Apple has new iPhones. That was to be expected. The regular one, the normal Pro and the larger Pro. For years, Apple has tried to sell a fourth version. First, for two seasons a smaller one called iPhone 12 mini and 13 mini. Then, for three seasons, a Plus version of iPhone 14, 15 and 16. All of them did not sell well. This time they are trying a thin one, with just one camera, a smaller battery, but razor-thin. Success is not a given. Do people want a thinner iPhone with less power? Time will tell.
All new iPhones are “the best iPhones we ever built”. Of course they are. The Pro models get a new camera hump that moves the flash and the Lidar to the other side. That is a new’ish look, but I can’t say it is prettier than before. What I like is the Aluminium back side with just a small glass – sorry Ceramic Shield – inlay where the charging coil is. The antennas are now in this new camera hump.
Apple does not like to talk about memory but the Pro phones are rumored to go from 6 to 12 GB RAM. On device AI demands more memory which makes anything before the 15 Pro unable to perform, including my own 14 Pro.
The thin iPhone Air is only available without SIM tray, which maximizes internal space for the battery that takes up almost the whole body below the camera hump. I suspect this model also has no space for the speaker at the bottom.
The software gets a new UI which is taxing the processors more. I am still not convinced that Liquid Glass is desirable but I am confident that it will improve much like the development betas have.
In other news, Apple has new AirPods Pro 3. They add heart rate sensing during workouts, live translation with AI running on iPhone, and they should provide even better audio and noise cancellation.
Apple Watch gets refreshed in all three models: Watch SE 3, Watch 11 and Watch Ultra 3. New features include hypertension alert and a sleep score. Both are soft markers. It cannot tell you the actual blood pressure but looks for indications of hypertension. Watch 11 gets more battery life, raising from 18 to 24 hours. Cellular models now support 5G, up from LTE.