I attended the iPhone 11 event this morning in Cupertino, Calif. and was impressed with Apple’s hardware and software releases. I’ll go into more detail in the coming days, including on my podcast, but I wanted to share some things that really stood out to me.
iPhone 11, Pro, Max
First off, I think they nailed the naming. The iPhone 11 is now the standard model, the Pro is a step up, and the Max is a further step up with a much larger screen. All three phones are incredible in what they offer for the price point, but I’m still a Max guy.
The Ultra Wide Angle camera is beautiful. What really stood out to me was being able to take a picture when you’re in tight spaces—I think we’ve all run into that problem when trying to take a photo.
Of course, being able to widen the view of any picture and capture an entire scene will give us another great way to take photos on the iPhone.
Night Mode may be my favorite feature of all, if it works the way Apple showed it. They didn’t really take a photo of a concert, but I’m hoping the premise will be the same and I’ll be able to use this in those types of low-light conditions.
I’m also looking forward to hearing Spatial audio in the new iPhone. The implementation of this could really change audio on the smartphone.
There are a lot of little details that were impressive too. For instance, the ability to hold the button while taking a photo and have it switch to filming a video. That’s pretty cool.
Apple Arcade
I’m not a gamer, but at $4.99 for the family, this service is going to be an automatic add-on for a lot of people. Whether a gamer themselves, or for the kids in the family, it just seems like a no-brainer.
The catalog will exceed 100 games in the coming weeks, and you get a free one-month trial.
Apple TV+
We knew that Apple was investing heavily in original programming, but the more I see, the more impressed I am. The trailer for see was captivating and I can’t wait to watch it.
The big thing about Apple TV+ was we didn’t know the price—now we do. At $4.99 a month for a family, I’m signing up. I don’t think anyone expected Apple to release it this cheap. Everyone talked about bundles and ways that Apple could make it more affordable, but they ignored all of that and just made it inexpensive from the start.
Apple Watch
Apple Watch has always been one of my favorite devices. It changed the way I think about exercise, food, and what I do everyday.
I think I’ll like having the Apple Watch screen on all the time, but I haven’t tried that yet. I’ve had to tap the screen enough to know that it’s a pain sometimes just to see what time it is.
iPad
It makes sense that they announced an upgraded iPad considering they released the new iPad OS. They brought a lot of great features to the new iPad at a price point that is affordable for almost anyone.