September 16, 2020

Apple Launches new iPad Air 10.9", iPad 10.2 (8th Gen) and Apple Watch Series 6 & SE

Apples September 15, 2020 Event has seen the launch of a plethora of new innovations across product and services, notably;

  1. Apple iPad 10.2" 8th Gen (replaces 7th Gen)
  2. Apple iPad Air 10.9" (replaces 10.5")
  3. Apple Watch SE
  4. Apple Watch Series 6
  5. Apple Fitness+

Apple iPad 8th Gen (10.2") replaces the 7th Gen (10.2)

The new model shares the same form of the 7th Gen, allowing for compatibility of all accessories between 8th and 7th Gen - so if you own an older model case or stand you're in luck if updating iPad. All those business users are in luck that future iPad purchases can work with currently available accessories!

The biggest difference that will be noticeable is the Bionic Chip as seen in the comparison below:

The A12 Bionic chip delivers an amazing performance boost, so games are immersive, fluid and incredibly detailed. And you can pair an Xbox Wireless Controller with Bluetooth®, PlayStation DUALSHOCK® controller or MFi game controller with your iPad to create the ultimate portable game console.

Apple iPad Air (10.9") replaces the 10.5" variant

The most powerful iPad Air ever features new all-screen design with larger 10.9-inch display, new 12MP rear camera, next-generation Touch ID sensor, and more

The new iPad Air features a completely new thin and light design in five gorgeous finishes: silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue. The new all-screen design features a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display for a stunning visual experience, with 3.8 million pixels and advanced technologies, including full lamination, P3 wide color support, True Tone, and an anti-reflective coating for an amazing visual experience. To allow the display to extend on all sides, a next-generation Touch ID sensor is integrated into the top button, providing the same fast, easy, and secure way to unlock iPad Air, log in to apps, or use Apple Pay that customers know and love. iPad Air is compatible with Magic Keyboard and its floating design, and built-in trackpad, Smart Keyboard Folio, and new Smart Folio covers, as well as Apple Pencil, which attaches magnetically to the side for easy pairing, charging, and storing.

NEW Apple Watch SE

“Apple Watch SE combines elements of the Series 6 design with the most essential features of Apple Watch, all at a more affordable price,” said Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer. “We’re excited to offer another great option to help customers stay connected, be more active, and keep an eye on their health.”

Apple Watch SE features a stunning Retina display, with thin borders and curved corners, that is 30 percent larger than Series 3. The interface allows for large and easy-to-read app icons and fonts, while complications are precise and informative. A variety of new watch faces are optimized for the display, so customers can easily view notifications, text messages, workout metrics, and more.
With the S5 System in Package (SiP) and dual-core processor, Apple Watch SE delivers incredibly fast performance, up to two times faster than Apple Watch Series 3. The Digital Crown with haptic feedback generates incremental clicks with an extraordinary mechanical feel as it is rotated. Apple Watch SE features the latest speaker and microphone, which are optimized for better sound quality for phone calls, Siri, and Walkie-Talkie,1 along with Bluetooth 5.0.

Apple Fitness+

A new engaging and personalized fitness experience comes to life with Apple Watch

Apple Fitness+ will launch with the most popular workout types including Cycling, Treadmill, Rowing, HIIT, Strength, Yoga, Dance, Core, and Mindful Cooldown, and each is accompanied by music thoughtfully curated by the trainers. Each week, the team of Fitness+ trainers will deliver fresh workouts from the studio across a range of lengths, disciplines, and music genres so there are always new workouts to explore.
Welcoming customers who are brand new to fitness or starting up again, an Absolute Beginner program built into Fitness+ will help coach the basics of movement and exercise, and give customers an option to prepare for Studio Workouts.
Customers can use any brand of equipment with Fitness+, and many workouts can be done with no equipment at all or just a set of dumbbells. For those who start a Treadmill session with Fitness+ on Apple GymKit-enabled machines, the workout will prompt customers to tap to connect their Apple Watch so metrics are in sync.

For the full keynote, watch here

Written by James Kennedy