Apple's Fall 2017 Media Event

Apple held their annual Fall media event today, September 12, 2017 and it was a BIG deal!! It was a big deal for two reasons... 1) Apple announced many incredible new products, namely the new iPhone X and 2) they presented live, for the very first time, from the Steve Jobs Theater at their new Apple Park campus.

The event lasted 2 hours, and you don't want to miss the details. You can watch the event on www.apple.com. For those who don't have 2 hours to spend, you can read up on all the news here!

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Introduction

  • Apple starts by showing a video showcasing the new Steve Jobs Theater and Apple Park
  • The event starts with a brief tribute to Steve Jobs, playing an audio clip of Steve Jobs discussion the importance of people and Apple.
  • Tim Cook takes the stage to a huge, roaring applause! This is the first public event in the new Stave Jobs Theater.
  • "It's only fitting that Steve should open his theater"
  • "We're here today to talk about some incredible products"
  • Apple Park features more than 9,000 trees and is 100% powered by renewable energy

Retail Update

  • Angela Ahrendts takes the stage
  • "We don't call them stores anymore, we call them Town Squares"
  • Town Squares are gathering places, and the intent is to humanize technology
  • New features: a public plaza, a forum and a boardroom
  • "Today at Apple" helps to inspire customers using Apple technology

Apple Watch and watchOS

  • "Apple Watch was designed to help people stay active"
  • Apple Watch experienced a 50% year-over-year growth, and is now "the #1 watch in the world" with a 97% customer satisfaction rating
  • Jeff Williams takes the stage
  • watchOS 4 will feature many new features for swimmers and a new feature called "GymKit"
  • Heart rate app is receiving some major improvements including heart rate histographs, making it easier to watch for trends
  • watchOS 4 will be available September 19
  • Apple Watch Series 3 was just announced, with built-in cellular connectivity and GPS!!
  • Place and receive call on your Apple Watch with the same number as your iPhone, without having your iPhone with you
  • Apple Watch Series 3 + Apple Music will allow you to stream 40 million songs, right to your wrist!
  • Dual-core processor provides a 70% increase in performance
  • Siri on Apple Watch Series 3 is now audible
  • All-new A2 chip provides 85% faster WiFi and altimeter functionality
  • The Apple Watch Series 3 case is exactly the same size as Series 2
  • New bands will be available
  • New gray ceramic finish will be available
  • Prices start at $329 and will be available for pre-order on September 15 (available September 22)

Apple TV

  • Apple has now won two Emmies for their Apple TV
  • Next generation Apple TV will feature 4K streaming!
  • Eddy Cue takes the stage
  • Apple TV 4K will offer not just 4K video, but 4K HDR video
  • Apple TV screen savers have been remastered to take advantage of 4K HDR
  • CPU performance is more than 2x faster than pervious model Apple TV
  • 4K titles on the iTunes Store will be the same price as HD titles, AND all previously-purchased HD titles will be automatically upgraded to 4K!
  • Live sports coming to Apple TV later this year!
  • Prices start at $179 and will be available for pre-order on September 15 (available September 22)

iPhone

  • "We have HUGE iPhone news for you today"
  • Phil Schiller takes the stage
  • "Today, we are announcing the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus"
  • Colors come in Silver, Space Gray and a new Gold
  • Speakers are 25% louder with deeper bass
  • All-new A11 processor with 4.3 billion transistors
  • New iPhone 8 features the all-new Apple-designed GPU
  • 12MP dual photo sensors with f/1.8 aperture
  • New Portrait Lighting mode (in beta now) helps to separate background from subject in photos
  • Video capable of shooting at 60 fps in 4K resolution
  • Slow motion now up to 1080p at 240 fps!
  • Each iPhone is calibrated for augmented reality, from the factory
  • Editor's note: cool things are happening with augmented reality and ARKit!
  • "The future is wireless"
  • iPhone 8 and 8 Plus support Bluetooth 5.0
  • With the new glade back, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus now supports wireless charging
  • Many hotels, car manufacturers and others are starting to build-in wireless charging stations
  • iPhone 8 prices start at $699 (for 64 GB storage) and will be available for pre-order on September 15 (available September 22)
  • iPhone 8 Plus prices start at $799 (for 64 GB storage) and will be available for pre-order on September 15 (available September 22)
  • iOS 11 will be available as a free upgrade on September 19!
  • "The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is an amazing improvement, but we're not stopping there... we have one more thing...."
  • Today, Apple announced the iPhone X (pronounced "ten")
  • iPhone X sports an edge-to-edge display
  • Glass on the front and back, supporting wireless charging
  • iPhone X is dust- and water-resistant, available in Silver and Space Gray
  • New 5.8" Super Retina display sports a 2436x1125 resolution at 458 PPI!!
  • Simply tap on the screen to wake it up (or you can lift)
  • No more Home button
  • To go to the Home screen, swipe up from the bottom
  • To access the app switcher, swipe up from the bottom and pause for a moment
  • Unlocking the iPhone X is as simple as looking at your phone, using "Face ID" (facial recognition)
  • Face ID uses 3D IR technology so you can't foil it with a photo or even a 3D mask
  • iPhone X features a "neural engine" in the A11 chip! 600 billion operations per second
  • Face ID adapts to changes each time you use it... grow a beard, wear glasses, etc
  • Touch ID is granular to 1/50,000 people. Face ID is granular to 1/1,000,000 (in other words, you have 1 in a 1,000,000 chance of someone else being able to unlock your iPhone X)
  • Face ID also works with ApplePay
  • New animated emojis (animojis) on iPhone X are animated based on YOUR facial movements!
  • Craig Federighi takes the stage
  • "This is a phone that we've been dreaming about for a long time, and today, it's a reality"
  • Control Center is accessible by swiping down from the top right corner
  • Rear iPhone X camera features an f/1.8 (wide) and f/2.4 aperture (telephoto)
  • Dual optical image stabilization engine on iPhone X
  • Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting are now available on front TrueDepth camera!
  • Battery life is expected to be 2 hours longer than iPhone 7 (to big applause)
  • Sneak peek: Apple is coming out with a single, uniform charing mat that charges your iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods. This technology is called "AirPower" (coming next year)
  • iPhone X prices start at $999 (for 64 GB storage) and will be available for pre-order on October 27 (available November 03)
Posted on September 12, 2017 .