After revealing that there are more than 1 billion Apple devices in the world, the computer giant announced its new improvements on product recycling and CareKit. Apple also talked about new updates for Apple TV and all the new features including on iOS 9.3. The company didn’t launch a new Apple Watch, but it announced a new line of bands. As rumored, Apple also introduced the iPhone SE and a new 9.7-inch retina display iPad Pro. Here are all the details from Apple’s “Let us loop you in” spring event on March 21, 2016.
Environment and health
Lisa Jackson, Apple’s VP of Environment revealed that 93 percent of Apple’s facilities around the world now run on renewable energy. In 23 countries, including the United States and China, the company reached its goal to run facilities on 100 percent renewable energy. Lisa said that 99 percent of Apple packaging materials now come from recycled paper. Apple also showed off a video of a new research project called Liam — a robot designed specifically to take apart all the components from an Apple product and recycle its parts.
On health, Apple announced CareKit, which is a new research tool that will help people to have a better understanding of different health conditions. The iPhone now includes better tracking for vitals, including heart rate, temperature, and range of motion when people undergone surgery or they have Parkinson’s Disease. Users also have control over this data making easy to share with other people or doctors. CareKit is an open source development and it will be available later in April.
Apple Watch
This time around the company didn’t introduced a new version of the popular Apple Watch, but price went down to $299. Apple also unveiled a number of new bands, including a new woven nylon bands with different color choices. In addition, now customers can pick up a Sport and leather bands as well.
Apple TV
Apple TV gets updated with new features, including voice dictation, Siri support for the App Store, Folders, and Live Photos. In addition, during the keynote, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook noted that the device now has over 5,000 apps.
The update for the Apple TV is available on March 21st.
iPhone SE
Customers requested and Apple delivered. At the spring event in Cupertino, the company unveiled the new iPhone SE — ‘SE’ stands for ‘Special Edition’. The iPhone SE is a 4-inch handset that is powered by a 64-bit A9 processor and an M9 motion coprocessor, which the company claims is as powerful as its iPhone 6s.
The phone sports a 12-megapixel camera with all the features customers would expect from Apple like panorama, slow-motion, 4K video recording, time lapse, and Live Photos. The front-facing camera also has a true-tone flash as well. Apple said that the new iPhone SE provides LTE speeds 50 percent faster than its predecessor. Customers will also get Touch ID and Apple Pay.
The iPhone SE starts at $399 for the 16GB model. If you’re interested on getting an iPhone SE, you can get it without a contract using the monthly payment plan starting at $17. On March 24th, the company will open the doors for pre-orders, and it will be available at the Apple Store on March 31st.
iOS 9.3 update
Along with all the announcements, Apple announced the iOS 9.3 update. The new release is not very significant, but it adds some useful features, including Night Shift — a feature that set the screen with warm colors as the sun goes down (very similar to the popular F.lux tool) –.
Notes gets password protection using fingerprint, apps suggestions for Health apps, and the News app now features tops stories and editor’s pick. CarPlay get an update as well with song suggestions and Maps that can locate nearby points of interests like rest stops and gas stations. Apple is also improving Education with new features for students, teachers, and IT administrators. Apple’s iOS 9.3 is available for download now at no extra cost.
9.7-inch iPad Pro
As expected, Apple also introduced a new iPad — the iPad Pro. The new tablet is a 9.7-inch retina display device that weighs less than a pound. The iPad Pro is powered by an A9X processor and an M9 motion coprocessor that can deliver graphics as powerful as an Xbox 360 and allows “Hey Siri” support out-of-the-box.
The screen is 40 percent less reflecting and 25 percent brighter than the iPad 2, and it sports an Oxide TFT display with high contrast ratio. According to the company, the iPad Pro has the brightest screen with the widest color gamut ever shipped on a device on its category. There is 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 4K recording support and a 5-megapixel camera for selfies, four speakers, and four-channel ambient light sensors to measure ambient light to automatically adjust the white balance of the display. Apple didn’t hold back and poked Microsoft saying that most people who buy an iPad Pro are coming from a Windows PC and the company will target these users with the new tablet. Phil Schiller, marketing vice president at Apple, also said that “There are over 600 million PCs in use today that are over five years old. This is really sad, it really is.” He continues elaborating that these people could benefit from the new tablet and they will find out that it’s “the ultimate PC replacement.” As for accessories, the iPad Pro includes the Apple Pencil, Lightning SD card reader, USB camera adapter, and the smart keyboard. The new 9.7-inch iPad pro ships in four colors, including a new Rose Gold shade. The tablet starts at $599 for the 32GB, $739 for the 128GB model, and there is also the option for a 256GB model for $899. Pre-orders begin on March 24th, and it will start shipping on March 31st.
Watch Apple’s “Let us loop you in” keynote event
If you missed the livestream keynote from Town Hall, Cupertino, you can watch the event at the Apple Event website. Source The Next Web All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
