Reviveaphone Roundup
We’ll give you three guesses what this roundup is about…yesterday (09/09/2015) held great importance for the tech world, as it was the chosen date of this year’s huge Apple Event!
The hype for this event has been crazy. Incessant polls on what we expect to see, detailed analysis of the past few months’ patents that Apple has created, speculation over the name of the new iPhone, ponderings over the design, questions on whether Apple would be dipping into the realms of Virtual Reality and even automobiles. It’s been intense.
So what actually happened? We were introduced to thee very clever, very beautiful new pieces of technology. The iPad Pro, the iPhone 6s and 6s plus; and a few developments in iPad accessories (the smart keyboard and Apple pencil), new Apple Watch accessories (straps, designer collaborations and special designer collaborations) and Apple TV.
However, we’d like to focus on the show-stoppers of the event (in our opinion). So without further ado, we present to you the newest in Apple’s technological family.
The iPhone 6s
We’ll get right to it; this is what everyone was buzzing about. After the launch of Apple’s iPhone 6, everyone had their opinions and suggested changes, and now most of them have been seen to.
The body of the phone is now made with aerospace grade aluminium; that’s 7000 Series aluminium to be precise. The glass is also stronger than ever, being described as “the strongest, most durable glass used in any smartphone. After the amount of complaints the 6 and 6 plus received about their bendy bodies this new strength is a very welcome improvement. Not to mention the new rose gold looks gorgeous!
Inside the 6s there are quite a few upgrades. Firstly, the powerful, custom-designed 64-bit A9 chip is getting a lot of attention. And rightly so. The A9 is the most advanced chip that iPhone has ever used, delivering up to 70% faster CPU performance and up to 90% faster GPU performance! So your love for graphics-heavy games can be fully satisfied!
Then we have the camera. And what a camera it is! The new 12-megapixel feature and the ability to create 4K video recordings is a huge update that has, understandably, got a lot of admirers.
Whilst a lot of reporters have stated that it’s difficult to test the quality of the camera’s new incredible quality and amazing video capabilities, the stats are still pretty exciting! Not to mention the image that have been released look pretty spectacular! But it remains to be seen how well these work in real life.
Another little addition to this year’s iPhone camera is Live Photos, which gives users 1.5 seconds of video either side of the image you’ve taken. Whilst only a small feature, it’s received a great deal of fuss and it’s actually a really great way to animate your camera roll; giving a great interactive feel to your digital memories. That being said, we’re yet to discover how quickly they drain your battery life – particularly as they’re turned on by default.
If we take a look even further into the 6s then we find what seems to be the favourite update for most people, 3D Touch. This new technology enables the phone to not only register swipe, taps and drags, but actual pressure. The idea is to allow people a “Peek” at the contents of a message or the location of a linked address by having a pop-up when you use a little more pressure than normal. Then if you continue to apply pressure you’ll “Pop” to that content. This means you can jump straight to the front camera or call you Aunty Hilda, without actually opening the Phone app.
You may think this doesn’t seem that impressive, but it essentially simplifies your user experience, as well as adding a real sense of unity throughout the device; instead of the iPhone housing lots of different applications, it feels as though the whole system is working cohesively. Like right-clicking on a mouse (credit to wired.com’s David Pierce for that great analogy).
However, it’s not perfect. Not every app supports 3D Touch, and there are not indicators as to which ones do. This means what could have been a really handy new way to explore your device, kind of turns into a treasure hunt. Sure, after a while you’ll get to know which apps you can use this way, but there’s potential that you could just stop looking and resort back to the standard tap.
It’s safe to say there has been a lot of development and improvement in these iPhones, and the changes are impressive and hold a lot of potential. However, it’ll be very interesting to see how they fare in the hands of the customer.
Available for pre order from 12/09/2015 – (take a closer look here)
The iPad Pro
Introducing the Daddy of all iPads! This bad boy brings the experience of an iPad to a whole new scale. The 12.9-inch screen boasts Retina display, there’s almost 50% more CPU performance than the iPad Air 2, advanced Multi-Touch technology and four speakers that create great sound but more than that, it brings another dynamic to working on an iPad.
The Retina display is the highest-resolution of any iOS device, with 5.6 million pixels, ensuring your 4K videos, designs and day-to-day business management is more beautiful and more engaging.
Yes I sound like I work for Apple, but this really is an impressive tablet! Designed to be held, not left on your desk or table, the iGiant (hold your applause) is surprisingly easy to handle. It fits in your hands – albeit two hands – easily and comfortably. It’s screen allows you to multi-task very easily – particularly as the multi-touch has been reined and perfected – fitting the equivalent of two full-sized iPads in its display; and there’s no compromise on clarity. In fact, the resolution is awesome. Crisp, sharp and able to show your creations, games or films as they were meant to be seen, in full HD.
What’s more, the accessories that have been designed for it are the perfect compliment. The Pencil stylus is, without doubt, the smoothest, best-performing stylus out there. There’s no lag, it registers the angle at which you’re using it and the design is gorgeous. In fact, this feels like one of Apple’s biggest triumphs this year; at least from where we’re standing. The Pro’s keyboard is also a great addition as it adds versatility and longevity to your session; especially if you’re writing or have a lot of applications on the go and need both hands.
Once again, we’re impressed Apple, and we want one!
Available from November – More info here
New Apple TV
Last, but not least, Apple TV has had a revamp! Featuring a separate OS, inventively named tvOS, Apple TV will have a Universal Search that allows you to search through applications including Netflix, iTunes and Hulu. But there’s more; this time, Siri makes an appearance. Integrated into the Apple TV remote, Siri uses voice commands to help you find what to watch. Using phrases like “find me an action film” you can take all of the scrolling and searching out of your TV experience (yes
I’m using this sort of language because I’ve looked at the Keynotes too much). Siri will help you to open apps, browse genres and enjoy TV even more. Oh and did we mention they’ve integrated swipe into the remote too? That’s right, just swipe to scroll! Can we get an Amen?!
Coming soon. More more info click here
And there you have it folks! The Reviveaphone Roundup of this year’s Apple Event. We’re genuinely excited about these developments and may or may not have put our names down for updates on all of them. Of course there are so many other technology companies and a vast array of phones, tablets and television devices, we’re just reporting the most recent developments.
We hope you enjoyed this post and would love to read your thoughts in the comments below.
Until next time have a great day and enjoy the weekend!
