My notes from Yesterday’s Apple Announcement (iPhone X)

I put together some notes as I watched yesterday’s Apple event streamed live from the new Steve Jobs theater at the new Apple campus. I sent them out to fellow Mac users at work (I am one of the strong supporters of Macs where I work), and got such good feedback, I thought I’d gather the notes here on my blog to capture them for myself in the future.

Plus, this blog is lonely. I don’t write on it nearly as much as I would like.

So with that being said, here’s my notes from yesterday’s Apple event (aka the annual fall announcement of the new iPhones).

• Tim Cook opened the event with a tribute to Steve Jobs.
• Broadcasting from the new Steve Jobs theater in the new Apple park.
• Apple park converted from a “sea of asphalt” into a green space. Designed to be seamless with Nature. Brings the outside in and connects everyone to the beautiful California landscape
• 100% renewable energy powered. One of the world largest on site solar farms
• Great visitor center open later this year. More than just an apple store. Focus on inspiring people, as well as discovering and exploring new products
• Retail update – Angela Ahrendts
  • No longer call them “stores”, call them Town Squares
  • new store designs – creating plaza, open spaces open to everyone,
  • Launched “Today at Apple” – classes/sessions to teach people to use their phones to take photos, or swift playgrounds, to teacher Tuesdays where they keep educators up to date on the latest technologies
  • These sessions are led by a new position called the “creative pro”, a complement to the genius bar
  • Continue to open new ones, and reinvesting in the current ones.
  • Tim Cook especially proud of the apple employees
• First product up: Apple Watch
  • 50% year over year sales growth
  • Apple watch is now the #1 watch in the world
  • 97% customer satisfaction rate (industry leading)
  • Tim Cook: most important thing to apple is how the watch is helping to change people’s lives.
  • Bring on Jeff Williams to talk about new stuff.
  • Watch OS 4 – redesigned workout app, Gymkit a new app to link to gym equipment.
  • Enhancing the heart rate app. more data displayed, adding feature to detect elevated heart rate when not active.
  • Announcing Apple Heart Study: Will use Watch data to analyze arrhythmia and notify users. Collaboration with Stanford Medical. Starts in US.
  • Next gen apple watch: Apple Watch series 3
    • Cellular built in
    • number is the same as your iPhone
    • Can use Siri, maps, text and phone calls, Find my Friends automatically switches to Watch from iPhone.
    • Same size cases. New gold aluminum finish in sport. New band colors. New band called Sport loop (light, stretchy and breathable)
    • Cellular, GPS, 70% faster processor, Watch OS 4
    • Series 1 $249, Series 3 without cellular $329, Series 3 with cellular $399
    • All versions Available in both 38mm and 42mm
    • Orders begin Sept 15, Available Sept 22nd
• Next up: Apple TV
  • Announcing Apple TV 4K
  • Eddie Que
  • Supports HDR 10 and Dolby Vision.
  • To be honest, I am not a video aficionado so I don’t know what all of the different terms mean.
  •  A10X fusion chip. 2x CPU performance and 4x graphics performance of current Apple TV
  • Working with large studies to bring all their 4K versions to the iTunes store, all at same price as the HD versions
  • If you’ve bought HD version, automatically upgraded to 4K at no charge
  • Apple TV 4K starts at $179, Sept 15th order, Ships Sept 22,
• Next up iPhone: iPhone 8
  • Giving a summary of the impact of the iPhone these 10 years.
  • No other device has had the impact on the world like the iPhone.
  • so essential or put so much power into people’s hands as the iPhone
  • Our intention with iPhone has always been to create something so powerful, immersive such that the hardware disappears.
  • “Apple has always believed that technology infused with humanity can change people’s lives and improve the world.”
  • Phil Schiller to talk iPhone 8 (4.7”), iPhone 8 plus (5.5”)
    • This is a huge step forward for iPhone
    • Glass in front and back. Side band made of aluminum (Assume this is the antenna)
    • Silver, space grey, and new gold finish
    • 7-layer color process, 50% strengthening, glass reinforced by steel. Most durable ever in a smartphone. Microscopically sealed.
    • A11 processor, six-core CPU, 64 bit design
    • Lots of specs, but basically, better for games, and much better for photos (dual cameras in the Plus)
    • More power allows for AR (augmented reality). AR being added to apps – MLB at bat to show player stats in real time as scan around the ballpark. Sky Guide uses AR to superimpose star maps on the sky around you (awesome app. I use it myself a lot)
    • Still has home button
    • Future is wireless. – Wireless charging
    • Qi open wireless standard – Any Qi-certified charger will work with iPhone 8.
    • New generation of iPhone, packed with innovations.
    • iPhone 8: 64GB ($699), 256 GB ($849)
    • iPhone 8 plus: 64 GB ($799), 256 GB ($949)
    • Preorder Sept 15, available Sept 22nd
• One more thing – iPhone X (X pronounced “ten”)
  • “We’re not stopping there. We do have… one more thing.”
  • The Future of the Smart phone
  • “Reveal a product that will set the path of technology for the next decade” (video)
  • Biggest leap forward since original iPhone.
  • Phil Schiller back up again
  • iPhone X
    • Edge to edge, top to bottom display,
    • Glass on front and back, same as iPhone 8
    • side Band made of polished stainless steel (assume this is the antenna)
    • water and dust resistant at microscopic layer
    • Two colors: Space grey and silver
    • Super retina display
    • Super Retina Display: 5.8-inches. 2426×1125, 458 ppi. First OLED display great enough for iPhone.
    • Raise to Wake, or tap the screen to wake
    • no more home button – opportunity to rethink the way to use it
    • swipe up from bottom to go “home”
    • iPhone X locked until you look at it, and it recognizes you – Face ID
      • Uses True depth camera system area – sensors at the top of the screen
      • neural networks and machine learning creates a mathematical model of your face, and check the results from the camera against the mathematical model created on board, to unlock the phone
      • A11 bionic chip with built in neural engine
      • requires user attention to unlock., opens even in the dark
      • Chance of random person unlocking your phone is 1 in 50,000 touch ID, 1 in 1,000,000 for Face ID
      • also works with apple pay & 3rd party apps that work with Touch ID
      • Animoji – can create custom emoji’s that follow your facial motion, and record them and send in iMessages
    • Amazing cameras – dual optical image stabilization, low light zoom, f/1.8 and f2.4, larger, faster, deeper. *Dual* optical image stabilization. Better low-light. 2x bright Quad LED flash.
    • Battery life: 2 hours longer than the iPhone 7
    • Wireless – also wireless charging, Qi certified charging, but made it better to move the industry forward
      • Airpower: new Apple wireless charging matt that can be used by both iPhone and apple watch and new air-pods with wireless optional charging case – coming next year
    • new Jonny Ivy video played of the iPhone X.
    • iPhone X: 64GB ($999) and 256GB ($1149). 
    • pre-Order starts October 27, shipping November 3
  • iPhone SE, iPhone 6s, and iPhone 7 (regular and Plus) also still being sold
• In summary, Tim Cook thanks everyone who works at Apple
• “I think Steve would be really proud.” – Tim Cook