Starting sometime this fall, you'll no longer need an Apple Watch to use Apple Fitness+. The service will be available on iPhone in all 21 countries where Apple currently offers it. Apple said at WWDC that a Watch-free iPhone Fitness app was on the way, so the news isn't exactly unexpected.
When Apple debuted Fitness+ in 2020, the experience centered entirely around its smartwatches, which seemed a little egregious for workouts that you could view on Apple TV. Soon, though, iPhone-only users will be able to access the full Fitness+ service, including 3,000 workouts and meditations that are guided by trainers. Your iPhone will estimate the calories that you burn, which will count toward progress on the Move ring (Apple Watch will almost certainly provide more accurate stats, though). While you'll need an iPhone to join Fitness+, you will be able to access it on iPad and Apple TV as well.
Moreover, Apple will release more Time to Walk episodes this fall. Time to Walk is an audio experience designed to prompt people to get out and walk more often. The fourth season will include stories from Regina Hall, Nicky Jam, Constance Wu and Meghan Trainor. Time to Run, meanwhile, will offer Fitness+ subscribers virtual running routes from the likes of Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming; Mexico City; Anchorage, Alaska; Monterey, California; and Seattle. Both Time to Walk and Time to Run will be available in the iPhone Fitness app as well.
Starting September 12th, Fitness+ users will gain access to more Artist Spotlight workouts featuring music from the likes of Mary J. Blige, The Rolling Stones and The Weeknd. There were also be a fresh collection of Pilates workouts designed to strengthen the entire body, along with classes with a new yoga trainer. On Apple Watch, select Fitness+ workouts will have extra onscreen guidance and trainer coaching.
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As usual, Apple's September event was packed with new hardware, most of which we aren't too shocked to see. The rumor mill correctly predicted the all-new Apple Watch Ultra, as well as the more iterative Apple Watch Series 8 and a new Apple Watch SE. And the iPhone 14 and 14 Pro mostly met expectations, as well — including the sad fact that the iPhone mini is no more. The AirPods Pro have also gotten a long-awaited update, though we'd classify this as another iterative change.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro
Shocking no one, Apple introduced four new iPhones today across two different lines. The iPhone 14 is joined this year not by a mini model, but by a bigger iPhone 14 Plus with a 6.7-inch screen. Aside from the bigger screen, the design is essentially identical to last year's iPhone 13. As is often the case, the camera got some of the biggest upgrades — Apple says the main back camera as well as the front-facing TrueDepth camera are all new, and they're combined with a new photo processing pipeline called the Photonic Engine for improved low-light performance. The True Tone flash has been improved, as well. And for video shooters, a new "action mode" should reduce shaking and vibration that occurs when you move around while filming.
There are also some notable new safety features on board here. Just like the new Apple Watch models, the iPhone 14 features crash detection, which uses a new accelerometer and gyroscope along with machine learning models to detect severe car crashes; it'll automatically call emergency services if a user is unable to reach or use their phone. The new iPhone also has a satellite connection to contact emergency services in places where there's no cellular signal. As usual, Apple also says that the iPhone 14 will have better battery life than ever before — particular the iPhone 14 Plus, which can have a bigger battery thanks to its larger size.
The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max come in the same two screen sizes and include all the features found on the iPhone 14, along with some notable improvements. The iPhone 14 Pro has an "always-on" screen for the first time. The refresh rate drops to 1Hz and the screen dims, similar to what happens on the Apple Watch's own always-on display. This lets you see notifications and widgets from the new Lock Screen in iOS 16 at all times.
Another significant change to the iPhone 14 Pro display is that the notch has been replaced with a circular cut-out that Apple calls the Dynamic Island. Rather than just leave this space as a blank hole to house the front-facing camera and face detection systems, this area will work alongside iOS 16 to provide a quick view at background processes running on your phone like timers, directions, Face ID or music playback. We haven't seen it in action yet, but it seems like a good improvement over the static and fairly large notch that has been part of the iPhone for years now.
Apple's iPhone Pro lineup always has some significant camera advantages, and that's the case again this year. The iPhone 14 Pro has a new 48-megapixel, quad-pixel sensor for the main camera lens. Typically, the iPhone 14 Pro will combine four pixels into one ultra-sized pixel that keeps image size around 12MP but allows for significantly improved low-light performance. You can also use 2x telephoto zoom with no loss of quality, as it just uses the middle 12 megapixels of the sensor for full-sized images. The ultra-wide camera and front-facing camera are also all new, and naturally the iPhone 14 Pro uses the new Photonic Engine for further image improvements.
All iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models will be available for pre-order on Friday, September 9th. The iPhone 14 starts at $699 and will be widely available on September 16th, while the $799 iPhone 14 Plus arrives on October 7th. The iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max start at $999 and $1,099, respectively, and will also be in stores on September 16th.
Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE
As expected, Apple Watch Series 8 is just a minor tweak to the existing Apple Watch formula. The main new hardware features are a temperature sensor and two new accelerometers that work in concert with the Watch's existing sensors to detect car crashes. If you use the temperature sensor overnight, women can get estimates about when they're expected to ovulate, as well. The Series 8 is also getting a new software feature called low power mode. Apple says this should extend battery life from the standard 18 hours to 36 hours by turning off features like the always-on display and features like automatic workout detection while keeping key tools like activity tracking on. Fortunately, this feature is coming to all Apple Watches since the Series 4.
The $799 Apple Watch Ultra, however, is an entirely new beast. It resembles the original Apple Watch, but with a much larger 49mm display and a flat front crystal that is built to project the screen from side impacts. The Digital Crown and side button are built into a new protruding area that helps protect the crown, and there's a new "action" button on the left side of the Watch, as well. You can customize that button to launch any feature or app you want — like starting a workout or activating a built-in dive computer.
Speaking of dives, the Ultra has twice the water resistance of the standard Apple Watch, and it also has a bigger battery rated for 36 hours of usage. That can be extended to 60 hours using the new battery saver feature. Given that the Apple Watch Ultra is much larger than its predecessors, it requires new bands, and Apple designed three entirely new options: Trail Loop, Alpine Loop and Ocean Band. Each of those bands is meant for a different activity. You can pre-order the Apple Watch Ultra today, and it'll be available in stores on September 16th.
Finally, Apple updated the entry-level Apple Watch SE. It starts at $249 and has a larger screen, the same crash detection features as the Series 8, a 20 percent faster S8 chip and health features like AFib history and heart rate notifications. Thankfully, this means Apple has finally stopped selling the ancient Apple Watch Series 3; the SE is now the cheapest option available.
AirPods Pro
The new AirPods Pro look essentially identical to the original model, but there are a lot of nice updates on board here. Perhaps most significant are touch-sensitive areas on the headphone stems that you can swipe to adjust volume, a pretty handy addition for when you don't want to ask Siri for help. The new H2 chip, meanwhile, offers up to two times the noise cancellation performance as the original AirPods Pro, along with improvements to overall sound quality and transparency mode. Battery life has been improved, too — you should get about 6 hours per change, or 30 hours total with the charging case.
The charging case has gotten some good improvements, too — it now works with the small Apple Watch charging disc as well as the MagSafe charger and any other Qi-compatible wireless chargers. It also has a built-in speaker so you can find it if you lose it, and there's also a lanyard attachment. The new AirPods Pro cost the same $249 as the last model, and they'll be up for pre-order on September 9th and available on September 23rd.
For the iPhone 14, Apple has decided to "go bigger." So instead of an iPhone 14 mini, this year we're seeing the iPhone 14 Plus take the smaller handset's place. The new 6.1-inch iPhone 14 is accompanied by the 6.7-inch Plus variant, with the company promising to deliver the best battery life on an iPhone. Though I can't verify that claim yet, I was able to spend some time with the new iPhone 14s at the Apple event. Though I miss the cute mini flagship, I can understand why the company opted for a larger phone.
Many reviewers like myself loved the small iPhone for its size, but lamented its short battery life. With a bigger frame, the iPhone 14 Plus should have room for a larger battery to last longer. Both the 6.1-inch and the 6.7-inch models also use the A15 Bionic chip found in the iPhone 13 Pro, and are generally not very different from the last generation.
In spite of its size, I liked that the iPhone 14 Plus felt lighter than the Pros, though. At 203 grams, it's lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro (206 grams) and the Pro Max, which is an absolute brick at 240 grams
The biggest difference here is that the rear camera has a larger 12-megapixel sensor and bigger 1.9-micron pixels. The front camera now offers autofocus for clearer selfies, and these were things that were hard to gauge at the crowded hands-on area. US models of the iPhone 14 will no longer have a physical SIM card slot, though this wasn't something I was very bothered by.
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Apple added plenty of new features to its latest iPhones, including a nifty display cutout on the iPhone 14 Pro it's calling the Dynamic Island. But as is so often the case with the company, Apple gives and it takes away, and the feature it's removing this time is the physical SIM slot. On US models, the company is going all in on eSIM technology.
In practice, that's a decision that will have a few effects on how you use the iPhone 14 if you decide to upgrade. For one, you won't be able to simply transfer the SIM from your current phone to your new device. Instead, you'll need to either call your carrier or complete an enrolment process online. Many people when they travel tend to buy local SIMs as a way to save on data roaming costs. That's something that won't be an option if you buy an iPhone 14 in the US. Thankfully, there are plenty of eSIM options like Airalo.
Apple has supported eSIM since it introduced the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR in 2018, and has included the technology in most of its recent Apple Watch and iPad devices. Starting with last year's iPhone 13, the company even began allowing users to use multiple eSIMs on the same device at the same time. The good news is the majority of US carriers support the technology. T-Mobile even recently began using eSIM to let iPhone users try its network.
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It was a day of farewells today at Apple's 'Far Out' iPhone launch event. In addition to getting rid of the iPhone mini variant, Apple also ditched the notch on the iPhone 14 Pro in favor of a pill-shaped cutout. The company is calling this the "Dynamic Island" at the top of the screen. The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max also feature brighter screens and offer an Always On Display so you can always see your most important information. At the Apple Event in Cupertino, I spent some time with the new devices and have to say that while the dynamic island still feels very obvious, it also seems a lot more useful.
The difference is that the interface now makes better use of the space by displaying different information on it. When I started a countdown on the timer app or played a song on Apple Music, the island would show an orange dot to indicate something was happening. Then, when I left the app, the island displayed a waveform to show that my voice recorder was still running, or that music was playing. When I long-pressed the island with one of these activities going on, the box expanded to show more controls.
Apple Music, for example, expanded to show the playback progress bar and buttons for rewind, pause and skip below it. For Timer and Voice Memo, controls appeared for stopping the countdowns and recordings respectively. The software cleverly camouflages the camera hole here, so it never interrupts the content and is hidden with empty black space in that area. Of course, so far, I've just used Apple's own first-party apps on the iPhone 14, and third-party options might not adapt to the island as well.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
When nothing was going on, long-pressing the dynamic island resulted in a slight stretching animation and light haptic feedback. If you peer hard at the pill, you can also see the 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera off to the right under it. Again, it's not quite an all-screen display, but the camera cutout feels better hidden than before.
Speaking of, the iPhone 14 Pro also got an upgraded camera system, with a new 48-MP primary rear sensor backed by Apple's new Photonic engine for better low light performance. That's not something I could test here at the brightly lit demo space, nor was I able to check out the new Action mode for video stabilization. But there are plenty of improvements to the iPhone 14 Pros on the video and camera front, like Cinematic Mode support for up to 4K resolution and 30fps framerates that we'd have to check out in a full review.
Another new feature I was able to briefly try is the Always On Display. When left to sit for awhile, the iPhone 14 Pro dims its screen, but remains just bright enough so you can see your lock screen's contents. When I lifted the iPhone 14 Pro slightly, its display quickly reverted to full brightness, just as responsively as older iPhones wake from sleep.
Cherlynn Low / Engadget
Unlike the approach on Samsung or Pixel phones, Apple's version keeps things like your wallpaper and widgets visible in addition to the clock. This might tax the battery a bit more, but the company is still promising all-day endurance for the iPhone 14 Pro series. That might be thanks to the new A16 Bionic Chip, which is built on a 4nm design process that might be more energy efficient. But it's something that again, we'll have to wait till we can test for ourselves to verify.
There was quite a bit more that I couldn't properly check out here at the Apple event, including the company's new Emergency SOS and Crash Detection features. And though the Pro and Pro Max's respective 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens were plenty bright, it wasn't easy to determine if the new phones' displays were indeed brighter than their predecessors.
If you're already overdue an upgrade or can't want to make sure you get one next week, you can pre-order the iPhone 14 Pros on September 9th. Those who can should wait till we can perform a full review, and the phones will be available from September 16th starting at $999 for the Pro and $1,099 for the Max.
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Today's iPhone 2022 event was chock full of marquee reveals with the new iPhone 14 and 14 Pro — not to mention the new Watch Ultra line. But tucked away amidst the news torrenting out of Cupertino, Apple announced on Wednesday that iOS 16, which all this new hardware runs, will be available as a free download beginning September 12th. Not everybody will be eligible to upgrade however.
Among the updated operating system's new features is a redesigned lock screen focused on "communication, sharing, and intelligence" with more expansive wallpaper options, enhanced messaging capabilities and photo sharing, and improved Live Text performance. iOS 16 will also be the first to offer Apple's new Emergency SOS service, which will enable folks stranded in the backcountry to contact emergency responders via low bandwidth satellite communications. That service will be free for the first two years, though the company has not yet released pricing for following the introductory period.
If you have an iPhone 7 or older, you will not have access to the new OS, unfortunately. iPhones 8 and newer, up to today's announced iPhone 14 and 14 Pro, will be notified once the update is pushed live.
Just before the new generation of Apple Watches (including the fancy Apple Watch Ultra) arrives later this month, current smartwatch owners will be able to upgrade to watchOS 9. Apple says it will roll out the operating system on September 12th, the same day that iOS 16 will arrive.
You'll need an iPhone 8 or later or second-gen iPhone SE or later running iOS to install watchOS 9. Apple Watch Series 3 owners will miss out on the upgrade, which is compatible with Series 4 and later devices. It's worth noting that not all of the watchOS 9 features will be available on every Apple Watch and in every region.
There are notable upgrades to the fitness features, including heart rate zones for sleep and workouts, multisport workouts and a way to monitor your personal best performances. You'll be able to track atrial fibrillation events and receive alerts when it's time to take medication. Other new features include a new-look Siri, a revamped Calendar app, Quick Actions gestures and more watch screens.
It's September, and that means new iPhones are coming right around the corner. Apple announced its latest smartphones are its "far out" event today, ushering in the era of the iPhone 14. Fans will have four options this time around: the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus, along with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max, with the latter two showcasing all of the latest hardware improvements you can get on an Apple handset today. The company also announced the much-rumored Apple Watch Ultra, a more durable, outdoorsy version of the classic smartwatch, as well as a slightly updated versions of the standard Apple Watch, Apple Watch SE and AirPods Pro. You'll be able to get your hands on all of these gadgets soon, so here's everything you need to know about how to pre-order the iPhone 14, the iPhone 14 Pro and all of the other devices announced today.
iPhone 14
Apple
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus will be available for pre-order starting on September 9th and will cost $799 and $899, respectively. The iPhone 14 will be more widely available on September 16th, while the iPhone 14 Plus will be more widely available on October 7th.
Both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus offer minor improvements over last year's iPhone 13 series. The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch display while the 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch display, and both use Apple's Liquid Retina XDR panel technology. Both run on last year's A15 Bionic chipset, and Apple claims the iPhone 14 Plus has the best battery life of any iPhone to date. The company gave the cameras a slight upgrade as well: both smartphones have a new 12MP main camera with a larger sensor and faster aperture, while the front-facing camera has been updated to a 12MP TrueDepth shooter with autofocus. The main camera also supports a new feature called Action Mode, which makes videos with a lot of movement look smoother and more stabilized.
iPhone 14 models support 5G connectivity and enhanced eSIM capabilities. All US models lack physical eSIM trays, which means you can more easily connect to your cellular service provide using eSIM technology. As for new safety features, the iPhone 14 will support crash detection, which can detect when you've been in a car crash and automatically contact emergency services on your behalf, plus a new feature called Emergency SOS via Satellite. The latter will help you contact emergency services even when you're in an outdoor dead zone. That feature is coming in November and will be free for two years for those that buy an iPhone 14.
iPhone 14 Pro
Apple
The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max will be available for pre-order starting on September 9th and will start at $999 and $1,099, respectively. They will be more widely available on September 16th.
This year, the Pro phones have a noticeably different design than previous iPhones. The rumors about a pill-shaped cutout turned out to be true — the screen notch is now gone and has been replaced by this pill-shaped space that houses the front-facing cameras as well as Apple's privacy dots, which turn on when apps use your camera or microphone. From a software standpoint, that space is dubbed the "Dynamic Island" as it will change and expand to adapt what you're doing on your iPhone, notifications you receive and more.
The iPhone 14 Pro has a 6.1-inch display while the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch screen, and they're always-on for the first time ever. Apple designed the panel to be as power efficient as possible, dynamically adjusting the refresh rate down to as low as 1Hz when necessary. The new Lock Screen in iOS 16 will show a bunch of things on the display like the time, widgets, live activities and more, and the Pro screens will do things like automatically dim to preserve power while continuing to show you relevant information, Lock Screen photos and backgrounds and more.
As expected, the Pro handsets run on Apple's new A16 Bionic chip and they have an updated rear camera array along with a new TrueDepth front-facing camera. The rear setup includes a new 12MP telephoto lens, a 12MP ultra wide camera and a 48-megapixel main shooter that has a 65-percent larger sensor than that in the iPhone 13 Pro. The Pro phones will also support all of the new features found on the standard iPhone 14 models, including 5G and eSIM connectivity, crash detection, Emergency SOS with Satellite and more.
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple
The Apple Watch Ultra will be available to order starting today and will cost $799. It will be more widely available starting on September 23rd.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is designed for those that are avoid outdoor adventurers, water sport athletes and endurance trainers. It has a refined design with a larger, sapphire crystal display that sits flat against the Watch's 49mm titanium case. Apple added a new action button to the side of the case that's in a noticeable orange color, and can be customized to suit each user's quick-action preferences. The Digital Crown is larger as well, and the other side button protrudes a bit from the Watch's edge, and all of these hardware charges are supports to make the Ultra easier to use with gloves on.
The Apple Watch has been water resistant for quite some time, but the Ultra takes this up a notch with WR100 water resistance and a new built-in depth gauge that helps it be a tool for tracking activities like scuba diving. Apple also redesigned the compass app to be easier to use and show more precise locations, and the Ultra has a built-in siren that can alert others to your location from up to 600 feet away.
All Apple Watch Ultra models come with cellular connectivity built in, plus this model has the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. The company promises up to 36 hours of battery life on a single charge, and up to 60 hours of total battery life when using a "battery optimization setting" that's coming later to watchOS 9.
Apple Watch Series 8
Apple
The Apple Watch Series 8 will be available to order today and starts at $399 for the GPS-only models and $499 for the GPS + Cellular models. It'll be more widely available on September 16th. Those who order a new Apple Watch will also receive three months of Apple Fitness+ for free.
The Apple Watch Series 8 isn't as big of a departure from the Series 7 as the new Ultra model is. The Series 8 looks largely the same as the last year's model, but it now includes two temperature sensors that could help detect when you're running a fever and it will come in handy with Apple's new ovulation tracking features. The Watch will take your temperature on a regular basis and record that data in the Health app, and it'll provide alerts that show when you were likely ovulating based on that data and additional cycle data. In addition to new ovulation tracking, the Series 8 with watchOS 9 will also support possible cycle deviation alerts.
Another new feature available on the Series 8 (as well as the Ultra) is crash detection. This builds upon the existing emergency services features found on previous generations: the Watch can detect when you've been in a car crash, and when it does, it'll automatically alert your emergency contact as well as contact emergency services and provide them your location.
Otherwise, it's much the same as the Series 7 with an always-on display that reaches almost to the border of the case, a dust-proof and crack resistant design. It also still supports an all-day, 18-hour battery life, but it will also have a new low-power mode that can extend battery life to up to 36 hours in total. What's better is that low-power mode will be available on Apple Watch Series 4 and higher that run watchOS 9, so even if you have an older Watch, you'll be able to make use of this new feature.
Apple Watch SE
Apple
The new Apple Watch SE will be available to order today starting at $249 for the GPS-only models and $299 for the GPS + Cellular models. It'll be more widely available on September 16th.
Apple's minor update to its entry-level Watch brings the same SiP that's in the Series 8 to the more affordable smartwatch. The new SE will also support high heart rate alerts, fall detection and crash detection thanks to the upgraded sensors inside of the device.
AirPods Pro (second-generation)
Apple
The second-generation AirPods Pro will be available to order starting on September 9th and will cost $249. They'll be more widely available on September 23rd.
If you were hoping for drastically different AirPods here, you may be disappointed. Apple's latest AirPods Pro look almost identical to the previous model as most of the changes are internal. The buds have an updated H2 chip that enable features like personalized spatial audio and advanced computational audio. Apple's also promising up to two times better active noise cancellation on these earbuds when compared to the previous generation. The new buds also now support touch controls thanks to a new capacitive sensing layer on their stems, plus a longer, six-hour base listening time.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
Probably the biggest new features for the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus isn't one you'll use ever day, but you'll be glad you have it if you need it. The new phone has a built-in satellite connection that people can use to send emergency SOS messages in places where there's no available cellular signal.
First, your iPhone will help you orient your phone in the direction you need to point it to get the best signal. Once you have a connection, you can open up a message interface that lets you communicate with emergency service providers. Apple says that because of satellite connectivity limits, it'll take much longer to send messages than you're used to, so the feature includes some automatic questions it prompts you to answer, like "is anyone hurt?" It'll have auto-populated answers that you can tap to respond. Apple is also compressing messages to a third their normal size to make sending them a little quicker.
Apple say that once the message it sent to the satellite, it then gets sent to emergency response centers; if those centers are only set up for voice calls, they'll first be routed to a response center that'll then get in touch with emergency response.
This feature will be included for free for two years with all iPhone 14 and 14 Pro models; it's not clear how much it'll cost after that. For people who are frequently away from cellular signals — perhaps the same people who are looking at an Apple Watch Ultra — this feature could be extremely useful in a tough spot.
Follow all of the news from Apple’s iPhone event right here.
The iPhone 14 Pro is here, and it's one of Apple's most significant upgrades in years. We're used to seeing better camera and screen technology in Apple's "Pro" lineup, but this time around it's a dramatic departure from the standard iPhone 14. For one, Apple has done away with the notch, which first arrived with the iPhone X way back in 2017.
Developing...
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