‘Time Flies’ Apple Event: Main Announcements

Apple’s event took place on September 15, 2020, under the tagline “Time Flies”. Although there was no word on the upcoming iPhones, the company announced a plethora of new devices and features.

The spotlight was on iPad Air 4, Apple Watch 6, Apple Watch SE, the launch of a new service called Apple Fitness+, and the Apple One subscription services.

Apple Watch

One of the most anticipated reveals was surely the new Apple Watch Series 6, priced at $399.

“Apple Watch Series 6 completely redefines what a watch can do. With powerful new features, including a Blood Oxygen sensor and app, Apple Watch becomes even more indispensable by providing further insight into overall well-being,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer.

Apple Watch Series 6 comes with numerous hardware improvements, such as faster S6 System in Package and next-gen always-on altimeter. The health capabilities of the previous Apple Watch models are expanded with a new feature called Blood Oxygen Sensor that measures the oxygen saturation of the user’s blood.

In addition, the company announced a new type of wrist band called Solo Loop - available in multiple sizes and seven different colors.

iPad Air

This event also served Apple to unveil the fourth-generation iPad Air. The new device comes with a 10.9-inch 2360x1640 resolution Liquid Retina display, and a whopping price starting at $599. The Lightning port has been ditched for USB-C, which means you can charge it with the same cable you charge MacBook. The new iPad Air also has a new Apple-designed chip - five nanometers A14 Bionic chip. Apart from the existing colors (silver, space gray, and rose gold), this device will be available in two new colors - sky blue & green.

iOS14

The long-anticipated software updates arrived a day later, on September 16. These include iOS 14 for iPhones, watchOS 14 for Apple Watch, iPadOS 14 for iPads, and tvOS 14 for Apple TV boxes. Considering iOS 14, this update brings new privacy and security features, a redesigned Siri, improved Maps, and a new in-built translator app.

Apple One

Apple also announced Apple One - the most convenient way to get all of Apple’s subscriptions under one roof. Customers with Apple subscriptions will be able to choose between three plans - Individual ($14.95 per month), Family ($19.95 per month), and Premier ($29.95 per month).

Fitness Plus

Fitness Plus is a new premium subscription service built for the Apple Watch. It includes 10 various workout types and the company claims that new workouts will be added every week. The date of the launch is not precise, however, it will launch before the end of the year. The price is $9.99 per month, and the price for the annual subscription is $79.99.

Expectations about the iPhone 12 series

We probably won’t be able to get our hands on the iPhone 12 this month, but rumors and leaks have painted a vivid picture of what we can expect from the upcoming handsets.

The iPhone 12 is expected to come in 4 models: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Max, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. The design of these phones is suspected to bring back the flat edges that were last employed on the iPhone 5.