Apple's yearly September announcement has been dubbed the iPhone event for a good reason. This is when the company's most important product gets shown off. And, right on cue, Apple lifted the veil on its new iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus and iPhones Pro.
While its mobile phones might have been the stars of the show, the event also shined a light on iPhone adjacent hardware: AirPods Pro 2 and Apple Watch Ultra. The latest wearable product gets a big 49-millimeter screen size and the most rugged materials to keep it working while exploring the globe.
Apple might have given this media gathering the name Far Out to tie in with its new Emergency SOS via satellite feature, but the products touted certainly had a running theme of big. From phones to watches, everything has grown in size. Catch up on the most important announcements below with five key points.
iPhone 14 Now Comes in a Plus Size
The new iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899—not cheap. It is less expensive than buying an iPhone Pro Max, however, if all you want is the largest screen size. With the iPhone 13 mini not getting a new version this year, it could be presumed that there wasn't much of a demand for it and more people probably wanted a bigger screen instead of a smaller one.
With the Plus, you'll get the same specs and features as the 6.1-inch iPhone 14, but it will feature a 6.7-inch display size. Apple highlighted that the 6.7-inch size will be able to display more information across its own apps that come with the phone.
iPhones 14 Pro Get Substantial Screen Upgrades
Overall, the iPhones 14 Pro retain the same casing and shape as the previous iPhones 13 Pro, but thanks to a tweak, their screens now look quite different. Instead of the familiar notch at the top, containing the front camera and Face ID sensors, there's now a black oval, pill-shaped area filled with pixels. Apple calls it the Dynamic Island.
This updated design might appear to be about aesthetics, but it also includes plenty of software functionality, too. The Dynamic Island integrates with system notifications, music services and all kinds of different apps to keep information front and center. One example Apple demonstrated was being able to keep an app's baseball game score always visible in the Dynamic Island.
The other primary enhancement is the ability for Pro screens to be on perpetually. An Apple Watch screen constantly displays the time by dimming and slowing down its refresh rate, and now iPhones 14 Pro will be able to do the same thing. This will allow the phone screen to continually show new iOS 16 lock-screen widgets without burning down battery life. With the Dynamic Island and the always-lit-up screen, the front of the Pro phones look much different than they did a year ago.
- iPhone 14 starts at $799.
- iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899.
- iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099.
All of the iPhone 14 models can be preordered on September 9 and will be available on September 16.
The Camera System Is Wild
I think the right phrase for the back camera system's subtly growing presence is "camera creep." Year over year the size of the camera components continues to grow. It happens slowly and then all at once. But the reason it's yet again bigger on the iPhone 14 Pro is because of the amount of optics stuffed into the space.
The Pro phones get a new 48 MP main camera that has a quad-pixel sensor. That means that Apple can combine four pixels into one if it needs better low-light capabilities at certain times of the day. To put it in perspective, the sensor is 65-percent larger than last year's iPhone 13 Pro.
The telephoto camera will get two times better optical quality. And thanks to both software and hardware advancements, each camera will get at least twice as good low-light capabilities, with the ultrawide camera getting three times better performance. On the video front, Cinematic mode will be able to handle 4K HDR at 24 frames per second.
Apple Watch Ultra Goes Big and Rugged
It is said that bigger is better; the latest Apple Watch Ultra is trying to be the best. The new option features a 49-millimeter screen size, 4 millimeters larger than any previous Apple Watch. This Ultra variant isn't only distinguished by its screen size but also by its titanium casing, Action button and new GPS connections.
The larger watch screen means on-screen objects and text appear bigger and may be easier to read. The physical size also has the benefit of being able to house more battery capacity. Apple touted 36 hours of continuous usage—aimed at people using the GPS function while exercising and other demanding activities.
Basically, Apple Watch Ultra can handle the harshest conditions for extreme sports enthusiasts. Whether people are diving, running or hiking, Ultra should be able to keep up.
- Apple Watch Ultra starts at $799.
Additionally, Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch SE were both announced alongside the Ultra.
- Apple Watch SE starts at $249.
- Apple Watch Series 8 starts at $399.
All of the new Apple Watch models will be available to order today. Apple Watch SE and Series 8 will be available on September 16, while Ultra will be available on September 23.
AirPods Pro 2 Improve in Nearly Every Way
The main feature of AirPods Pro was their active noise cancellation (ANC). The new AirPods Pro 2 (second generation), double down on that with an ANC twice as capable. There's a new adaptive transparency mode, too, which will try to allow in sounds around you while keeping out all the extraneous noises.
The new wireless earbuds improve audio quality and bump up the battery life to 6 hours of listening time. But the charging case got upgraded, too. It now has Find My integration with U1 chip support. The case has a new speaker that can produce a sound if you still can't find it. All these audio and enhanced capabilities are powered by Apple's own custom-designed H2 chip.
Plus, as a neat addition, the stems will now support touch controls for sliding up and down to adjust the volume. Some people will enjoy the extra-small ear tips that will be included with AirPods Pro.
AirPods Pro (second generation) cost $249 and can be preordered starting September 9 and will be available on September 23.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Tyler Hayes is a product reviewer for Newsweek. He has contributed extensively to WIRED, The New York Times, Fast Company, ... Read more
