The annual "Spring Festival Gala" in the science and technology world is here again. Apple held the 2022 autumn new product launch conference at 01:00 on September 8th, Beijing time. The new iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch Series 8, AirPods Pro, and other new products all debuted.
iPhone 14 series mobile phones
At this conference, Apple released a total of 4 iPhone 14 series mobile phones, namely the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus
This year's iPhone 14 series ditched the mini model in favor of the larger-screen iPhone 14 Plus, both of which retained much of the iPhone 13 's design including the notch for the phone's selfie camera and Face ID sensor, there are five color options: midnight, purple, starlight, red, and blue.
Screen: The iPhone 14 Standard uses a 6.1-inch screen, while the iPhone 14 Plus offers a larger 6.7-inch screen. Both screens use super-ceramic panels, and OLED screen materials and both are super retina XDR displays.
Image: The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have the same image configuration, with a 12-megapixel main camera (ƒ/1.5 aperture) with a larger sensor and pixel size, a new 12-megapixel front-facing TrueDepth camera, and a 12-megapixel camera. Pixel ultra-wide-angle camera (ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° viewing angle).
At the same time, the iPhone 14 series has improved the original color flash, which is 10% brighter than before, with better uniformity and more uniform light.
In the iPhone 14 series imaging system, Apple has introduced a new light image engine technology. Through the deep integration of software and hardware, the light image engine can improve the performance of all cameras in medium and low light environments: the performance of ultra-wide-angle cameras can be improved by up to 2 times. The performance of the TrueDepth camera has been improved by up to 2 times, and the performance of the new main camera has been improved by up to 2.5 times.
At the same time, the light imaging engine brings a leap in image quality. It integrates depth in image processing in advance, thereby presenting richer details, capturing delicate and subtle textures, and making colors more outstanding.
The iPhone 14 series has also added a new sports mode, which can shoot extremely smooth video, and deal with large shakes, displacements, and vibrations, even when shooting in motion. The sensor displacement stabilization function of the original Pro series was also introduced into the iPhone 14 series. In addition, the movie effect mode now supports 4K 30 fps and 4K 24 fps shooting.
Satellite Communications and SOS Emergency Contact: The iPhone 14 series supports the long-rumored emergency messaging via communications satellite, called Emergency SOS. The phone's antenna can connect to satellite frequencies when the user is not within range of the phone's signal. By customizing the short text compression algorithm, the size of the message can be reduced by 3 times. In the case of seeing a clear sky, the time to send a message is less than 15 seconds. Satellite location sharing is supported. In field scenes, emergency rescue, and other fields, The satellite communication function can perform certain functions.
The service is free for the first two years and will roll out first in the U.S. and Canada in November.
Car accident detection: A new car crash detection feature has been added to the iPhone 14 series. The new dual-core accelerometer and high dynamic range gyroscope built into the body can detect up to 256 g-force, can detect severe car crashes, and automatically make emergency calls if the user is unconscious or unable to reach the iPhone. At the same time, this feature can also use the barometer to monitor changes in the air pressure inside the cabin, GPS to introduce more data on speed changes, and the microphone can identify the characteristic loud noise of a car accident.
Paired with the Apple Watch, Crash Detection seamlessly combines the unique strengths of both devices. When a major car accident is detected, the Apple Watch will display the emergency services call interface on the screen, as the device is likely to be closer to the user, and if the iPhone is nearby, the call will be made from the iPhone to maintain the highest possible connection quality.
A15 Bionic Chip: Both the iPhone 14 and 14 Plus is equipped with a stronger A15 bionic chip than last year's iPhone 13. The upgrade point is that the GPU has been upgraded from a 4-core to a 5-core full-blooded version, which makes the images of video apps and high-performance games smoother. In addition, its 6-core CPU can handle extremely performance-demanding tasks smoothly and efficiently, and the 16-core neural network engine can perform 15.8 trillion operations per second, which can speed up the operation speed of third-party apps and machine learning in iOS 16.
iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max
The iPhone 14 Pro series also supports the aforementioned functions such as car accident detection and satellite communication. The following mainly introduces their upgrades compared to the iPhone 14 series.
Appearance and Screen: The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are crafted from exquisite surgical-grade stainless steel and premium-quality matte glass, and are available in four colorways: Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Dark Purple. The iPhone 14 Pro screen measures 6.1 inches and the iPhone 14 Pro Max is 6.7 inches, and both models feature a new Super Retina XDR display that supports ProMotion technology.
This advanced display also delivers the same HDR peak brightness as the Pro Display XDR display, and the highest outdoor peak brightness ever seen in an iPhone: up to 2,000 nits, twice that of the iPhone 13 Pro. At the same time, the screen also uses a super-ceramic panel, which continues to provide leading durable features, water and dust resistance, and resistance to common accidental splashes.
24/7 display: The iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have added an all-weather display function that is different from the Android camp's display screen. With the support of the new 1Hz refresh rate and multiple energy-saving technologies, the screen can always display the lock screen, but not Always see the time, widgets, and real-time activity at a glance.
Smart Island: On the iPhone 14 Pro series, the TrueDepth camera has been redesigned to reduce the display space occupied and become a punched pill shape. Apple has ingeniously introduced a new interactive experience for it: Smart Island.
On the premise of not affecting the display of the screen content, the smart island remains active, allowing users to use the control options with just a long press. Activities that keep running in the background, such as maps, music apps, or timers, are always visible and interactive, and change in real-time to show important reminders, notifications, and events. In addition, Smart Island works with third-party apps in iOS 16 that provide information (such as game scores and carpool information) through Live Activity.
Camera system upgrade: On the wide-angle main camera of the iPhone 14 Pro series, Apple abandoned the ancestral 12-megapixel wide-angle main camera and brought a 48-megapixel wide-angle main camera, which supports four-in-one pixel technology, 24mm focal length, ƒ/1.78 aperture, and a second generation sensor displacement optical image stabilization function. At the same time, it is also equipped with a new 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera (unit pixel size is 1.4 microns), which presents clearer images and richer details.
At the same time, the iPhone 14 Pro series also has a 12-megapixel 3x telephoto lens with an ƒ/2.8 aperture. In addition, through the 48-megapixel four-in-one sensor of the main camera, the iPhone 14 Pro also supports 2x zoom, which also has rich details.
Regarding the 4-in-1 pixel sensor, for most photos, it combines every 4 pixels into one large pixel (equivalent to 2.44 microns in unit pixel size), resulting in high-quality images in low-light conditions, and photos The size remains at a practical 12 megapixels. The 4-in-1 pixel sensor also benefits Pro workflows, optimized for detail rendering in ProRAW. In addition, iPhone can now capture ProRAW images at 48 megapixels with unprecedented detail using machine learning models tailored for the 4-in-1 pixel sensor.
The imaging system of the iPhone 14 Pro series also features a new Adaptive True Tone Flash, with a 9-LED array that changes the flash mode based on the user-selected focal length.
In addition, the new TrueDepth camera features an ƒ/1.9 aperture for improved photography performance in low-light environments. With autofocus for the first time, the TrueDepth camera can focus faster in low-light environments and take selfies from farther away.
A16 Bionic Chip: The iPhone 14 Pro series is powered by the new A16 Bionic chip, the first Apple chip based on the 4nm process, with 16 billion transistors. At the same time, the 6-core CPU consisting of 2 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores brings the speed up to 40%, and uses an accelerated 5-core graphics processor, which increases the memory bandwidth by up to 50%. Perfect for running graphics-intensive games and apps, the new 16-core Neural Engine delivers up to 17 trillion operations per second.
Combining high performance with high energy efficiency using Apple's industry-leading converged architecture, the A16 Bionic chip delivers increased performance at very low power consumption for all-day battery life.
The A16 Bionic chip, the foundation of a Pro-class camera system, drives outstanding computational photography capabilities. The central processing unit, image processing unit, neural network engine, and image signal processing unit work seamlessly together to power new camera hardware that can perform up to 4 trillion operations per photo.
Apple Watch Series 8
The Apple Watch Series 8 was the first product to debut at the event, and features a slightly updated design compared to last year's Apple Watch Series 7, with a larger screen than previous models. The body is available in 4 colors starlight, midnight, silver and red, and the stainless steel model is available in 3 colors silver, graphite, and gold.
Women's health: Apple Watch Series 8 includes a new body temperature sensor that can track temperature changes as low as 0.1 degrees Celsius and check the temperature every five seconds. Tracking body temperature at night can help female users gain insight into the ovulation cycle and can be used to enhance the watch's cycle tracking function for menstrual periods.
Apple says this data is encrypted on the watch itself, and anyone tracking their cycles is an important consideration.
Car accident detection: Like the iPhone 14 series, the Apple Watch Series 8 also includes two new motion sensors to detect if the user has been in a serious car accident and automatically connect the owner to emergency services, provide a location and notify emergency contacts.
To that end, Apple Watch Series 8 features a new 3-axis gyroscope and high-g-force accelerometer that can measure up to 256G and sample 4x faster (3000 times per second).
Low power mode: To keep users connected for longer, a new low-power mode extends battery life, with Apple Watch Series 8 providing up to 36 hours of battery life when paired with an iPhone. This new mode temporarily disables or limits some sensors and features, including a 24/7 Retina display, auto-start workouts, heart health notifications, and more.
The Apple Watch Series 8 GPS version starts at $399, and the GPS + Cellular version starts at $499, available September 16.
Apple Watch SE 2
In addition to the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple also launched the new Apple Watch SE 2 at this conference. The Apple Watch SE 2 will support the crash detection feature announced on the Series 8, and will be 20 percent faster than the first-gen SE thanks to the same new S8 chip found in the Series 8. It also has the same motion sensor. The new Apple Watch SE will be available in Silver, Midnight, and Starlight colors, with a new color-matched back.
Apple Watch SE will also support international roaming by pairing with the iPhone's roaming plan. It retains all the standard features of the original SE - Retina OLED display, optical heart rate sensor, fall detection, emergency SOS and water resistance up to 50 meters.
The cellular version of the Apple Watch SE is popular with parents looking to find a way to communicate with school-aged children without using an iPhone, and Apple has announced that the new Apple Watch SE 2 will work with Apple's Family Settings feature, which is available on the Apple Watch debuted on the SE.
The 40mm version of the Apple Watch SE 2 is priced from 1999 yuan, and the 44mm version is priced from 2399 yuan.
Apple Watch Ultra sports watch
Another important update for Apple Watch this time is the release of a new Apple Watch Ultra sports watch. Constructed from aerospace-grade titanium, Apple Watch Ultra offers the ideal balance of weight, durability, and corrosion resistance, and has a display brightness of up to 2,000 nits, twice the brightness of all previous Apple Watch models. New action buttons in high-contrast international orange make it easy to customize settings for quick access to multiple functions.
Apple Watch Ultra features three built-in microphones that greatly improve the sound quality of voice calls in a variety of environments. It also provides clear and legible audio for calls in windy environments where radio is challenging.
Apple Watch Ultra has the best battery life of any Apple Watch, with up to 36 hours of normal use. Plus, with a new low-power setting, battery life can be extended to up to 60 hours, perfect for multi-day wear.
The "Pathfinder" watch face, designed specifically for the Apple Watch Ultra's large display, includes a compass that blends into the time display area and provides room for up to 8 complications, including workouts, compass waypoints, backtracking, and more.
For the first time, Apple Watch Ultra is also equipped with precision dual-frequency GPS, including L1 and the latest L5 frequency, and uses a new positioning algorithm. This allows it to provide the most accurate GPS functionality to date. It can also adapt to a variety of extreme environments, from cold snowy mountains at -20°C to blazing deserts at 55°C. Apple Watch Ultra is certified to the MIL-STD 810H-related standards.
Apple Watch Ultra also supports a wider range of water sports, including extreme sports such as kitesurfing and wakeboarding, and facilitates recreational scuba diving to depths of up to 40 meters with the new Oceanic+ app. To support these underwater adventures, Apple Watch Ultra is WR100 certified.
With the new depth gauge, Apple Watch Ultra introduces the Water Depth App with an intuitive user interface. The Water Depth App can display information such as time, current depth, water temperature, underwater duration, and the maximum depth reached, allowing users to see it at a glance. Users can set operation buttons to quickly start the water depth App.
AirPods Pro second generation
Apple also launched a new second-generation AirPods Pro headset this fall new product launch. Powered by the new H2 chip, the new AirPods Pro unlocks breakthrough audio performance with major upgrades to Active Noise Cancellation and Transparency Mode. In terms of noise reduction, the AirPods Pro is equipped with a new H2 chip, and the noise reduction capability can be up to twice that of the previous generation AirPods Pro.
In addition, an adaptive transparency mode has been added and powered by the powerful H2 chip, on-device processing technology can reduce noisy ambient noises, such as sirens of passing vehicles, construction noise, and even loudspeakers in concerts.
In terms of sound quality, personalized spatial audio allows AirPods to provide a more immersive listening experience. Users can use the iPhone's TrueDepth camera to create spatial audio personal profiles for a listening experience precisely tuned for them.
In terms of connection and control, users can directly control the audio playback and volume adjustment of the new AirPods Pro without the help of other devices. Using AirPods Pro's touch controls, swipe up or down on the stem to quickly adjust the volume. Users can switch music, answer incoming calls, or say "Hey Siri" with just a tap on the stem of the earphones, giving them hands-free commands.
In terms of battery life, the new AirPods Pro has an increase of 1.5 hours of listening time compared to the previous generation, and in active noise reduction mode, the listening time can be up to 6 hours. The wireless charging case can charge the earphones up to 4 additional times, so you can enjoy up to 30 hours of listening time in Active Noise Cancellation mode, 6 hours more than the previous generation.
Additionally, AirPods Pro features a newly designed sweat- and a water-resistant charging case that includes a lanyard hole to keep the device within easy reach. The pinpoint function allows users to locate the charging case based on the navigation route provided by the iPhone with the U1 chip. Speakers built into the charging case play louder sounds to help locate the AirPods Pro.
Other key information
- Regarding the official version of iOS 16, it will be available as a free software update from September 13. At the same time, Apple pushed the iOS 16 RC version (build number: 20A362) update to iPhone users early this morning.
- After the release of the iPhone 14, Apple removed the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12/13 Pro/Max, and the iPhone 12 and iPhone 13/mini can still be purchased.
- After the release of the Apple Watch Series 8, Apple officially removed and discontinued the outdated Apple Watch Series 3.
- After this conference, Apple also updated the AppleCare + additional warranty service today, adding an "unlimited repair" option instead of twice a year, but each time a service fee will be charged.
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