Apple Watch Series 4: The MacStories Overview

This morning at Apple’s annual September event at the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park, Jeff Williams took the stage to announce the Apple Watch Series 4. The new Watch lineup boasts larger and thinner chassis, more than 30% larger displays with rounded corners, a breakthrough ECG sensor, and more.

This is the first major change to the shape of the Watch’s enclosure since the debut of the original Apple Watch, but thankfully Apple has maintained compatibility with existing watch bands. The new models will be sold in 40mm and 44mm varieties, each size 2mm larger than the 38mm and 42mm of previous generations. Stainless steel and aluminum varieties are offered as usual, but it looks like we’ve seen the end of the “Edition” Apple Watch line.

On the software side, the larger Apple Watch models are launching with a swath of new watch faces. Many of these faces take advantage of the new increased screen size by allowing a greater number of complications than we’ve seen on any face before. According to Apple the entire operating system has been revamped to take advantage of the new screen with its curved edges. These changes will ship in watchOS 5 on the new Series 4 Watch. There’s no word yet on whether all or any of the new faces will make appearances on older models of Apple Watch – they have not been included in any watchOS 5 beta builds thus far.

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iPhone XS and XS Max Cases Join a New Lineup of Apple Watch Bands

The new iPhone XS line and Apple Watch Series 4 are not available for pre-order until this Friday, and unlike in past years, when new device accessories became available immediately after Apple’s keynote event, this time the new cases and watch bands will also not go on sale until later this week. But eager purchasers can get a head start on scoping out exactly which accessories they’ll order by browsing Apple’s website. iPhone XS and XS Max cases and new Apple Watch bands are available to view, but you can’t order them until Friday.

One important note is that all Apple Watch bands are now designated 40mm or 44mm, to match the new Series 4 Watch, but they are all fully compatible with prior Apple Watch models which were sized 38mm and 42mm.

Here’s the full list of accessories you’ll be able to order starting this Friday.

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Apple’s September 12 Keynote By The Numbers

As usual, Apple sprinkled facts, figures, and statistics throughout the keynote today. Here are highlights of some of those metrics from the event, which was held at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California.

Apple Watch

  • The display is roughly 30% larger than the Series 3.
  • Up to 8 complications fit on one of Apple’s new Watch faces.
  • The speaker is 50% louder.
  • Series 4 40mm case dimensions: Height 40mm; Width 34mm; Depth 10.7mm.
  • Series 4 44mm case dimensions: Height 44mm; Width 38mm; Depth 10.7mm.

iPhone

  • Apple is about to ship its 2 billionth iOS device.
  • The iPhone XS’s 5.8-inch display is bigger than the screen on the 8 Plus and features 2.7 million pixels and 458 ppi.
  • The screens on the iPhone XS and XS Max have 60% greater dynamic range than the iPhone X.
  • The display on the iPhone XS Max has 3.3 million pixels and the same pixel density as the iPhone XS.
  • The iPhone XR display has over 1.4 million pixels and a 326 ppi pixel density.
  • The A12 Bionic processor that powers the new iPhones is a 7nm chip with 6.9 billion transistors, a 6-core CPU (2 high power cores and 4 high-efficiency), a 4-core GPU that’s up to 50% faster than before, and an 8-core neural engine that can process 5 trillion machine learning operations per second.
  • The neural engine works up to 9 times faster on Core ML operations and uses less than 1/10 the energy.
  • Apps launch up to 30% faster with the A12 Bionic chip.
  • Size and Weight:
    • iPhone XR
      • Height: 5.94 inches (150.9 mm); Width: 2.98 inches (75.7 mm); Depth: 0.33 inch (8.3 mm).
      • Weight: 6.84 ounces (194 grams).
    • iPhone XS
      • Height: 5.65 inches (143.6 mm); Width: 2.79 inches (70.9 mm); Depth: 0.30 inch (7.7 mm).
      • Weight: 6.24 ounces (177 grams).
    • iPhone XS Max
      • Height: 6.20 inches (157.5 mm); Width: 3.05 inches (77.4 mm); Depth: 0.30 inch (7.7 mm).
      • Weight: 7.34 ounces (208 grams).
  • Water Resistance
    • iPhone XS and XS Max
      • Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529
    • iPhone XR
      • Rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes) under IEC standard 60529

iPhone Camera

  • The wide angle rear-facing cameras on the iPhone XR, XS, and XS Max are 12MP.
  • The rear-facing camera on the iPhone XS and XS Max have a f/1.8 wide-angle lens and f/2.4 telephoto lens. The iPhone XR has a single, wide-angle f/1.8 lens.
  • The front-facing camera is has a 7MP, f/2.2 telephoto lens that is 2 times as fast as the iPhone X’s.
  • The iPhone XS and XS Max image signal processor can run 1 trillion operations on every photo you take.

iPhone Battery Life

  • The iPhone XS gets 30 minutes more battery life than the X and the XS Max, 1.5 hours more.
  • The iPhone XR gets 1.5 hours more battery life than the iPhone 8 Plus.

You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12, 2018 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12, 2018 RSS feed.

HomePod 12.0 Coming Next Week with Support for Multiple Timers, Phone Calls, and More

In closing its event at the Steve Jobs Theater today, Apple announced that next Monday it will launch the latest software update to HomePod, version 12.0. The headline feature is multiple timers, a missing function often derided at HomePod’s launch, and it’s joined by the ability to make and receive phone calls, perform Siri song requests with lyrics alone, and rounding things out, support for Find My iPhone and new languages.

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Apple Asks Developers to Submit iOS 12 and watchOS 5 Apps for Review

Ahead of the upcoming public releases of iOS 12 and watchOS 5 on September 17th and macOS Mojave on September 24th, Apple has told developers via its developer website that App Store submissions are open.

On its developer news site Apple touts the advantages of the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR:

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR feature a trio of all-screen displays paired with A12 Bionic and the next-generation Neural Engine. A12 Bionic is the smartest and most powerful chip ever in a smartphone, and is designed for performance in mind with Core ML, ARKit, Metal, and more. And now Face ID works even faster than before to securely and privately unlock, authenticate, and pay.

Apple has added scores of new features to its operating systems that developers can take advantage of to improve existing apps and create all-new ones that were impossible before the new APIs were introduced.

You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12, 2018 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12, 2018 RSS feed.

Replay Apple’s September 12, 2018 Keynote and New Product Videos

If you didn’t follow the live stream or announcements as they unfolded at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino today, you can replay it on Apple’s Events site and catch all the the product videos on YouTube.

The keynote video can be streamed here and on the Apple TV using the Apple Events app. A higher quality version should be made available soon through iTunes on the Apple Keynotes podcast.

Apple also posted new videos, including its product-reveals for the new iPhones and Apple Watch Series 4 and a two-minute speed run version of the event on its YouTube channel. You can find all those videos below after the break.

You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12, 2018 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12, 2018 RSS feed.

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Apple Expands AppleCare+ on iPhones with Optional Theft and Loss Coverage

AppleCare is Apple’s extended warranty program. Every iPhone comes with a 1-year limited warranty and 90 days of phone support. If you pay for AppleCare+, the price of which depends on your model of iPhone you buy, the warranty is extended to two years as is phone support.

AppleCare+ also covers accidental damage. Customers are entitled to two incidents during the two years and are charged $29 for new screens and $99 for other repairs, which is significantly less than the repairs would cost otherwise.

Today, Apple announced an extension of AppleCare+. Now, Theft and loss can be covered too providing additional value to customers. In addition to being available for the new iPhones announced today, theft and loss coverage will be available for customers with the iPhone 6, 6 Plus, 6s, 6s Plus, 7, 7 Plus, 8, 8 Plus, and X according to Apple’s AppleCare site.

Theft and Loss coverage includes Apple’s new Express Replacement Service and 24/7 priority phone and chat access to AppleCare representatives for up to two incidents. Find My iPhone must be turned on for coverage to be effective. Replacement costs $199 for the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, and 8, $229 for the iPhone 6 Plus, 6s Plus, 7 Plus, 8 Plus, and XR, and $269 for the X, XS, and XS Max.

You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12, 2018 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12, 2018 RSS feed.

Apple Announces Release Dates for OS Updates, New iPhones, and Apple Watch

Apple announced release dates for updates to its OSes and new hardware at the keynote held in the Steve Jobs Theater in Apple Park today. Here are the dates for each:

iPhone XR:

  • Pre-Order Date: October 19, 2018
  • Ship Date and in stores: October 26, 2018.

iPhone XS, and XS Max:

  • Pre-Order Date: September 14, 2018
  • First Wave of Countries Ship Date and in stores:1 September 21, 2018
  • Second Wave of Countries Ship Date and in stores:2 September 28, 2018

iOS 12

  • Release Date: September 17, 2018

Apple Watch Series 4

  • Pre-Order Date: September 14, 2018
  • Ship Date and in stores: September 21, 2018

watchOS 5

  • Release Date: September 17, 2018

macOS 10.14 Mojave:

  • Release Date: September 24, 2018

You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12, 2018 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12, 2018 RSS feed.

  1. Shipping initially to Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the UAE, UK, US, and the US Virgin Islands. ↩
  2. Shipping to Andorra, Armenia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, India, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Oman, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Slovenia, and South Africa ↩

Is Apple Neglecting Beats’ Headphone Business in Favor of Its Own?→

The Verge has a story today by Micah Singleton in which he wonders whether Apple still cares about Beats, the company it acquired in 2014. As Singleton notes, no new products have been released under the Beats brand in 2018, and The Verge’s sources say we shouldn’t expect that to change at Apple’s keynote tomorrow.

Nonetheless, Beats continues to have marketing successes, like recently becoming the official headphones of the NBA and USA Basketball. However, the dearth of new products coupled with competition from Apple’s wireless AirPods and rumored premium over-the-ear headphones puts Beats in a tight spot, which Singleton argues is a mistake:

Apple has its eyes set on the high-end audio market to compete against the likes of Audio-Technica, Bose, and a rapidly improving headphone ecosystem. But neglecting the team that has been able to sell slightly above-average headphones at a breakneck pace for nearly a decade doesn’t seem like a smart business move for either party. If you are the official headphone company for United States Basketball, it seems wise to continue releasing new headphones. And if you are Apple — and your history with headphones and speakers has precisely one win, despite many attempts — you should lean on the company you own that hasn’t missed yet.

Beats jump-started Apple’s music streaming efforts, but other than adding the W1 chip to its wireless headphones in late 2016 and 2017, there have been few signs of Apple’s plans for Beats. I hope Singleton is wrong about Apple neglecting Beats because it would be a shame to squander the company’s valuable brand, though I suspect he may not be.

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