Apple September Event 2020
At this year's Apple keynote, Apple didn’t announce a new iPhone, however, we had plenty of devices announced including two new Watch models and an iPad Air that features a new design. Apple also detailed its new Apple One subscription bundles and Fitness+ service.
Apple Watch Series 6
The new Watch Series 6 continues to build the Watch to be more of a health-focused oriented device with this year’s model having the function to monitor blood oxygen levels. The new feature will allow users to measure the oxygen saturation of their blood in about 15 seconds and will check periodically as they sleep. The Series 6 has other improvements such as the new S6 chip which will make the iWatch more power-efficient and charge 20 per cent faster. The display on the Series 6 is 2.5 times brighter than its predecessor and also supports 5GHz WiFi networks.
Apple Watch SE
Alongside Watch Series 6, Apple announced a more affordable version of its watch. The Apple Watch SE will have many of the same features as its expensive sibling such as heart rate and fitness tracking as well as fall detection. The Watch SE will have last year’s S5 chip but will come with a display the same as the Series 6 screen. The Watch SE will not have the ECG feature and the new sensor of measuring blood oxygen levels.
iPad Air
The iPad Air got a major makeup inheriting the design ethos of the iPad Pro. The new iPad will come in five different colours. The iPad Air features a new 10.9-inch Liquid Retina IPS display that has Apple’s True Tone Technology. The device also features Apple’s new A14 chip, a fingerprint sensor built into the top power button. The iPad Air will support the second-generation Apple Pencil and the Magic Keyboard. It switches from Lightning Port to USB-C widening the options of accessories you can connect to the iPad Air.
iPad
Apple has also refreshed their entry-level iPad with a new processor, the A12 Bionic Chip which was introduced in 2018 with the iPhone XS.
Fitness+
Apple unveiled another subscription service to widen its service offering. This time it’s a workout service called Fitness +. On launch, the service will include 10 different exercises such as yoga, cycling, strength, and core workouts. You will be able to follow along on your iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV, with your Apple Watch tracking your progress. As you progress through your workout session you will see metrics like your heart rate, calories burned, and pace on the corner of the interface. You will also be able to monitor progress on your activity rings. Apple has promised personalised class recommendations to have a more bespoke training program for each individual. This service will cost £9.99 which allows you to share with five other family members.
Apple One
Finally, Apple has bundled its services together to save money each month. Apple One starts with individual plans that bring together Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV+, and 50GB of iCloud storage which will cost £14.95 per month. There is a family package which has the same services but with 200GB iCloud storage and allows you to share the package up to six people which will cost you £19.95 per month. Apple also offers a Premier Tier that will cost £29.95 but includes its new service Fitness+, Apple News+, and 2TB of iCloud storage.
iOS 14
Following typical fashion, Apple announced the release of iOS 14 which includes new home screen widgets and a new way to organise all your apps with the App Library. iOS 14 will be available on iPhone 6s and above.
Summary
At this year’s event, Apple gives a good refresh of its other products. The complete refresh of the iPad Air is refreshing to see it takes its design from the successful iPad Pro line up. The introduction of Watch SE will appeal to consumers that have a lower budget and highlights the purpose of the SE lineup, to give consumers a cheaper option with an older processor but includes new features. Apple One gives value for money for consumers that have subscribed to many of their services. The bundles will be a great addition for families where many members of the family uses the same Apple services. The exclusion of an announcement of a new iPhone will prompt questions, however, there are rumours that the new iPhone 12 will be announced later in October potentially.