All the announcements

All the announcements from Apple’s California Streaming event

iPads, iPhones, Apple Watch, even Fitness+, but no AirPods. Jason Cross reports

Apple’s California Streaming autumn event saw it announce quite a few products and even took a little extra time to pat itself on the back for Apple TV+. If you have over an hour to spare, you can watch the entire thing at fave.co/3EW87pR. But if you want a quicker digest, here’s a brief breakdown of everything Apple announced.

iPHONE 13 AND 13 MINI

It wouldn’t be a September Apple event without the introduction of new iPhones. The iPhone 13 and 13 mini are very similar to the iPhone 12 and 12 mini in appearance, with

several notable improvements. The A15 is faster and the cameras are improved (particularly the Wide camera), the display is brighter, and Apple managed to make the notch 20 per cent smaller. But what users will probably notice most is a big promised boost in battery life and double the storage. Prices for the iPhone 13 and 13 mini start at £779/£679 and are available to buy now.

We have a guide to the most important new iPhone 13 features on page 37.

iPHONE 13 PRO AND 13 PRO MAX

The iPhone 13 Pro models get more improvements than the regular iPhone 13, this year. There are bigger batteries and a smaller notch, plus a brighter display, but Apple also improved all the cameras. The telephoto camera is now a 3x zoom and supports Night Mode. The Wide camera has big 1.9-micron pixels and an f/1.5 aperture for a huge boost in low light performance. The focus distance is down to 2cm for killer macro shots. Soon you’ll be able to shoot in ProRes, which will probably use up a lot of storage. Good thing there’s a new 1TB option. The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max are getting ProMotion, with variable refresh rates from 10Hz to 120Hz, as rumoured. However, the rumoured ‘always-on display’ did not materialize.

Prices for the iPhone 13 Pro and 13 Pro Max start at £949/£1,049 and are available to buy now.

We have a guide to the most important new iPhone 13 Pro features on page 37.

APPLE WATCH SERIES 7

The new Apple Watch starts at £379 and will be available ‘later this autumn’, though Apple did not divulge an exact release date. It features a refreshed design with softer edges and a display that pushes right out to the edge, for 20 per cent more screen area than the series 6. The bigger display enables new watch faces and a full keyboard, but all existing bands are still compatible with the new sizes.

It’s also Apple’s most durable Apple Watch yet, with better dust resistance and a display that resists cracks better.

You can read about the Apple Watch Series 7 on page 82.

iPAD MINI

The beloved iPad mini got a much bigger upgrade. It now takes its cues from the recent iPad Air redesign, with

slimmer bezels, rounded corners, and Touch ID built into the top button. This lets Apple push the display up to 8.3in (from 7.9in) without making the iPad mini any larger. It also gets a bump up from the A12 to the A15 processor, the Lightning port has been replaced by USB-C, and it supports the secondgeneration Apple Pencil. There’s a new 12Mp rear camera and ultra-wide 12Mp front camera with Centre Stage. All that new stuff makes for a higher price tag (£479), but it seems worth it for fans of Apple’s smallest iPad.

You can read more about the new iPad mini on page 68.

iPAD (9TH-GEN)

The standard, basic iPad has been updated with an A13 Bionic processor and fully laminated True Tone display. It’s also getting a new 12Mp ultra-wide front camera with Centre Stage, just like the iPad Pros. It is otherwise very much like the eighth-generation iPad, with relatively large bezels and a Touch ID home button. It still starts at £319.

You can read more about the new iPad on page 66.

APPLE FITNESS+

A new Apple Watch is a great opportunity to announce new features for the Apple Fitness+ service, which requires an Apple Watch. Guided Meditation and Pilates join the workout types, and there’s a new ‘Workouts to Get Ready for Snow Season’ programme, too.

For further details see page 95.