issue 03 / volume 41

i

Apple

announcement

» The next big thing, and a
few more surprises

Jerrison Oracion
Senior Columnist

 

: Cook wasn't done. He proudly
: told the crowds about Apple’s
: new watch, the Apple Watch,

: the biggest new innovation for

pple fans were excited on
eptember 9 when Apple

announced new versions
of some of its products,
possible new products, and
other surprises. According
to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the
announcement was the biggest
Apple has ever done. It’s fitting
that it took place in the Flint
Center, a few minutes away
from Apple headquarters, and
the same building in which
former Apple CEO Steve Jobs
introduced Macintosh to the
world for the first time 30 years
ago.

Cook wasted no time,
and following a brief video he
announced the next version
of the iPhone: iPhone 6 and
iPhone 6 Plus. Both new
versions of the smartphone
boast larger screens (4.7 inch
for the 6, anda 5.5 inch for the
Plus), anew Retina HD Display,
faster processors, Touch ID,
a barometer, and improved
cameras that include a time-
lapse video feature. The Plus
contains more features, such as
the larger screen and a camera
with optical image stabilization. :

Both versions will include
the next version of iOS. iOS 8
will have a lot of new features,
including calling between Apple :
devices and a new virtual wallet :
service called Apple Pay which
allows you to put your debit and :
credit cards on an iPhone and
pay with your phone. iOS 8 will:
also have customizable widgets, :
something that Android users
have been enjoying for years.

Apple fans had been
expecting an announcement
about iPhone and iOS, but, as
Steve Jobs always said, there
was “one more thing,” and

: the company since Steve Jobs
: announced the iPad in 2010.

The Apple Watch is like an

: iPod Nano and a watch at the

: same time. It has everything

: that you can expect in an

: iPhone and an iPad, as well as

: an attention to style you won't

: find in the already-existing

: smart watch from Samsung. It

: can be used to check the time,

: use apps (like the new Apple

: Pay), track exercise, and send

: people messages. Cook said in

: a press release about the device

: that “Apple is poised to captivate
: the world with a revolutionary

: product that can enrich people’s
: lives. It’s the most personal

: product we've ever made.”

The Apple Watch will be

: released in early 2015 in three

: versions including a regular

: version, a lighter Apple Watch

: Sport, and a swanky gold

: version. Developers are already

: in the process of making Watch-
: specific apps, which will be

: usable on the custom version of
: iOS 8 that the phone will run.

Finally, the presentation

: ended with the band U2,

: performing a song from their

: unannounced new album Songs
: of Innocence. In what could be

: seen as a controversial move,

the band asked Cook if they

: could put the album in iTunes
: immediately—the album was

: then sent to 500-million users
: via iCloud, completely for free.

This huge announcement,

: chock full of surprises, could

: cause Apple to be successful

: in ways that they haven't since

: the iPad was announced. And

: there’s more to come: in the

: next few months, we will find

: out what the next version of the
: iPad could look like.

life & style // 11