Apple on Tuesday unveiled a list of new iPhones with major camera updates, as well as new iPad models and an improved Apple Watch.
The new iPhones, unveiled by CEO Tim Cook at a live streaming event titled “California Dreaming,” will arrive in time for the heavy holiday season and cost the same as their predecessors.
The new iPhone 13, which will start at $ 699, features a stronger camera and processor, but an exterior design virtually unchanged from its predecessor, except for a smaller “notch” at the top of the screen.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will sell for $ 999 and $ 1,099, respectively. The phones will remain largely unchanged on the outside, but have stronger cameras and processors. They will also have “Super Retina XDR Displays” which the company said are 25 percent brighter than previous models.
The more expensive iPhone Pro models will also include a 1 terabyte storage option – the largest amount of storage of any iPhone.
All new iPhones will be released on September 24th.
Both the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro will see serious camera updates, including a “movie mode” that works as a sort of “portrait mode” for video. The feature, which Apple promoted in a video featuring “The Hurt Locker” and “Zero Dark Thirty” director Kathryn Bigelow, will allow users to focus on photos in a way that mimics quality Hollywood movies. according to Apple.
A new “photographic styles” feature will also allow users to change the tone, warmth and other aspects of photos in real time, the company said.
Wedbush Securities managing director Dan Ives told The Post he expects Apple to see an increase in sales during the fall and winter.
“I think it will be a growth boom that they will see this holiday season,” said Ives, who predicted a rise in sales due to “accumulated demand … combined with improved battery technology, camera, nine chip “.
“They kept prices unchanged: there were some fears that prices should rise,” Ives added.
The continued shortage of chips has led to rising prices for technology products and hampered the production of smartphone makers, including Apple, forcing the company to delay the launch of its iPhone 12 about a month last year .
Still, Apple avoided worries about chip supply when it unveiled its new A15 bionic chip, which will appear on new iPhone models.
“Frankly, the competition is still picking up our chips, not just from last year, but even from two years ago,” said Kaiann Drance, iPhone marketing executive.
Ives predicted that the new features of the phones and the unchanged price will cause many “closed customers” who had kept the older iPhone to update, adding that 25% of current iPhone users have not updated their phone in more than three and a half years.
However, despite Ives’ bold predictions, Apple’s shares fell slightly in response to Tuesday’s announcements, falling more than 1.4 percent from $ 148.97 at the start of the year. event at $ 147.39 shortly before the markets closed.
Apple also unveiled a list of new iPads on Tuesday, including a redesigned iPad mini and an updated version of the standard iPad with a larger screen. Both devices also feature improved cameras and faster processing power and will be available starting next week, according to the company.
The standard iPad will start at $ 329, while the iPad mini will cost $ 499 and up, the company said.
Apple’s new watch, called the Series 7, has a 20 percent larger screen than its predecessor and a sleeker, more rounded design. The watch is also less likely to crack and be more dust-resistant, the company said.
The 7 Series will be priced at $ 399 and will be available sometime this fall, the company said. Apple’s cheapest watch options, the 3 Series and SE, will sell for $ 199 and $ 279, respectively.
The new software for all Apple company watches will respond to injuries while cycling, showing an option to request an emergency SOS if it detects a user has fallen.
Apple also said “Apple Fitness Plus,” its subscription-based exercise service, adds group training classes. This could set aside the business of Peloton, the popular but besieged spin bike company that bleeds money.
Apple unveiled the new offerings during a broadcast produced in a tone called “California Dreaming” that lasted more than an hour.
Apple has launched a new iPhone in September every year since 2013, except in 2020, when the launch was delayed until October due to pandemic-related production setbacks.
Analysts hadn’t expected any dramatic revisions to the iPhone this year, after Apple released its first iPhone 5G ever in 2020.
Tuesday’s revelation comes just days after a federal judge ordered Apple to set aside its payment rules and allow developers to steer users toward payment options other than Apple, a move that could allow developers to avoid downsizing. 30% of the company which accounts for many dollar sales in Apple’s revenue at risk.
But Epic Games, the maker of Fortnite, which filed the lawsuit that led to the order against Apple, plans to appeal the ruling because the judge overseeing the case dismissed 9 out of 10 of its charges.
The new launch of the iPhone also comes as Apple faces scrutiny by privacy and civil liberties activists over a plan to scan users ’devices for child pornography.
Apple unveiled the “child safety” feature in August, but said in September it would delay and modify it after a backlash from critics, who said the tool could be used by repressive governments to track and punish users for all types of content in addition to child pornography, including political content.
– Additional reports by Will Feuer