Here’s our first look at the new, supersized iPad Pro
We’re live at Apple’s iPhone press event where, in addition to two new handsets, the company unveiled the long-rumored iPad Pro. As the name would suggest (and as leaks already told us), this is a supersized tablet, with a 12.9-inch screen, an optional pen (excuse me: pencil) and a click-in keyboard. I just had a chance to play with the new Pro and its accessories for a few minutes. I’ll be updating this post soon with proper impressions but for now, here’s a bunch of hands-on photos to whet your appetite. Have a look — and check back frequently as I return with some early thoughts.Slideshow-318499
Where to begin? With the hardware, I suppose. It’s so obvious — the larger screen, the keyboard, the pencil. At the same time, all of these features would be fairly useless without the apps; without software designed to help you take advantage of that extra screen real estate. But I won’t get ahead of myself here. Before we talk about what you can do with a 12.9-inch iPad, or why you might want one, let’s take a brief tour of the hardware. As we’ve by now established, this is a big tablet, measuring nearly 13 inches diagonally. All told, it weighs in at 1.57 pounds, roughly the same as the original iPad. I know we tech blogger say this a lot in hands-on posts, but it feels lighter than it looks. That’s not to say I’d want to use this much in portrait mode; it feels a little too top-heavy in-hand. But in landscape, the height is actually on par with the iPad Air 2; it’s just wider. That makes it pretty manageable in horizontal use, which I suspect is how most iPad Pro-optimized apps were meant to be used anyway.
Other than the size, this looks, at first glance, like other iPads you’ve seen, with a matte aluminum finish, available in three colors (silver, space gray and gold), and all the usual buttons and openings — namely, a volume rocker and Lightning port. What’s new here is a special connector at the bottom designed to accommodate the optional keyboard, dubbed the Smart Keyboard. Whereas other two-in-one devices rely on Bluetooth to power their keyboards, this one draws power through that power connector. Similar to other keyboards, too, there’s a flap in the back that folds up to help prop up the tablet when it’s docked in. Unlike other tablet keyboards, though, including the Surface’s, it only holds the tablet at one angle; you can’t adjust it. Good thing, then, that the Retina display has wide viewing angles.
And what of that keyboard? It’s really too soon to put down a firm verdict, but tentatively, I like it. The cloth-covered keys feel nice beneath the fingers, and help give the illusion of control, despite the fact that these are otherwise some fairly flat buttons. As a bonus, too, the cloth covering helps make the keyboard splash resistant, though an Apple representative here at the event wouldn’t go so far as to call it water-resistant, much less waterproof. In addition to the textured feel, I appreciated that the buttons offered at least a modicum of travel — more than I expected on a such a thin, flat keyboard. It would be disingenuous to say it’s as comfortable as the MacBook Air’s keyboard, but it should do in a pinch, especially if you’re using the iPad Pro as a travel machine; a stand-in for your primary computer.
Developing…
Filed under:
Tablets, Mobile, Apple
Tags: apple, hands-on, ipad, ipadpro, iphone2015, mobilepostcross, uk-feature
Apple Releases OS X El Capitan Golden Master to Developers Ahead of September 30 Launch
Following today’s jam-packed media event in San Francisco, Apple has seeded the golden master (GM) version of OS X 10.11 El Capitan to developers. The golden master represents the final version of OS X El Capitan that will be released to the public on Wednesday, September 30.
The update, build number 15A282b, is available through the software update mechanism in the Mac App Store and through the Apple Developer Center.
It is not clear if the OS X 10.11 GM will add any new outward-facing changes to El Capitan, as many of the prior betas have focused on under-the-hood performance improvements and bug fixes to optimize the operating system ahead of its public release.
During the beta testing period, Apple seeded eight betas of OS X El Capitan to both developers and public beta testers. The final beta, beta 8, was seeded two weeks ago, on August 31.
As an update complementary to OS X Yosemite, OS X El Capitan builds on the features introduced last year. Behind-the-scenes improvements in El Capitan make a number of apps and processes on the Mac faster, and the introduction of Metal makes system-level graphics rendering 40 percent more efficient.
El Capitan introduces a new system-wide font, a revamped Mission Control feature, a split-view feature for using two full-screen apps at once, deeper functionality for Spotlight, and improvements to Safari that include Pinned Sites and a universal mute button.
OS X El Capitan will be released to the public on September 30.
UK pricing for the iPhone 6s duo, iPad Pro and Apple TV
Apple announced a bunch of new products today, including the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, new Apple Watch finishes and bands, a monster iPad Pro, and a revamped Apple TV with Siri, universal search and games. Whether you’re interested in some, or all of the company’s new wares, we’ve got all available UK pricing right here.
iPhone 6s and 6s Plus
As expected, Apple has two new smartphones to replace the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Keeping with tradition, they’re iterative “s” updates that keep the same design and revamp the internals. They’ll be available in silver, gold, space grey, and a new rose gold colour scheme, with a new 64-bit A9 processor nestled inside. In addition to iOS 9, they’ll also support “3D Touch,” which is a pressure sensitive feature similar to Force Touch on the Apple Watch. With a slightly firmer press, you can “peek” and “pop” additional options.
| 16GB | 64GB | 128GB | Pre-order date | Release date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 6s | £539 | £619 | £699 | September 12th | September 25th |
| iPhone 6s Plus | £619 | £699 | £789 | September 12th | September 25th |
As you’d expect, the price of Apple’s previous iPhone models have been knocked down a peg or two to make way for the new flagships. The dinky iPhone 5s now starts at £379, while the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are available from £459 and £539, respectively.
iPad Pro and mini 4
With the iPad Pro, Apple is embracing the tablet’s potential as a laptop killer. The 12.9-inch display makes it easier to run apps side-by-side in iOS 9, and under the hood Apple claims its new A9X processor is beefy enough to handle demanding tasks like photo and video-editing. Similar to Microsoft’s Surface Pro 3, it also supports new Smart Keyboard and Pencil accessories, meaning you don’t have to spend all day poking the display with your fingers. Unfortunately, Apple hasn’t given any firm details about pricing — the tablet and accessories hit store shelves in November, so expect more information closer to release.
If you just want an iPad for streaming Netflix in bed, you might want to opt for Apple’s iPad mini 4 instead, which comes with the same A8X processor found in the iPad Air 2. Finally, the iPad mini 2 has been reduced, making it the cheapest slate in Apple’s lineup.
| 16GB (WiFi/WiFi and cellular) | 64GB (WiFi/WiFi and cellular) | 128GB (WiFi/WiFi and cellular) | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPad mini 4 | £319/£419 | £399/£499 | £479/£579 | Available now |
| 16GB (WiFi/WiFi and cellular) | 32GB (WiFi/WiFi and cellular) | Availability | |
|---|---|---|---|
| iPad mini 2 | £219/£319 | £259/£359 | Available now |
Apple TV
For years, it’s been rumoured that Apple was working on a major new product to disrupt the TV industry. The Apple TV unveiled today isn’t quite that, but it does give the company’s set-top box a much-needed refresh. It has universal search, meaning you can quickly find which, if any of your apps have a particular film or TV show, and a new remote which offers both a trackpad and Siri-powered voice commands. The device also runs on a new software platform called tvOS and will support Apple’s internet TV subscription service when it launches next year. The new Apple TV will be available in the UK at the end of October, and like the iPad Pro, Apple is keeping quiet about the pricing for now.
Filed under:
Apple
Tags: apple, appletv, ipadpro, iphone, iphone6s, iphone6splus, pricing, ukpricing
iPhone 6S and 6S Plus announced: what you need to know about Apple’s latest
While most of us members of Camp Android would never be swayed by an iPhone, we still find it interesting to see what the competition delivers each year. Last year, Apple brought forth a pretty big change with the introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, with both phones offering considerably larger displays than ever seen before in the world of Apple phones. This year, the changes are much more incremental.
Dubbed as the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus, the newest additions to the iPhone family borrow the same design language as found in the original iPhone 6 series. In fact, the only real difference is the addition of a new color that was first seen with the Apple Watch. There are four color choices in total: silver, gold, space gray, and rose gold. While the outside might be largely unchanged, inside you’ll find several key improvements to the iPhone experience. Let’s jump in and take a look.
iPhone 6S and 6S Plus specs and software
At least on paper, the Android world offers considerably faster multi-core processors, plenty more RAM, and other hardware features that Apple has been slow to react to. Instead, Apple focuses on deep software optimization, which allows it to offer similar or arguably better performance with much more modest components. That said, Apple is finally making some changes that help close the spec gap a little.
First off, Apple is finally moving away from its reliance on devices with 1GB RAM, with the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus both offering an Apple A9 chipset with 2GB RAM. The new chip claims to boast 70% faster CPU performance and 90% GPU performance over the Apple A8. For those into fingerprint scanners, Apple also promises double the speed with its 2nd-gen scanner.
The camera package is getting a sizable update this time around. Apple has always provided pretty high-end camera experiences, despite sticking to the 8MP standard, but with the new iPhone family we now see a 12MP camera that is capable of 4K recording. While it is hard to say how much better the camera is, Apple tends to do pretty well here, and we imagine the same story will apply with their new 12MP iSight cam. On the frontside you’ll find a 5MP front cam that promises a great selfie experience.
Beyond this, most of the spec improvements are fairly minor. The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus retain the same screen sizes and resolutions as their predecessors, at 4.7-inch with 720p and 5.5-inches with a 1080p display. No QHD or 4K here. One interesting new feature is 3D Touch, however.
Apple first offered Force Touch functionality with its Apple Watch and now they have rebranded it as 3D Touch, which allows the phone to distinguish between a deep press and a tap. As you can imagine, this opens up the door to new ways to navigate around your apps and the UI itself. On the homescreen, you can bring up shortcuts to the things you do most frequently, and you can even lightly press on your apps to get previews to the content or specific tasks within apps. Holding down longer can be used to pop into content, such as messages within an app, and the list goes on. We imagine there will be plenty of other interesting in-app uses for 3D Touch as well, dependent on how app developers decide to utilize it.
On the software front, the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will arrive with iOS 9, which was first introduced at WDC this summer. The overall UI remains about the same as its predecessor, but the OS update does introduce new split-screen app modes for select devices, Apple Map improvements, a new “News” app, picture-in-picture video, Apple Pay improvements, and more.
iPhone 6S and 6S Plus price and availability
The iPhone 6S starts at $199 on contract for the 16GB model, with the larger iPhone 6S starting at $299 for the same storage configuration. The 64GB model brings the contract price up $100, and another $100 after that for the 128GB model. You can expect the latest phones to hit store shelves on September 25th, with pre-orders scheduled to begin on September 12th.
For those that prefer payment plans, Apple is also introducing a US-only program in its retail stores called the “iPhone Upgrade Program”. With this leasing program you can get a new iPhone each year, can choose your carrier and receive an unlocked phone, and the service inlcues AppleCare+. Pricing begins at $32 a month.
Wrap up
The new iPhone 6S and 6S Plus do not offer massive upgrades, even for existing Apple users, nor did we expect them to. The “S” entries are always incremental improvements, but Apple still made a few welcome improvements such as bolstering up the RAM and introducing 3D Touch to its phone family.
For Android users, there’s obviously little to see here. Everything that Apple presented has been available to us in one form or another for a while, and there’s still a lot missing from the iOS experience that most of us couldn’t live without. On the other hand, for Apple fans who skipped the iPhone 6 generation, the 6S and 6S Plus could provide compelling upgrade choices.
What do you think of Apple’s latest? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Apple Announces iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus With A9 Chip, 12MP Camera and 3D Touch
Apple today announced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6s and 5.5-inch iPhone 6s Plus at its “Hey Siri” media event in San Francisco. The new iPhones feature 3D Touch with “peek and pop” gestures that provide access to actionable shortcuts and content previews.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus are powered by an Apple A9 chip and embedded M9 motion coprocessor that deliver up to 70% faster CPU performance and up to 90% faster graphics compared to the A8 chip inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The smartphones feature an improved 12-megapixel rear-facing iSight camera with 4K video recording and 5-megapixel front-facing FaceTime camera with true tone Retina Flash — in low light, the front display will flash for a split second instead of traditional LED flash.
iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also have a second-generation Touch ID fingerprint scanner that is up to two times faster compared to Touch ID on previous iPhones.
The ninth-generation iPhones are crafted from Series 7000 aluminum and come in a new rose gold color, alongside silver, space gray and gold. Otherwise, the handsets look virtually the same as the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
iPhone 6s retails for $199/$299/$399 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. iPhone 6s Plus retails for $299/$399/$499 for 16GB/64GB/128GB respectively on a two-year contract. Carrier financing and leasing programs are also available through AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, T-Mobile and many other carriers worldwide.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Apple Introduces Moving ‘Live Photos’ for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
Apple today announced a new feature for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus called “Live Photos” that allows users to use the new 3D touch feature to see quick, GIF-like moments of photos they have taken. The company reinstated that the Live Photo feature is not video, it’s an actual photo with all of the same high-quality camera capabilities brought to the new generation of iPhone, but with the ability to move when a user presses onto the photo for a few seconds with 3D touch.
To do this, the feature records 1.5 seconds of video on each side of a photo to capture movement. The company also confirmed that Live Photos will be able to be viewed on the entire line-up of the Mac, iPhone, iPad, and even Apple Watch line. Users will even be able to use the new feature to set up Live Photos as a lock screen on iPhone, and even use the feature to make custom motion wallpapers each time you raise the Apple Watch to check the watch face.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Apple Announces iPhone Upgrade Program for Annual iPhone Purchasers
Today at its “Hey Siri” special event, Apple announced a brand new program at its retail stores called the iPhone Upgrade Program. The program is designed for users who want to have the newest iPhone every year.
Signing up for the program gets you a brand new iPhone every year and allows users the ability to choose their carrier with an unlocked phone. The program will initially begin at retail locations in the U.S. before rolling out internationally. Pricing for the program starts at $32 a month and includes AppleCare+.
The iPhone 6s and 6s Plus will be available for preorder on September 12 and available for purchase on September 25.
New Docks and Cases Confirmed for iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus
Apple briefly covered the topic of some new accessories for its new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus line at today’s media event in San Francisco. The company revealed that they will ship four docks in matching colors of the iPhones: Gold, Rose Gold, Space Gray, and Silver.
The company also confirmed the launch of some new colors in both its leather and silicon line-up, but didn’t give a specific run-down of which new options would be available.
This story is developing. Refresh for the latest updates from Apple’s September 2015 media event or follow our live blog.
Apple Seeds iOS 9 Golden Master to Developers Ahead of September 16 Public Launch
Apple today seeded the golden master (GM) version of iOS 9 to developers. The golden master represents the final version of iOS 9 that will be released to the public on September 16, two days ahead of the official launch of the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus.
The update is available through Apple’s over-the-air updating mechanism on iOS devices and it can also be downloaded through the Apple Developer Center.
Prior to the launch of the golden master, Apple seeded five betas of iOS 9 to developers and public beta testers, with the fifth and final beta released on August 6.
iOS 9 focuses on intelligence and proactivity, allowing iOS devices to learn user habits and act on that information, providing recommendations to places we might like, apps we might like to use, and more. Siri is smarter with iOS 9, able to create contextual reminders and offer up more information through improved search options.
Built-in apps like Maps, Notes, and Mail have been improved in iOS 9, and Apple Pay has been renamed Wallet. iOS 9 introduces split-screen multitasking for the iPad for the first time, and there are some significant under-the-hood improvements that will result in more battery life, more storage space through smaller app install sizes, and enhanced performance.
The new Apple TV brings apps, Siri and a touchscreen remote for $149
The new Apple TV is here, just unveiled at today’s big event. Speculation about Apple’s plans for the living room have circled for years, and this represents its most powerful assault on the space so far. A hardware refresh in 2012 added 1080p support but not much else, so we’re more than due for an upgrade, and exec Eddy Cue appropriately called today “a big day for the big screen.” Tim Cook called it “the future of television,” promising a new tvOS, App Store and showing off features including deep Siri integration with a new remote.
That remote has a touchscreen, mic and Wii-like motion controls built in, necessary for Siri to search across “multiple content options” (Netflix, Hulu, HBO and Showtime, with more to come) on a single screen. Universal search is a feature already offered by competitors like Roku, Samsung, Amazon and Xbox that makes it easy to find a show or movie without having to know which service or app it’s in first, and now it’s on Apple TV too. There will be two versions of the new Apple TV: a 32GB model for $149, and 64GB model for $199, shipping in October to over 80 countries.Slideshow-318411
Get all the news from today’s iPhone event right here.
In the onstage demo, Apple showed off features using Siri to locate content by genre, actor or just asking “what’s good for kids?” It also has a feature where asking “Siri, what did he/she say?” automatically skips back a few seconds and turns on the captions. Taking a page from Siri on iOS (as well as other helper like Amazon’s Alexa and Microsoft’s Cortana) Siri can pull up info on the TV screen like general facts and current sports scores. Everything during the demo looked to be voice controlled, including switching apps.
The remote is connected to the box by Bluetooth 4.0, with volume control for your TV, as well as an accelerometer and gyroscope for the motion control features. Apple says it can go three months without charging, but when you need to top it up, it connects to the same Lightning plug as current iPhones and iPads. There’s support for third-party controllers via Bluetooth too, key for the gaming experiences Apple is expecting.
As for the box itself, it looks a little taller than the previous squared-off hockey puck. Inside is a 64-bit A8 chip, with connections via an IR sensor, Bluetooth 4.0 and 802.11ac WiFi. There’s no mention of external storage support, or any resolutions beyond 1080p, so we’re figuring those aren’t in the cards this time around.
Oh, and about those apps. Once again, the rumors are on target, with Apple unveiling its new iOS-based tvOS. Apple says everything from Netflix to games like Star Wars and Guitar Hero are coming to Apple TV now. Following Siri, the next software demo featured Crossy Road, which is coming at the launch of Apple TV with a new multiplayer mode, that could add players using iPhones as controllers. Harmonix is showing off a Beat Sports game that uses the remote’s motion controls to add Nintendo Wii-style features.
The next demonstration featured the shopping app Gilt, where of course buyers can swipe through different looks and buy them directly from the remote. Slightly more impressive is a new MLB.com At-Bat app that not only pulls in games in 60fps, but also features split-screen to watch multiple games, and notifications about events as they’re happening that can pull you into a live broadcast.
Both versions of the new Apple TV launch next month alongside the current $69 Apple TV third-gen, but developers can access the tvOS beta and start working on apps today.
Developing..
Filed under:
Gaming, Home Entertainment, HD, Apple
Tags: apple, appletv, ATV4, breaking news, hdpostcross, iphone2015, motioncontrol, remote, Siri, tvOS, video
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