New Apple TV First Impressions: Not a ‘Revolution,’ But Siri and tvOS Shine

One of the big announcements coming out of Apple’s “Hey Siri” event in San Francisco today was the new and improved Apple TV, which aims to provide users with a far more robust and unified experience than its predecessor. As it did with the iPad Pro and iPhone 6s, Apple has allowed some journalists hands-on time with the new Apple TV after today’s event and subsequently the first impressions of the device have been shared online.

The Verge went hands-on with the new Apple TV, and while they found the new remote to be “frenetic” at first, they noted the sensitive controls are easy to get used to, even in a brief demo environment. The site also liked the slight visual overhaul thanks to tvOS, and called the device a “meaningful” upgrade to the Apple TV line, but was left unsure whether it met Apple’s massive vision detailed during today’s conference.

Variety‘s brief demo with the new set-top box found that the overall experience has been uniquely tuned around Siri and Siri’s in-depth search parameters. Specifically, the site was a fan of the device’s “fast and fluid” interface, along with the new remote control and the possibility of future Apple Watch integration.

Using voice to control Apple TV worked fairly well during my brief hands-on test, which says something: My German accent tends to throw off voice recognition systems, but Siri had no problems searching for foreign comedies when asked to do so.

Apple TV is based on pretty powerful hardware, and that shows when you navigate the device’s home screen. Scrolling through apps with the remote control’s touchpad is fast and fluid, app icons are 3D-animated, and the interface looks a lot lighter than that of the previous-generation Apple TV.

On the downside, Variety noted that much of the in-video alternate functionality shown off by Apple during the media event — like searching for actors while a movie plays — is limited to iTunes videos for the time being. The site also found some roadblocks when continuing to inquire into specific categories with Siri, with the voice assistant sometimes stumbling over whether they were beginning a new query or continuing insight into a previous one. In the end, while they liked the brief experience, Variety wasn’t sure Apple completely “changed the TV experience,” as the company hoped to do.

Siri also stumbled when asked to show TV shows from ABC, something an Apple employee attributed to the fact that the demo was optimized for movies. Also notable: Siri wasn’t actually that smart about connecting the dots. Follow-up questions have to start with certain keywords, otherwise Siri thinks it’s a new question. Launching an app or game requires users to use the word “open,” and not “go to.” And the MLB app wouldn’t open, just because I said “Open MLB.tv,” not “Open At Bat.”

Apple CEO Tim Cook said Wednesday that no one had changed the TV experience – and the new Apple TV doesn’t really change it either.

SlashGear said the physical Apple TV set-top box “isn’t quite as aesthetically pleasing,” as the existing version, but thought the brighter tvOS and slick menu controls were far ahead of the current Apple TV. The site also noted the accessibility of the remote’s IR blaster — which allows the small device to control a TV’s volume — and the ability to support MFI-certified controllers, like Bluetooth gamepads, is a plus for anyone looking into the new gaming App Store section of the Apple TV.

What you do engage with is the new remote control. It feels more like a mashup of a 1st-gen iPod nano and a MacBook trackpad, with the touch surface for navigation being very sensitive: at first, I skittered through the revamped interface, the icons tilting and bobbing as I went.

tvOS – built on top of iOS and with the primary changes being to how easily viewed the interface is from across the room – feels familiar, though the brighter color scheme is a little more engaging than the dour black of the current Apple TV. It also feels a little like Android TV at times.

The new Apple TV will be available in late October for $149 (32GB) and $199 (64GB). Besides TV and movie functionality, Apple introduced a few gaming-centric features today, including unique co-operative play for certain game titles and the announcement of the first gamepad for the new Apple TV.

Apple’s 3D Touch Video Confirms 1715 mAh iPhone 6s Battery

Last month, rumors and photos of a battery that looked very similar to an iPhone battery suggested that the iPhone 6s’ battery capacity would be lower than the iPhone 6’s. Today at Apple’s “Hey Siri” event, a video that showed off 3D Touch revealed the iPhone 6’s battery capacity.

In the video the iPhone 6s is dismantled and viewers can see that the battery is marked “1715 mAh”. This confirms previous rumors, which have said that the iPhone 6s’ battery capacity would be down to 1715 mAh from the iPhone 6’s 1810 mAh.

Rumors also indicated that the iPhone 6s Plus would see its capacity drop down to 2750 mAh from the iPhone 6 Plus’ 2910 mAh. While the iPhone 6s Plus’ true battery capacity is currently unconfirmed, confirmation of a lower capacity will likely come in the next few weeks as the device is subject to teardowns and technical breakdowns.

It’s likely the smaller battery size is due to multiple factors. Despite the smaller battery capacity, Apple’s stated battery life for the iPhone 6s remains the same as for the iPhone 6, indicating battery efficiency has been improved in the new model. Additionally, the new Taptic Engine takes up a significant amount of space that had previously been devoted to battery, meaning the Cupertino company had to cut down the battery size to compensate. Thanks Brandon!

Apple stock drops following Wednesday’s packed event

The excitement exuded by consumers after Apple’s event on Wednesday did not match the reaction of those on Wall Street. The company’s stock price for the day peaked within the first few minutes of the event’s start and then declined as it progressed and eventually came to a close.

Apple stock price on September 9, 2015

The event started at 1:00PM ET and the stock price continued to rise for about twenty minutes. Then, by the time Apple called it a day, the stock price was on a decline right up until the closing bell at 4:00PM ET. Apple’s stock price now sits at $110.15, down 1.9% from the previous day’s close. A possible reason for the drop is the unpredictability of consumers upgrading their current devices to Apple’s latest round. Apple’s products are known to be pricey and Wall Street seems to be balking, for the moment, on the idea that consumers will rush to upgrade.

Via: CNBC

Come comment on this article: Apple stock drops following Wednesday’s packed event

Watch Apple’s ‘Hey Siri’ event in under 10 minutes

Missed our liveblog of Apple’s “Hey Siri” event earlier today? Couldn’t sit through the whole two-hour livestream? Whatever the case, this is your second chance to take it all in. We’ve distilled the long presentation down to a little over nine minutes, preserving just the highlights. Here’s everything you need to know about today’s announcements, in a fraction of the time of the actual keynote.

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iPhone 6s First Impressions: ‘Familiar and Yet Different’ for an ‘S’ Generation Device

Perhaps the biggest announcement out of the “Hey Siri” event today was Apple’s confirmation of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, two new smartphones that will bring new features to Apple’s smartphone line, including faster Touch ID, 3D Touch, and improved cameras. Following the event, Apple let a handful of media have closer looks at the new line of iPhones, all of whom came away with nearly universal positives regarding the small “S” generation design changes and its beefier upgrades under the hood.

TechnoBuffalo has posted one of the first videos of both the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, noting that while the latter’s name “is a bit of a tongue twister,” both phones appear to back up Apple’s claim of improved internal upgrades. Particularly, they were impressed by the 3D Touch feature and its “quick actions,” that provide shortcuts like taking a selfie with the camera app or peeking into a text message in Messages.

What most people will pay attention to is the new 3D Touch technology, which is capable of discerning between a light tap and a hard press. This new feature will allows users to Peek and Pop into apps and other functions; Peek at an address in Maps, or quickly look at a photo on Instagram. Or you Pop into an app and quickly take care of business.

SlashGear called the iPhone 6s “familiar and yet different,” noting that while the phones look largely the same as last year’s models, there’s enough new aspects to each device “to keep things more than interesting.” The site liked the already-impressive third-party support for 3D Touch and found the front-facing selfie camera — which uses the actual iPhone screen as a Retina Flash — to work “surprisingly well.” Unfortunately, they weren’t as big on one of Apple’s more surprising announcements, Live Photos.

Live Photos I’m not so sure about. They’re reminiscent of HTC’s Zoe idea, which though interesting at launch weren’t all that enduring over time. Capturing 1.5-seconds either side of a still feels a little on the short side to me, though maybe I’ll be proved wrong when third-party apps wade in and take advantage too.

All in all, for an off-season upgrade there’s plenty to like about the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus. Those already fans of iPhone will love the tweaked hardware and boosted performance, and 3D Touch could do to capacitive touchscreens what multitouch did to resistive ones.

On the photo and video side of things, Wired said images and video on the new iPhones “look insane,” and that while the storage implications of Live Photos is yet to be determined, the new feature is endearing and creates a more lively photo gallery. The site also particularly touted the usefulness of the new 3D Touch feature, describing it as a way for the iPhone to feel “less like a collection of apps and more like a single, cohesive thing.” All the same, the site believes there could be a downside to 3D Touch in the way users have to hunt for it in the first place.

The problem with 3D Touch is that you never know where the hidden menus are—some apps don’t support it, neither do some menus, and you never get a hint. So you’re forced to hunt around looking for this buried treasure, which I’m worried I’d just stop doing after a while. 3D Touch lets you “see” what’s inside whatever you’re looking at; but how far it will let you look is difficult to say so far.

Despite the noteworthy bits, this is the same S cycle upgrade we’re used to: You’re getting a lot more power, a few new ways to go about using your device, and a couple of small things that make the phone more fun. Oh, and that rose gold looks pretty good.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus will be up for pre-order at 12:01 Pacific this Saturday, September 12. Both devices will then be available on September 25 in the United States, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and in over 130 countries by the end of the year. There are a myriad of ways to purchase the device, which now include the new iPhone Upgrade Program announced today.

3D Touch in iPhone 6s is a ‘Breakthrough,’ Was ‘Really Hard’ to Make

Apple today spent about ten minutes introducing 3D Touch as one of the headline features of the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus, but a new Bloomberg interview with company executives Jony Ive, Craig Federighi, Phil Schiller and Alan Dye reveals that Apple spent several years working on the challenging new display technology.

“Ultimately, this is our focus,” says Ive, squeezing a new iPhone 6S. “This is what galvanizes our efforts right across the company.” And 3D Touch, he adds with emphasis, “is something we’ve been working on for a long time—multi, multi, multi years.”

Schiller noted that, from an engineering standpoint, creating hardware that is capable of 3D Touch’s functionality was “unbelievably hard,” coming at a “tremendous amount of cost and investment in manufacturing” for Apple. For that reason, the company had to ensure it got the technology right.

Accordingly, Apple set out to do just that.

Working with Corning, Apple created pliable iPhone cover glass. Swipe it, and the phone works the way it always has. But press it, and 96 sensors embedded in the backlight of the retina display measure microscopic changes in the distance between themselves and the glass. Those measurements then get combined with signals from the touch sensor to make the motion of your finger sync with the image on screen. […]

To make what is counterintuitive feel normal, each on-screen “peek” and “pop” is accompanied by a 10-millisecond or 15-millisecond haptic tap, little vibrations that say “good job” to your fingers when an action is complete.

And, after a multi-year, tedious design process, Apple is now satisfied with 3D Touch.

Apple is feeling confident enough that it’s integrated 3D Touch into everything on the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus—the phone, the weather app, iTunes, messaging, and the Web. Facebook and Instagram plan on incorporating it into their iOS apps shortly after the phones arrive in stores on Sept. 25.

The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also feature a faster A9 chip with an embedded M9 motion coprocessor, improved 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 4K video recording, faster Touch ID, stronger glass and Series 7000 aluminum, Live Photos, always-on Hey Siri and more.

Bloomberg‘s longform How Apple Built 3D Touch article is a worthwhile read.

Logitech Debuts First Third-Party Keyboard Case for iPad Pro

Earlier today Apple announced its long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro at its “Hey Siri” special event. The new iPad model was introduced alongside a new Microsoft Surface-like Smart Keyboard, which connects to the iPad Pro via the three-dot Smart Connector. Now, Logitech has announced its own keyboard case for the iPad Pro, making it the first third-party manufacturer to produce an accessory for the Smart Connector.

We’re excited to introduce the Logitech® CREATE Keyboard Case for iPad Pro, developed closely with Apple to leverage the new Smart Connector™, eliminating the need to power on, set up or charge the keyboard – it is always ready when you are.

The keyboard’s ability to utilize the Smart Connector allows it to automatically power on and pair with the iPad Pro as soon as its connected because the Smart Connector allows facilitates both data and power transfers. This lets the user avoid having to pair their device via a Bluetooth set-up process or worry about charging the keyboard or swapping out its batteries.

While Logitech and Apple developed the keyboard together because of the Smart Connector, it’s unknown whether other manufacturers will also get the opportunity to develop keyboard cases that take advantage of Apple’s new connection port.

The keys of the CREATE keyboard case are full-sized, allowing users to easily adjust from similarly-sized laptop keyboards and do the work they need. It’s also built with a “tightly-woven premium fabric” that Logitech says helps resist accidental bumps, spills and scratches.

The CREATE Keyboard Case will be available for purchase alongside the iPad Pro, which will launch in November. It’s unknown how much the CREATE Keyboard Case will retail for.

Apple Reduces Prices of iCloud Storage Plans

Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller today announced that iCloud storage plans have been reduced in price. 5GB of iCloud storage remains free, while paid upgrades include 50GB for 99 cents per month, 200GB for $2.99 per month and 1TB for $9.99 per month. Prices in other countries may vary based on currency exchange rates.

Apple’s old iCloud storage plan pricing tiers were as follows:

• 5GB: Free
  
• 20GB: $0.99/month
  
• 200GB: $3.99/month
  
• 500GB: $9.99/month
  
• 1TB: $19.99/month

Apple’s new iCloud storage plans are priced more competitively against other cloud storage services such as Google Drive, which also offers 1TB of storage for $9.99 per month. Microsoft OneDrive remains cheaper, however, offering 1TB of storage and an Office 365 subscription for $6.99 per month.

Speck: Our iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Cases Fit iPhone 6s and 6s Plus

Last week, MacRumors reported that the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus would be slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, confirming months of rumors that the latest iPhones would be thicker. iPhone 6 and 6 Plus users looking to upgrade may have been worried their existing cases would not fit the thicker models, but case manufacturer Speck has taken to its Facebook to announce that its older cases will fit the newer iPhones, suggesting the size differences won’t matter for most cases.

Speck says that all of its iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases fit the new iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, which likely means that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases for other manufacturers will also fit the new devices. Officially, Apple’s listing of the weight and dimensions of the new phones reveals that they’re only slightly thicker, taller and heavier.

The iPhone 6s Plus is .01 inches taller, .01 inches wider, .01 inches deeper and .7 ounces heavier than the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6s is .01 inches deeper and .49 ounces heavier than the iPhone 6. A large amount of the size difference could come from Apple changing the aluminum used for the shell as well as strengthening several weak spots to help address concerns over bending, which is especially noticeable in the change of dimensions from the iPhone 6 Plus to iPhone 6s Plus.

Speck also announced brand new cases for both the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus today, refreshing its existing line of CandyShell cases with new colors and patterns. Additionally, it revealed the CandyShell Clear, Speck’s first completely clear case and the world’s first military-grade protective clear case.