Apple’s much-awaited March 21 Conference finally happened last night. As we promised, here’s the lowdown on the various launches at the event.
From the exciting new iPhone SE and the iPad Pro 9.7 to the not-so-exciting new Apple Watch bands, you will find everything you need to know about last night’s conference right here.
What Went Down
Head honcho Tim Cook kicked off the event at Apple’s Cupertino, Santa Clara campus, to the joy of Apple fans everywhere (us included). But before the main event, Apple treated the global live stream audience to some of their other new innovations.
The Appetizer List
Highlights included a 40-megawatt solar farm in China, capable of powering all of Apple’s 34 outlets in the country. Also there are advancements to the open source ResearchKit framework that bring genetic data and a series of medical tests, typically conducted at the doctor’s office, to a set of iPhone apps.
And who can forget Liam, an adorable robot that is designed to expertly de-construct—read ‘take apart mercilessly’—your old iPhone. Yeah, we cringed too. At first.
However, this Wall-E-style robot will help the company save resources by recycling used iPhones. Liam’s programming detects different iPhone components and extracts them, allowing the chemical components of these parts to be recycled for use in other Apple products.
For proof of Liam’s cuteness, check this video out.
Right, on to the really interesting stuff now!
The “New” iPhone SE
We say “new” with some apprehension, because the SE is essentially the powerful iPhone 6s housed in the smaller 5s-style, 4-inch body.
Processing power receives a major boost, just as we predicted last Friday; the SE comes with the iPhone 6s’ 64-bit A9 processor. This makes for a processing speed that is 3x faster than the older 5s models.
As far as looks are concerned, Apple has gone for a classy (if not too radically different) aluminum finish with matte, chamfered edges and a stainless steel Apple logo.
The camera is a new 12-megapixel iSight model, and accompanies improvements in the Wi-Fi and battery departments. You can get your SE in the US from 31st March at $399 for the 16GB model and $499 for the 64GB variant. Pre-orders start on the 24th.
In India, the base model will set you back INR 39,000, with sales across the subcontinent expected to start in early April.
An Addition To The iPad Pro Line
Much like the SE, the new iPad Pro 9.7 comes with the superior processing capabilities of the previous 12.9-inch model, but in a slimmer, more ergonomic avatar.
That’s not all; the retina eye display on the new iPad is 40% less reflective, and 25% brighter, than the iPad Air 2. This model comes with 2 new great features—Night Shift and True Tone Display—both of which adjust display color temperatures according to ambient light.
In the US, the 32GB variant retails at $599, and the 128GB model goes for $749. And for the first time, Apple has introduced a 256GB variant at $899.
In India, you can get the iPad Pro 9.7 come April; it will cost you Rs. 49,000 for the base 32GB Wi-Fi model.
Apple Watch Straps And The Other Extras
With all the exciting offerings from the California giant, the announcement about ‘new straps for Apple Watches’ falls rather flat.
The new iOS update is noteworthy, though; it supports the new “Night Shift” technology we talked about, and you can now password protect your notes.
Oh, and Apple is moving headquarters in 2017. You can check this 2.8 million-square-foot “Campus 2” out in this drone-shot video.
All in all, it’s a great time to be a proud Apple nerd. Whether this event was more interesting than John Snow’s possible comeback, we’ll let you decide!
