First look: Apple's iPhone 6s, iPad Pro with Apple Pencil, Apple TV & more
Apple unloaded a bevy of new hardware at its special media event on Wednesday, including new iPhones, a jumbo size iPad with Apple Pencil stylus, a refreshed Apple TV and additions to the Apple Watch collection. AppleInsider was on the scene to spend some hands on time with each device.
As expected, Apple unveiled new iPhones in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, evolutionary variations on last year's models. The new editions come with a built-in force sensing system dubbed 3D Touch, which relies on sensors embedded in the phone's LCD backlight to measure how hard a user is pressing down on the display.
Like Force Touch on Apple Watch, 3D Touch introduces new layers to iPhone's user interface. Dubbed "Peek and Pop" controls, a light press brings up a Peek mode preview of emails, addresses, photos and more without opening a separate app. A deeper press pops said content into a corresponding app, for example a hard press on an address might open Maps.
The function can also be used to invoke iPhone's multitasking view, previously activated by double-pressing the home button. With 3D Touch, users simply press and slide from the left side of the display to bring up a stack of swipe-able app cards that travel on a horizontal path, much like prior iterations of Cover Flow.
For many the most exciting debut from today's event was the gargantuan iPad Pro, an oversized version of Apple's tablet device boasting a 12.9-inch Retina display with 5.6 million pixels, more than a Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Taking a cue from Microsoft, Apple launched a detachable Smart Keyboard for its new iPad Pro model with dome keys and soft interior for protecting the large display. Another accessory due out in November is Apple Pencil, a pressure- and motion-sensing stylus built specifically for drawing and writing on Pro's copious screen real estate.
Last, but certainly not least, is Apple TV. After going years without a proper update, Apple TV was finally refreshed with a more powerful A8 processor, integrated Siri support with cross-service content search, an App Store, remote control with touchpad and internal storage.
Siri is Apple TV's standout feature, offering cross-app searches, natural language processing and contextual commands. For example, users can ask Siri -- via the Siri remote -- "What did she just say," and Apple TV will rewind a few seconds and start playback with subtitles temporarily turned on. The remote also functions as a motion-sensitive gamepad for what is expected to be a flood of third-party games and apps.
Apple believes apps are the future of television, and with an ecosystem rife with developer support, the company is in a good position to dictate policy. Users will be able to download tvOS apps when the device launches in October for $149 for 32GB of storage or $199 for 64GB.
As expected, Apple unveiled new iPhones in the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, evolutionary variations on last year's models. The new editions come with a built-in force sensing system dubbed 3D Touch, which relies on sensors embedded in the phone's LCD backlight to measure how hard a user is pressing down on the display.
Like Force Touch on Apple Watch, 3D Touch introduces new layers to iPhone's user interface. Dubbed "Peek and Pop" controls, a light press brings up a Peek mode preview of emails, addresses, photos and more without opening a separate app. A deeper press pops said content into a corresponding app, for example a hard press on an address might open Maps.
The function can also be used to invoke iPhone's multitasking view, previously activated by double-pressing the home button. With 3D Touch, users simply press and slide from the left side of the display to bring up a stack of swipe-able app cards that travel on a horizontal path, much like prior iterations of Cover Flow.
For many the most exciting debut from today's event was the gargantuan iPad Pro, an oversized version of Apple's tablet device boasting a 12.9-inch Retina display with 5.6 million pixels, more than a Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro.
Taking a cue from Microsoft, Apple launched a detachable Smart Keyboard for its new iPad Pro model with dome keys and soft interior for protecting the large display. Another accessory due out in November is Apple Pencil, a pressure- and motion-sensing stylus built specifically for drawing and writing on Pro's copious screen real estate.
Last, but certainly not least, is Apple TV. After going years without a proper update, Apple TV was finally refreshed with a more powerful A8 processor, integrated Siri support with cross-service content search, an App Store, remote control with touchpad and internal storage.
Siri is Apple TV's standout feature, offering cross-app searches, natural language processing and contextual commands. For example, users can ask Siri -- via the Siri remote -- "What did she just say," and Apple TV will rewind a few seconds and start playback with subtitles temporarily turned on. The remote also functions as a motion-sensitive gamepad for what is expected to be a flood of third-party games and apps.
Apple believes apps are the future of television, and with an ecosystem rife with developer support, the company is in a good position to dictate policy. Users will be able to download tvOS apps when the device launches in October for $149 for 32GB of storage or $199 for 64GB.
Comments
In the past, wasn't it usually DED in these conference videos, showing new products? When did he start painting his nails green?
Anyway, what were the writers' actual impressions of the products? Is the new Apple TV exciting? Is the iPad Pro made of butterflies and rainbows?
iPad Pro - Awesome!!!
iPhone 6s - meh
Apple TV - Atari's ET games are going to have some company out in the desert.
iPhone 6s. A solid "s" version of the current iPhones. I'm a non-s buyer so I eagerly await the 7.
Apple TV. Not interesting to me. Yet. But I can see how this will be a real force in its respective space. I might get in on it at some point.
I can't wait to try 3D touch out in the stores!
I can't wait to try 3D touch out in the stores!
iOS 9 looks pretty good.
3D touch - the new 'Spring-Loaded' folders.
Isn't 3D touch basically a right click? It's their most innovative announcement, but I'd have to use it in person to understand it.
Apple TV, iPad are just catchup products to Surface, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV. Nothing earth shattering from Apple as usual. The Siri feature on Apple TV is just a copycat of Google TV's Google Now search. I got a chuckle when they said "The future of TV is apps". What about now? There are already products with apps. Sheesh.
Too bad Apple doesn't rush products to market. They seem to
Take their time in doing things. Hopefully they get it right and don't
Make the mistakes others have made. I think Apple can take the
Luxury of taking their time, while all the other have to try and be "ahead"
Any how, what ever Apple does will never get a positive reaction, in the meantime
Apple continues to make billions.
I didn't see anywhere it says iphone 6S has 2GB vs 1GB RAM. Will it come with 2GB RAM ?
DOES IT FUCKING MATTER? NO
iPhone 6S ..meh. I've never been an "s" adopter so I don't want to hurt any feelings.
And AppleTV...I don't understand the need for voice search etc. I have a Roku 3 and it beats the heck out of any AppleTV and it's cheaper.
With that said, I'm sure the products will sell well, and quite frankly since I'd rather buy Apple stock than the products announced today that's all that matters.
Hooray for 4th quarter earnings report$
Isn't 3D touch basically a right click? It's their most innovative announcement, but I'd have to use it in person to understand it.
Only an Android troll would be dense enough to not understand what is happening, and I firmly believe that Android manufacturers will try to pass this off as "right click" because they don't understand or are simply in denial. Let me try to make this simple for you since you obviously didn't watch the keynote...
When you tap or drag, you are operating in 2-dimensional space... x/y coordinates. 3D Touch is just that.... the harder you press, the further into the Z-axis that you move. This allows the Z-index to be made available to app developers, but the default implementation in iOS is to register these deeper levels to peek and pop content. This leapfrogs Google's "widget" notions since it allows for easy of use with less real estate requirements.
Game companies are already looking to use this as an additional input device as demonstrated. Users can 3D Touch to adjust zoom amount and focus, etc. This will provide a deeper interface for apps and provide yet another reason developers choose iOS first.
Apple TV, iPad are just catchup products to Surface, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV. Nothing earth shattering from Apple as usual. The Siri feature on Apple TV is just a copycat of Google TV's Google Now search. I got a chuckle when they said "The future of TV is apps". What about now? There are already products with apps. Sheesh.
The only thing I can tell you on this one is this... ideas are shit, execution is king... and Apple is the king of execution. Their products are not in a constant state of beta like the jolly green robot. Siri was first to market with an intelligent AI. Surface? Please, they are giving those away at this point. You really think that Roku or FireTV have anything on an A8 chip when it comes to gaming?
Just like commenters, you can claim "first" but that doesn't mean that you are intelligent or have it figured out. Apple takes time to polish the user experience and doesn't leave things half baked. I'd rather have a finished product, thank you.
The only thing I can tell you on this one is this... ideas are shit, execution is king... and Apple is the king of execution. Their products are not in a constant state of beta like the jolly green robot. Siri was first to market with an intelligent AI. Surface? Please, they are giving those away at this point. You really think that Roku or FireTV have anything on an A8 chip when it comes to gaming?
Just like commenters, you can claim "first" but that doesn't mean that you are intelligent or have it figured out. Apple takes time to polish the user experience and doesn't leave things half baked. I'd rather have a finished product, thank you.
I have no qualms with what you're saying. I agree Apple releases products with a fit and finish that's mostly unrivaled in the industry. I just have to challenge people on the internet who claim that every company is copying Apple all the time, and that Apple is still this grand pioneer post-Jobs. They're not. And I have to pick some people's brain on what they perceive to be innovation, because I think that word has been beaten to death by relentless fanboys on the internet to mean anything they want. Does it mean a truly new idea? Does it mean that it's innovative if it has market success? Is it innovative if they make it "easy to use" (subjective)?
In the other news article, there's some posters who somehow think Sony is going to copy the Apple TV's gaming features. I'm incredibly confused how you can copy what's been done already by Ouya, Razer Forge, Nexus Player, Fire TV, Roku, and on and on.
If you want to say "hey Apple improves upon ideas and makes them better", they're not the sole company that does that either. Google Now improved upon Siri, Fire TV improved upon last gen Apple TV, Apple Watch improved upon the Gear Watch and Android Wear.
This year, just like last year, isn't breaking major ground. They haven't done it since the first iPad, and the watch is fine, but not changing the world. As soon as some people let the reality of this company sink into their skulls, can they actually admit when a product is just underwhelming, and that there are more serious competitors in the industry than ever before.
Microsoft is dead, Amazon and Google have done a much better job of staying toe to toe with Apple all these years.
Isn't 3D touch basically a right click? It's their most innovative announcement, but I'd have to use it in person to understand it.
Apple TV, iPad are just catchup products to Surface, Roku, Fire TV, Google TV. Nothing earth shattering from Apple as usual. The Siri feature on Apple TV is just a copycat of Google TV's Google Now search. I got a chuckle when they said "The future of TV is apps". What about now? There are already products with apps. Sheesh.
Are you smoking something? When Siri came out, there was no single Voice Assistant (yes, I capitalize it) out there except voice commands which all were shit. It's like talking to human with Siri vs talking to a robot with other voice commands where you must gave correct command for it to perform the task.
When you say playing catch up, list the details because claiming things in general doesn't give you any credit but troll. BTW, stop bring Google Now to compare with Siri or I'm going to slap you with wet noodles. Google Now didn't exist when Siri came out. Google laughed at Apple about Siri and 2 years later, they released the fucking same thing called "Google Now". So, give us a valid argument or just STFU.
I want to try the Apple Pencil so bad. I just would have liked it to work for the Mac as well. I doubt the professional apps that I'm using will suddenly appear on the iPad Pro.. But a no latency tablet/ iPad for the Mac would be great.
Hey @AppleInsider Staff how was the tip feel against the glass? Is it slippy plastic to glass, or is it slightly rubbery with some friction?
Editing 4K on the iPad looks great. it would have been great with support for external drives now. 4K takes up a lot of space, and duplicating files is a bollocks bottle neck, imo.
Let me put it this way for some idiots saying that Apple is playing catch up to others:
1. Apple came out with multi-touch tablet called iPad, then others follows.
2. Tablet keyboard: many vendors already made them for iPad before Surface came out with one.
3. Stylus: it's been around forever.
So, Microsoft combines a multitouch tablet with a tablet keyboard and modern stylus in Surface, but it doesn't give them a fucking credit as a creator of a hybrid tablet. Get it, Koop?
No one claimed Apple was the first in any product category. However, no can deny that Apple create a product and implement the technologies that works so well together that set the par for others to beat.