Just a month after Apple introduced its bigger iPhones, the company is back with another press event to show off its latest and greatest products.
It appears the company already spilled the beans on an iPad Air 2 and iPad mini 3 but surely there’s more in the works. Mac OS X Yosemite and its features that further tie the desktop with mobile devices has been simmering for months and should be ready for Apple to distribute. A new Apple TV isn’t out of the question either, particularly if Apple is looking for a hub to bring both smarts and entertainment to your home.
Here’s what was announced:
- Apple iMac desktop gets a retina display for the first time
- Apple debuts the iPad Air 2 with a fingerprint scanner and better camera and processor
- Apple Pay will go live Monday; new iPad Air 2 supports online payments
- Developers can start working on Apple Watch apps next month
And that’s it. We’re done and off to look at the new products. I’ll be taking a bunch of photos and getting some hands on-time for a follow up. For now then, that’s a wrap and thanks for joining us!
Nope, we’re getting invited to look at the new products across the hall now.
Looks like Tim is wrapping it up, thanking the Apple employees. Unless there’s “one more thing”, my take on Apple TV importance was either ill-timed or just plain wrong.
He’s talking about how we choose different devices based on what we want to do or where to be. (How about in front of the TV, Tim?)
Tim is back on stage now. Still no Apple TV mention. Hmm…..
It also ships starting today. Bring your own 4k monitor. ;)
Hey, Mac Mini gets an upgrade too! Fourth gen Intel chips, 802.11ac, and more. Starts at $499 now. Nice!
If I can watch 4K video on it, I might replace my 2009 iMac. Keyword: might.
It ships today; $700 more than the current iMac 27-inch.
New iMac starts at $2,499.
Phil is talking about 4K TV prices for comparison. $3k or more he says.
Here comes the cost…..
Thunderbolt 2, Fusion Drive (1 TB standard).
I’m still guessing a price of $2199 to start at minimum. We’ll see. Phil is back, talking about the insides. 3.5 GHz Core i5 to 4 GHz Core i7.
Note that if you used the scaled resolution where everything is pixel doubled and clearer, you won’t get more space on the screen to work. If you don’t use scaling you’ll get up to full display resolution but everything will be super small.
No mention of the 21.5-inch iMac yet, BTW. I suspected that only the larger model would get a retina display panel. We’ll see.
Now we’re getting a video. Sit tight.
So this might play in to my thought that Apple adds 4k video streaming to the iTunes Store. Let’s see if that happens in the next hour.
Apple had to create its own display timing controller for this display.
7x more pixels than a 1080p display and 67% more pixels than a 4k TV. Still thin though: 5mm at the edges.
“We call it the Retina 5K display”
Officially called iMac with Retina Display. 27-inch display 5120 x 2800 resolution or 14.7 million pixels. Double that of the current iMac.
Yup! Retina iMac. My old eyes are very happy right now.
Phil is discussing how the Retina Display moved from mobile to desktop. We’re getting a video now. Retina iMac?
18% year over year growth for Mac vs -1% for the PC industry as a whole.
Phil is moving on to the Mac now.
I’m still surprised that no time was spent on the iPad mini 2. Odd.
Pre-orders start tomorrow for the new iPads; shipping starts at the end of next week.
Last year’s iPads are still for sale; $100 less. Original iPad mini is now $249.
iPad Mini 3 gets an upgrade too with same pricing as last year and similar storage capacities. Strangely, it was mentioned like an afterthought so I’ll have to get more details.
6.1 millimeters thin and starting at $499 for the WiFi models; same pricing as last year but like the iPhone 6, the $599 model is 64 GB and $699 gets you 128 GB of storage.
No mention of the iPad Air 2 resolution so I assume it hasn’t changed (I didn’t expect it would).
Replay is free on the App Store and available today, by the way.
This app analyzes your video and creates styles or filters for them intelligently, even applying synchronized music. Impressive.
This is for video creation; something else that has long been the domain of a traditional computer.
Now a look at the Replay app.
This new chip looks great for heavier photo apps. Desktop replacement for some? Maybe; we’re getting closer.
Poor little Oryx. :(
In case you need: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oryx
Oh noes! There’s an Oryx in a desert photo. They just erased him!!!
The Pixelmator dev team is on stage now to show their photo editing app improved for the iPad Air 2.
I really didn’t want to lug an iPad to pay for lunch at McDonald’s anyway. And I know: I need to stop eating lunch at McDonald’s.
iPad Air 2 works with Apple Pay but not in physical stores; online only, so no NFC inside the tablet.
And of course, it has Touch ID for unlocking the device or buying items.
802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO up to 866 Mbps throughput. LTE is now up to 150 Mbps and supports 20 LTE bands in the iPad Air 2.
Slo-mo video is also there: 120fps at 720p. Surprised it’s not 240fps since the chip is clearly capable. New front camera has a larger sensor and f/2.2 aperture.
Seriously, they look on par with the new iPhone 6 photos so far. We’ll be taking our own photos to see for sure, of course. Panorama, Timelapse and Burst Mode are supported on the iPad.
We’re getting a look at some sample photos. They’re unsurprisingly beautiful. ;)
Camera gets an upgrade too, says Phil, because the iPad is a great viewfinder for images: 8 megapixels, 1.12 micron pixels, f/2.4 aperture, 1080p HD video support.
It sounds like a fairly big jump over last year’s iPad Air so far. 10 hours of battery life. The M8 co-processor includes the new barometer sensor.
This chip makes the iPad Air 2 12x faster with 180x better GPU performance over the original iPad.
There’s a new Apple A8x chip. I didn’t think that would happen. 3 billion transistors, 40% faster CPU, 2.5x faster GPU.
56% less reflective, Phil says.
Apple removed the air gaps in the display by using an optically bonded glass. Less reflection as well thanks to a new anti-reflective coating.
iPad Air 2 is less than half as thick as the original iPad.
Phil says he’s so excited but he doesn’t sound it just yet. (Someone get Phil more coffee!)
Looks the same as Tim is holding it up. Of course, there’s a Touch ID sensor on it. Here comes Phil Schiller to tell us more.
Apple is taking the pencil that it last year used to hide the iPad Air and laser cutting it even thinner. Hello iPad Air 2!
“How do you make the best tablet in the world better?” Here’s a video…
There are now 675,000 iPad apps in the App Store. “It’s a huge advantage over our competition.”
To me, this message says “don’t sweat the slowing iPad sales because they’re still huge and bigger than some PC sales.”
We’re getting a comparison to PC sales now, which are clearly flat to down. 70M iPads, for example in the last 12 months compared to 57M Lenovo PCs.
More iPads were sold in the first 4 years (225 million) than any other Apple product in its first 4 years.
“iPad is transforming the way we learn, work, play and communicate.”
Tim says the outside of the iPad exemplifies simplicity, but inside it’s very advanced.
Tim is back on stage now. Let’s get to the new stuff! “I’d like to talk about iPad.”
There’s an updated iWork suite available today for free as well. And Craig is done.
It’s free as is iOS 8.1, which is available on Monday. Hope the servers can keep up!
Today!
So when can we get Yosemite, Craig?
More demo bits: Phil Schiller just sent Craig an email with an embedded video and Craig is going to AirPlay it from a Mac to an Apple TV, using the Apple Watch to control the playback. The obvious message: Only Apple can put all of this together.
Call quality is pretty good. Stephen just said to get back to work because all he sees on his wrist is his wrist. Clearly, he wants an Apple Watch early.
That ought to halt the Apple device leaks. Not.
Craig and Stephen are chatting on the phone over the Mac now. Funny as you’d expect. Stephen wants a new title: “Supreme Allied Commander of Super Secrecy”
Agreed: lots of self-humor here. Stephen Colbert is the new Apple Chief of Security. ;) Craig just called him from his Mac.
This event has been a snoozer, but it’s really great to see Craig poking fun at Apple’s cult of secrecy.
And now he’s switching to Yosemite on a Mac. Boom. There’s the presentation he was working on, right where he left off.
It is a very seamless experience and well done. Great for folks that use Apple devices only, of course. ;)
Craig is using an iPhone to fave some photos and now adding them to a Keynote presentation on the handset. He just picked up his iPad and is continuing right where he left off on the presentation.
Time for a demo!
Craig is covering Handoff and Continuity features: Again, more of how Apple devices work best together. Making or receiving calls from a Mac or iPad using an iPhone has worked well for me. It’s nice to not worry about what device you’re using and just get things done.
Looks like we’re continuing on that theme of devices working together. iCloud Drive ties them all together. AirDrop works great between iOS 8 and Yosemite; I’ve been using it for months and it’s a huge time saver that uses both BT and Wi-Fi to pair/exchange files.
More recaps on features in Safari, Mail, Keynote and more. Nothing very new here from June. Now Craig is hitting up iCloud Drive: easy folder/tag organization. Works on Mac, iOS and (“even if you’re under duress”) on a Windows PC. OUCH!
If we’re spending 20 to 30 minutes on recap items, I wonder how long this event will be? Apple typically likes to keep them shorter than 90 minutes but I wonder about this one.
Safari is 6x faster than other browsers when it comes to JavaScript, says Craig. I haven’t seen that much of a difference in my testing but I’ll recheck it against Chrome when Yosemite is generally available (probably very shortly)
The new Spotlight taps maps and other web sources like a universal search on mobile devices. Safari gains more sharing options with extensions, just like iOS 8.
Over a million public beta testers, says Craig. I’ve been using it for months and it’s pretty slick.
Time for OS X. Yosemite!
On to some iOS 8 improvements based on feedback. iOS 8.1 has Apple Pay and advanced iCloud support. The iCloud bit is going to be a public beta. Hmmm…. that’s surprising.
Craig says major universities are now incorporating Swift into their Comp Sci curriculum. That’s impressive considering how new it is.
So far, nothing new here. More about Metal and Swift now. C’mon guys, we saw this last month!
This is a real quick rundown: keyboards, widgets, HealthKit and more. I think the HealthKit aspect is lacking yet; people don’t know how to really get the most out of it and apps aren’t yet updated for it.
Craig just showed a Klingon keyboard for iOS. Seriously.
Here’s how to use those extensions, BTW: https://gigaom.com/2014/09/18/how-to-use-extensions-in-ios-8/
Craig’s recapping iOS 8 now, starting with extensions, which are (admittedly) very welcome on the iPhone and iPad.
In iOS 8 install base is at 48% while iOS 7 is at 46%. Apple typically has higher numbers than this after a new iOS version. But they’re still comparing to Android now, saying only 25% are running Android KitKat after 313 days. I still find that disingenuous as Google Play Services is also part of the equation.
Tim says this is the best product lineup ever thanks to iOS 8 and Yosemite. Here comes Craig Federighi to chat about software now.
Apple’s WatchKit is rolling out in November; that’s the SDK for the Apple Watch so devs can start working on apps. Early 2015 is still the Apple Watch shipping target.
I wonder if that means an iOS 8 update is coming to iPhones in the next day or so. Tim has quickly changed the topic to Apple Watch now.
Apple Pay starts this coming Monday – get your credit cards ready!
Another 500 banks have signed up to support for Apple Pay since it was first announced. That’s huge. Without support, mobile payments aren’t going anywhere in the U.S.
Now it’s time for Apple Pay. Tim is reviewing how it works; same info as last month so far. Apple is making a big deal of how this will be a very private way of paying.
iPhone 6, 6 Plus will be in 32 countries shortly with China in just a few hours. All three major networks in China: First time ever. This is going to be big for Apple.
And there it is: Most first month orders ever for iPhones (by a whole lot, says Tim).
Tim is referencing Walt Mossberg’s review: Best smartphone on the market, says Walt.
He’s following up the video with more iPhone 6 info. “These phones are the best phones we’ve ever created.”
And Tim Cook is on stage!
I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that more than 17 million iPhones have been sold (including pre-orders for new regions) by now.
Starting with a video, per the usual. Highlight is on the big Apple iPhone 6, 6 Plus launch excitement last month. We should hear some numbers on sales and such today, I think.
And the lights are dimming. I hope there are only 5 previews. Oh wait, this isn’t the movies.
But if they open the stage up to karaoke, I might give it a go.
By the way: I’m *not* expecting a musical guest today. There’s not even room for a solo artist on this stage!
I think there are more Mac laptops here than at the official Apple Store right now.
And I neglected to mention in that predictions post that there’s a good chance of 4K video streaming support; if you’re going to upgrade the Apple TV hardware anyway, it makes sense to me. Wouldn’t be surprised to see iTunes add 4K content similar to Amazon and Netflix.
So we’ll see shortly if Apple TV takes more of a starring role today. My thoughts here: https://gigaom.com/2014/10/15/apple-event-preview-new-ipads-imacs-yes-but-apple-tv-could-shine-in-the-spotlight/
Seriously, there’s only 20 rows or so of seating in here and a super small stage up front. I see Macs off to the left of the stage, which is typical for demos.
And we’re just getting seated inside. This is a cozy little space on Apple’s campus at Building 4 on Infinite Loop. If I had to guess I’d say this room can only hold around 300 folks.





































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