Tech launch season is officially in full force and Apple unveiled a slew of new devices at its Far Out event. In total we got eight devices: iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max, Apple Watch SE second-gen, Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra, and AirPods Pro second-gen.
I’m cranking out hands-on with each and breaking down all the major news, but here we’re giving you the rundown on what you need to know. So let’s kick things off with Apple’s wildly popular earbuds.
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AirPods Pro Second-Gen: What You Need to KnowJacob Krol/TheStreet
Apple’s new AirPods Pro don’t change much in the looks department, but they’re powered by the new H2 chip. It’s made by Apple (AAPL) and handles the connectivity, as well as the processing. Noise cancelation is improved across the board for blocking out sounds, and Apple says it’ll perform up to two times better at canceling than the original AirPods Pro. They’re also debuting a new Transparency mode which automatically adjusts the type of sounds, and the volumes that come through your ears.
You’ll still have the cushioned ear tips (XS, S, M, L) and a stem design, but the controls are upgraded as well. The Force Sensor has a touch layer for easily adjusting volume levels with a swipe. AirPods Pro can also last for up to six hours on a single charge and up to 30 hours with the case. It can also be charged with a Lightning port, a MagSafe charger, a Qi-enabled charger, and now, an Apple Watch charger. The case is also supported through FindMy and has a speaker for pinging, and a spot for the lanyard.
All-in-all, Apple is improvising where it counts and these will still cost $249. They’ll be up for order on Sept. 9 and ship on Sept. 23. You can see our full hands-on here.
Apple Watch SE Second-Gen: What You Need to KnowJacob Krol/TheStreet
The Apple Watch SE has long been the best value in smartwatches, and the second-generation improves on this. It’s cheaper at $249 for Bluetooth and $299 for Cellular, features the new S8 processor, and even has new sensors to detect a crash.
It comes in three fresh shades and sports an aluminum build that is environmentally friendly. It can also handle activity tracking and heart rate monitoring as well. And it will run watchOS 9 swimmingly with support for a new low power mode.
You can see our full guide to this smartwatch here, and it’s up for order now. It will begin arriving on September 16th to customers.
Apple Watch Series 8: What You Need to KnowJacob Krol/TheStreet
The Apple Watch Series 8 is a pretty modest improvement over the Series 7 which keeps the larger always-on Retina display that is stretched to the edges. It also keeps Blood Oxygen Monitoring, heart rate tracking, the ability to take an ECG, and can track a number of activities.
New for the Series 8 is a temperature sensor which enables new ovulation and cycle tracking features. Additional sensors onboard, as well as a bunch of work on Apple’s end, enable the ability to detect a crash accurately. The Series 8 will still have “all-day” battery life rated at 18 hours and supports fast charging. But there is a new low-power mode which will let the Series 8 last up to 30 hours, and still can track activity.
The Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399 for GPS and $499 for Cellular, and will still come in either a 42mm or 45mm sizes. It’s up for order now and will begin arriving to those who order on Sept. 16.
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Apple Watch Ultra: What You Need to KnowJacob Krol/TheStreet
Alongside the iPhone 14 Pro’s Dynamic Island, the Apple Watch Ultra might be the most exciting new gadget. It’s a brand new Apple Watch, that’s extra durable and powerful for adventurers. It sports a new design made from titanium and a flat 49mm always-on Retina display. That screen also gets super bright, up to 2,000-nits, and has a number of exclusive watch faces that show a lot more details.
You can also turn the more durable digital crown to enable a dark mode which looks delightful. The button here is also larger, which should make it easier to click when wearing gloves. The right side features an action button that the user can customize. This way you can quickly start tracking a workout. It’s powered by the S8 package, sports all the health sensors, and every feature from the Series 8. It’s larger, but also is surprisingly light and doesn’t really weigh down the wrist. It will also support 45mm sized watch bands with no issue.
Battery life is seriously improved at up to 36 hours with everyday use and up to 60 hours in the low-power mode. Talk about long lasting, and it supports fast charging as well. It also features advanced microphones and two speakers. It has extended GPS functionality as well, this way you can track a hike and then have it automatically retrace your steps back. The Apple Watch Ultra can also operate in extreme temperatures, hot or cold.
The Apple Watch Ultra is $799 for all models, and automatically comes with Cellular + GPS functionality. You can see our full breakout here, and it’s up for order now with it beginning to arrive on Sept. 23.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus: What You Need to KnowFrom a design standpoint, the iPhone 14 is pretty similar to the iPhone 13. It’s modern, rounded design and it looks sleek. It’s the mantra, if it ain’t broke don’t fix it. It does come in a few new shades, including a lavender and Apple is not making a 14 Mini. Rather you get the 6.1-inch 14 or the 6.7-inch 14 Max. So essentially a larger screen iPhone for the masses.
Both of these are still OLED displays and it’s powered by a more advanced flavor of the A15 Bionic. Namely an extra GPU core which should make it swift for nearly any task and in our brief hands-on, iOS 16 flew on it. It’s also powering some camera advancements.
Namely a new 12-megapixel lens that features a larger sensor, along with a 12-megapixel ultra wide lens, both of which benefit from increased low light performance and a new photonic engine (much more detail packed images with more accurate colors). There’s also a new action mode for videos which seems to make even the bumpiest of shots more stable.
Rounding out the 14s are all-day battery life, with the 14 Plus poised to offer the longest battery life ever in an iPhone. These also boast Satellite Connectivity to let you make emergency calls or texts even when you’re out of cellular service.
You can read more about the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus in our hands-on, they’re priced starting at $799 and $899. They’ll be up for preorder on Sept. 9. The 14 will land on Sept. 16 and the 14 Plus on Oct. 7.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max: What You Need to KnowThe coolest thing about the new iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max would have to be the Dynamic Island. Essentially the notch is now a long oval slightly lower and adjusted based on what you’re using. So it can hold the music player next to a timer or morph into a square to authenticate Face ID. It’s really cool and a bevy of applications will support this from the get-go.
Additionally, the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays still sport a fast refresh rate, offer up to 2,000-nits of brightness, and stretch the bezels even thinner. They also offer an always-on mode which is more useful than Android phones, since it just dims everything. You can still see widgets, wallpapers, and even live actions. There’s also an enhanced camera in the notch.
On the rear it features a 48-megapixel wide photo, a 12-megapixel telephoto, and a 12-megapixel ultra wide lens. You can shoot in 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and even 3x. Powering all of this is the new A16 Bionic chip which is a significant jump in powering the display and cameras.
All-in-all the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max are a big jump, even for folks with the 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max. They’ll cost $1,099 and $1,199 and are up for preorder on Friday.
iOS 16 and watchOS 9: What You Need to KnowJacob Krol/TheStreet
You can see our full previews for iOS 16 and watchOS 9 here, and they both bring a bevy of features. But here’s the headline, iOS 16 will be available as an update for your phone Sept. 12, and watchOS 9 will be arriving on Sept. 12.
Prices are accurate and items in stock at time of publishing.