to make the jump. The VO2 Max sensor and brighter "always-on" display pretty much are the only major upgrades. It starts at $399.
Apple Watch SE
What was a bit unexpected was the Apple Watch SE. This is a new budget level entry device, to get more people into the Apple Watch ecosystem. It uses the S5 chip which makes it more powerful than the series 3. This will be an attractive price point for kids or those that are looking for the basic features of the watch. I'll be curious to see how people compare them over the next few months. It starts at only $279.
Apple Fitness+ and Apple One
Something that was hinted at in rumors but we didn't see a ton of details on was the Apple One combination of services. This bundle of Apple services is what made the most sense to get Apple customers to be more comfortable subscribing to yet another service. What became really interesting was the addition of Fitness+, a new subscription workout service available from Apple.
Apple Fitness+
This service is built specifically for Apple Watch. It connects your watch to the screen that you're working out on. Everything is synced across and connected. This is a really interesting approach to putting your data on the screen as you work out. It's better for you to just see this and I'm excited to hear feedback from those that try it out.
Apple One
Apple One bundles up all these great subscription services in a simple plan. The graphic below helps break everything down. More details will be released this fall, so keep your eyes on the Apple One page.
Apple Special Event - Apple iPad
When it comes to the iPad, we didn't expect a lot. Mostly hardware updates. And that is exactly what we got. iPad 8th Generation allowed for some growth on hardware with the A12 Bionic chip. It is 40% faster than last year's model. Apple pencil support means this becomes a great option for creativity and schooling. These were all the expected jumps to the hardware since the true hero is iPadOS 14. Starting at just $329.
The iPad Air
The iPad Air was a bit of an unexpected product. With the new design, we are getting a preview of what we can assume will be the new iPhone 12. The colors, the shape, all give a nod for what we can see coming. The magic keyboard is supported and so is the new magnetic Apple Pencil. Basically this seems like it will become the new standard middle iPad and I'm hoping that means the Pro's are getting a serious boost in the future.
Overall, we get new OS updates and a few hardware upgrades to the line up. If you haven't done any hardware upgrades in a few years, you'll probably see quite a jump in performance and hardware. All I know is that this event has me extremely excited for what we can expect from the October iPhone 12 event.
My MacBook Pro Docking System
As my desktop iMac continued to age and start to show, I realized that the cost of maintaining a home computer and a laptop was really starting to bog me down. On top of dealing with software licenses, it just stopped making sense. Twice the amount of updates, dealing with syncing files, transferring photos between different Lightroom catalogs just became a lot of extra time. After a lot of thinking and research, I decided to pull the plug on the iMac and look into a docking system for my laptop.Having a 2016 15" MacBook Pro w/touchbar, I knew I had the raw power to make this work. It was just doing the research to figure out what it would take to get everything to hook up, make it easy to connect/disconnect and to investigate what type of burden this setup would case to my MacBook Pro.
Monitors
The first thing I wanted to research was getting a good pair of large monitors that would work out best. I immediately began looking for USB-C monitors. Since it had been a solid year and that there should be plenty of options out there. I wasn't a fan of the large price tag that came along with the LG monitors from Apple (plus the 4K monitors are only 22"). So the quest for the best monitor at a decent price began.My findings, there really isn't anything out there that would do what I wanted. A few models came highly recommended but were now backordered for months or non-existant. Disappointed, I gave up the search for USB-C and looked into HDMI 2.0 and DisplayPort connections. I knew that there were plenty of cables/adapters around so no matter what, I could make this work. I finally settled on a pair of Samsung U28E590D 28-Inch UHD LED-Lit Monitor
The Dock
Now there are a ton of docking stations still in Kickstarter phase or being developed. The problem was I was switching computers now and needed to find a solid solution. Something that could handle driving 4K screens, had audio in/out (for podcasting), and had a solid ethernet port (when streaming I'm always hardwired in). This didn't leave me with a lot of options, especially ones that were available. I first hit up the Apple store to see what was there, and all I found was a single docking system with terrible reviews.Trusting the audience of my fellow Apple-folks, I ended up looking into the Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock. This slim dock would power/charge my MacBook Pro (meaning I wouldn't have to dedicate another port just to charging or worry about another power brick), it had all the connections I could want, and it matched my laptop in look/feel (now I know that sounds dumb, but when Apple puts that much effort into the design, I want to respect that and not dump on some large black accessory). For added connivence, I picked up a laptop stand to help with height and also give me place to stash this new Elgato Thunderbolt 3 Dock
The Complete Docking System
This entire docking system together has been absolutely great. If I want to sit on the couch and work, I can. But if I need the extra power behind monitor space, a keyboard and mouse, it just takes two plugs and I'm good to go. Here is the full list of products I have to accomplish this docking station with links to Amazon. Every purchase you make through these links helps fund the server space for this blog - we appreciate you!
Apple Event - September
This is the event that most of us Apple fans have been waiting for. The September Apple event usually means a focus on mobile products, specifically the long awaited iPhone 10th anniversary edition device. The rumor mill has been cranking out different ideas for months and it all came down to this event.
Apple Event
Welcome from Tim
Before I get started with the actual announcement content, I have to comment on the introduction of the Steve Jobs Theater. What a truly beautiful building. You can tell that every little detail was well thought out, especially with Steve Job's name going on the place. The opening to the stream started with a tour/walk down to the seats. The seats are all bench style and it looks comfortable and perfect for Apple. The event started with a recording from Steve Jobs, proving to be a very emotional time for everyone in the room, including Tim when he took the stage. The dedication of the theater to Steve included a great introduction from Tim showcasing a black stage with a photo of Steve smiling behind him on stage.
Apple Park and Steve Jobs Theater
Time provided some updates on Apple Park and the Steve Jobs Theater. Buildings + park = inspirational and open environment for employees. From parking lot, it is now 175 acre green space with over 9000 trees. Apple Park is powered 100% by renewable energy with the huge array of solar panels located directly on campus. The visitors center will open up later this year where everyone will be able to visit and learn about Apple and Apple Park.
Retail Update
The Apple retail environment is getting an overhaul. Not known as stores, but "town squares", the people and connection with Apple products humanize the technology and the experience. Simple and beautiful design is the retail experience in itself. Customers now have a place to hang out, work with one another, and the larger stores provide a place for entrepreneurs to work directly with Apple. The "avenues" or retail walls will change regularly and update with the seasons. "Today at Apple" provide different programs that revolve around their apps and products. This personal connection with consumers will continue to take Apple technology beyond the device and into their daily life. They will continue to open up stores, invest in the online experience, and continue to overhaul the current stores.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch continues to see growth of 50% year to year. It is now the #1 watch in the world. A video showcase of actual users is showcased in the presentation. To start everything off, a review of some of the upcoming features of WatchOS4 that were showcased at WWDC17. The heart rate app is getting an overhaul to provide more information. New measurements will be available like resting rate and recovery heart rate. This will allow for better tracking throughout the day. Another feature will be a notification of a high heart rate when you don't appear to be active (early health warning system). In a continuation of their medical drive, the Apple Heart Study will begin with Stanford Medicine to use watch data to track irregular heart conditions.
Series 3
The big thing, we already all knew, is that Series 3 has cellular built into the watch itself. This allows people to go for a run, go to the beach, or take a quick errand, without having to bring their phone. The number is the same number as your iPhone. This will be an extension of your number. Coming next month, the new watch will be able to stream Apple Music. Streaming on the go, on your watch? Sounds good to me!The watch has a dual core processor which allows Siri to be quicker and talk back to you (no more text only). The W2 chip allows better power efficiency over WiFi and Bluetooth. The watch will be able to track stairs and movement up and down. The watch will have an electronic sim built into the watch, so no worries about dealing with micro chips. The size of the series 3 also won't grow in size (compared to the series 2). New bands are coming in new materials and colors. Specifically the gray ceramic watch will be available to compliment the white released last year. Two versions will be available: Cellular $399 and Non-cellular $329. It will be available on Sept 15 for orders with availabliliy on Sept 22.
Apple TV
Apple TV 4K is the announcement we were all waiting for. In addition to 4K, Apple TV will now support HDR 10. To upscale the experience, the screen savers have all been remastered with 4K HRD technology. It will have an A10X chip making it the fastest Apple TV yet. 4K movies will be provided at the same price as HD videos in iTunes and everything you've purchased already will be upgraded to 4K (when available by the provider). Mention of Amazon Prime was made again, just like at WWDC, but still no date has been provided.As more network partnerships have been made, live news and live sports will be brought to the TV App. This includes notifications to prompt you about your favorite items. The ecosystem of Home automation and the bridge between Apple products will continue and be stronger than ever before. The new Apple TV 4K unit will be available on September 22, with pre-orders on September 15. Apple TV 32GB will be available for $149, the 32GB 4K will start at $179 and 64GB for $199.
iPhone
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
The design is all new. Apple has changed back to a glass front and back. It will be available in silver, space gray, and a new gold finish. The glass design is reinforced by steel and copper. Apple claims the glass will be the strongest ever for any smart phone. It is sealed for water and dust. The retina displays will be 4.7" for the iPhone 8 and 5.5" for the iPhone 8 plus.The new phones have better speakers which will be louder and have better bass support. The new A11 Bionic chip will make this the fastest phone ever. It has a six-core CPU (2 are high performance and 4 are high efficiency). For the first time ever, there is an apple designed GPU allowing for the best graphic experience including 3D and metal 2 framework.The camera will be a 12MP camera, with an all-new sensor, which means better colors and deeper pixels. The iPhone 8 Plus will have dual cameras. One will be f/1.8 and one is f/2.8. The engineers were challenged to solve a major problem with cellular photos, lighting. Portrait lighting is in beta which allows the cameras to create a depth chart separating the subject from the background. Portrait mode gives you a new lighting effect menu to analyze and change the lighting on your subject.We saw Apple showcasing their drive into augmented reality back at WWDC. The iPhone 8 is calibrated for AR with motion tracking. This now gives programmers a dedicated device to focus on through their development. Spacial lighting and sound provide a realistic fully involved environment.Wireless charging will be an option for the iPhone 8 due to the back being made of glass. Using the Qi open wireless charging standard, this will allow easy development moving forward. Different businesses will be able to start to integrate wireless charging into tables, locations, and more.iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will be available in 64GB and 256GB sizes at $699/$799. Pre-orders start on September 15. Phone availability starts on September 22. iOS 11 is being released on September 19.
ONE MORE THING....
iPhone X (ten)
A complete re-design. Glass on front and back. Band is surgical grade stainless steel. It is water and dust resistant. Will be in Space Gray and Silver. It will have an all new Super Retina Display. 5.8" diagonal OLED screen (2436x1125). It has 458ppi which is the most pixel density in an iPhone ever. The home button is gone. Just tap the screen for it to wake from sleep. A simple swipe up from the bottom will return you to the home screen. To activate multitasking, just swipe up and hold.iPhone X will not have finger print identification. FaceID, the much rumored face detection is true. At the top of the display, there is a true depth camera system. The full scanning of your face happens in real time using a neural engine that combines multiple readings to verify it is actually you. It then continually adjusts every time you scan to make sure it learns your face and adapts as you change. Day or night, it will scan successfully. Photographs cannot fake out the system and it has even been tested against professional masks. Face data is not transmitted, it is stored on the device. This makes everyone happy about having that data out in the public.Personalized emojis (animoji) is the fun little addition that nobody needs but everyone will use. The animoji will track your face and allow you to truly send your expressions through the artwork.The specs of the hardware are truly impressive and the extra 2 hours of battery life compared to the iPhone 7 makes everyone happy. The iPhone X will be available in November. Pre-order starts on October 27. 64GB will be $999 and 256GB will be $1149.
Overall
This was a great live event for Apple. So many new products that are all impressive. These upgrades are the ones people have been waiting