Apple Event Highlights: iPhone 14 Lineup and Apple Watches Galore
In its latest live event, Apple announced the new iPhone14 lineup and Apple Watch Ultra, along with updates to other Apple Watches.
At Apple's recent September 7 Event, the company released the new iPhone 14 lineup, the Apple Watch Ultra, and Apple Watch Series 8 and added significant updates to Apple Watch SE.
Apple announced four new iPhones: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 lineup includes new technologies and features, including an always-on display, a quad-pixel sensor, a photonic engine, 5G support, eSIM, emergency SOS via satellite, and crash detection. The crash detection feature will also appear in the Apple Watch Ultra. The new Apple Watch features a new low-power setting and an inbuilt compass with the SOS features.
Here are more details about Apple's latest hardware releases.
Apple Unveils the iPhone 14 Lineup
Apple's new iPhones include iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Each device features an always-on display and "Dynamic Island" technology to simply interact with notifications, widgets, and activities without interrupting a user's main task. The display is enabled by a 1 Hz refresh rate and power-efficient technologies. It has the same peak brightness as an XDR display and features the highest brightness of up to 2000 nits, which is twice as much as the iPhone 13. Dynamic Island technology lets users access controls and background activities with simple gestures.
New iPhones Will Level Up Image Quality—Again
As is customary for new iPhones, the iPhone 14 lineup will employ several hardware and software upgrades to enhance image quality. Namely, the new iPhones use a photonic engine for mid-to-low-light photography, which enhances the quality of photos by applying Deep Fusion earlier in the image processing pipeline. This preserves textures and provides better colors. The iPhone 14 lineup will also incorporate a quad-pixel sensor for image stabilization and a telephoto option.
Apple says the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max includes a pro camera system that takes "computational photography."
This update combines every four pixels into a single pixel of 2.44 um for low-light photography while keeping the photo size to 12 megapixels. Apple also added new machine learning models in the iPhone Pro for the quad-pixel sensor to shoot proRAW images at 48 MP. Apple says this upgrade will enable new creative workflows for pro users.
Apple Doubles Down on Crash Detection
The iPhone 14 lineup debuts a new crash detection and emergency SOS via satellite feature. The crash detection system uses a dual-core accelerometer capable of sensing 256 Gs and a high dynamic range gyroscope. The system uses other components, such as a built-in barometer that detects cabin pressure changes, GPS for detecting speed changes, and a microphone to recognize loud noises. The data is fed to advanced motion algorithms trained with over a million hours of real-world crash record data.
The iPhone 14 lineup and Apple Watch Ultra include crash detection technology.
When a severe crash is detected, the iPhone will place an emergency call if it is within the range of the best possible connection. It also has an SOS via satellite feature, which allows the device antenna to connect directly to a satellite, enabling messaging with emergency services when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
A15 and A16 Bionic Chips Power the iPhone 14 Lineup
Apple uses the A15 bionic chip for iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus and the A16 bionic chip for iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. The A16 bionic system consists of two high-performance processing cores and four high-efficiency cores, making it 40% faster than other competing processors, Apple claims. It features a 5-core graphics processor and a 16-core neural engine capable of 17 trillion operations per second. The CPU, GPU, neural engine, and image signal processor work together to support new camera hardware in iPhone Pro devices. The 16-core neural engine is also featured in iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, designed to speed up machine learning computations for features in iOS 16 and other apps.
iPhone 14 Pro Does Away With Physical SIM
Apple took a big step with iPhone 14 Pro devices by removing the SIM trays for U.S. models. iPhone 14 Pro models support eSIM, making way for digital carriers. Unlike physical SIM, eSIM can't be removed if an iPhone is lost or stolen. With eSIM, one can have multiple phone numbers and data plans and activate an eSIM for another country while traveling.
The iPhone 14 devices feature several other updates in user interface and software, including iOS 16.
Three New Apple Watches Hit the Scene
Apple also introduced three new Apple watches in its latest event: Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series 8, and Apple Watch SE. Each includes new connectivity, activity, and health features like heart rate monitoring, crash detection, ECG, and blood oxygen monitoring.
Apple Watch Ultra also includes wind noise-reduction algorithms with machine learning to enhance audio for calls.
The Apple Watch Ultra and Series 8 feature a two-sensor temperature sensing design that provides meaningful insights into women's health. With this addition, users can get information on ovulation estimates and period predictions. One can receive a notification when there is a deviation in the cycle.
The new watches embed an S8 64-bit dual-core processor and are loaded with various low-power technologies and settings, making them suitable for outdoor adventures. Apple claims that the new iPhones and watches are made with recycled rare-earth materials and tungsten—contributing to the company's goals for carbon neutrality by 2030.
All images courtesy of Apple.
