A few thoughts on the Apple Keynote
by Volker Weber
This was a one hour keynote in the small town hall, and as Tim Cook said, most likely the last one on site until Apple moves to the new campus. If you were invited you belonged to the inner circle. I wasn't and even if I were, it would be hard to say yes. The live stream is just too good. And there was nothing unexpected at all. Everything had been spilled before.
A few thoughts, in no particular order:
- Apple Watch now starts at $299. New sports band color, a new nylon weave band, and a black Milanese band, which looks sexy on the black stainless steel watch.
- iPhone SE is an iPhone 6S in an iPhone 5S body. Minus force touch, which I hardly use at all. Don't buy the 16 GB version. Please.
- iPad Pro 9.7" is an iPad Pro 12.9", just smaller. Same features, same name, now both with up to 256 GB of storage. Apple did not announce the LTE version on stage, but it is available as well. The difference is $200 for the bigger screen, give or take a few. Configurations are 32/128/256 GB with and without LTE. The smaller iPad Pro is available in rose gold, and with a 32GB/LTE version. Both options are not on the larger one.
- The new camera sticks out of the back of the 9.7" iPad Pro, like on the iPhone 6. That means without a case, it's not going to lie down flat on a table. Since everybody uses a case, it's unlikely to bother you. Please note that the larger model essentially has the iPhone 5 camera and the smaller model comes with the iPhone 6S camera. That's 12 MP instead of 8 MP, plus Live Photos and TrueTone flash.
- iPad Air 2 (16/64) continues to be available, as well as an iPad mini. Both are considerably cheaper, the original iPad Air seem to be gone. Apple stills sells the mini 2 (16/32) and mini 4 (16/64/128). Again, don't buy the 16 GB version. Thank me later.
- You want an iPad Air 2 if you just want an iPad. But you want the Pro for the pencil support, for better sound, a brighter display with color adjustment and less reflections.
- Good citizen Apple wants to run on renewable energy, recycle their products and protect your privacy.
- iOS 9.3, OS X 10.11.4, tvOS 9.2, and WatchOS 2.2 are here
The big one is often what you do not see. No Jony Ive. Not on the stage, not in the audience.
Comments
iPhone SE looks to me like the final Windows Phone killer... :(.
No, that was the 950/XL. ;-)
Evil you are :)...
Ipad Pad Pro - "from 599 USD"? (i know - no taxes)
In Germany it's very expensive : 689€ (32GB) / 869€ (128GB)
And: 109.- for Pencil and 169.- Keyboard.
All together: ~1150€
I love the idea of an (9.7) Ipad with Stylus which would be the perfect replacement for my Ipad Air. But sorry Apple, to expensive in my eyes. The Surface 4 is cheaper and is a "real" PC.
I was really hoping for updated MBPs. But no luck for me, now i have to buy an "old" design (and yes, i have to buy since me tricked out MBA does not have enough RAM capacity for the current job).
The 4/128 i5 Surface Pro 4 is currently on sale and Microsoft is including a "free" keyboard. If you do the math without the giveaway, they are not far apart. Then we get to the discussion about software. "Full PC" vs "touch software".
