My conclusion to the Apple event “Time Flies”

Written by Prof. Rom Feria

September 16, 2020, 1 a.m. Manila time, is when Apple made its first major product announcement during the pandemic. This event was really short (and was it sweet?) With an hour or so. As revealed in the rumor mills, Apple CEO Tim Cook openly announced that the event is about two products, the Apple Watch and iPads. So what do I think of the new product announcements?

The first was the Apple Watch Series 6. I was hoping there was no blood glucose check, which would force me to upgrade my Series 5 right away. And thank goodness the only sensor added was the blood oxygen sensor. I can get by without it as I recently bought a pulse oximeter (I got 98% +/- 2). This, of course, does not rule out the fact that the Series 6 comes with a faster processor, which, in addition to the blood oxygen sensor, gives you an always-on altimeter and better always-on display performance.

The cheaper Apple Watch SE was no longer a surprise considering the rumors on Twitter. It’s basically Series 5 without the ECG and without the always-on display at around PhP7,000 less than Series 6. This will probably be a sock filler this year!

The family setting, which allows you to pair an Apple Watch (Series 3 and newer) with your iPhone and assign it to your parents or children, so they don’t need their own iPhones. This got me excited, thinking how perfect it would be for my mom, but the moment availability was announced, it was a bummer! Yes, it is only available in select markets due to Apple’s agreements with telecommunications companies. Unfortunately, neither Smart nor Globe have Apple Watch LTE agreements with Apple.

In a surprising move, but not surprising, Apple announced its new service, Fitness +, which is not much different from other subscription-based fitness programs on the market. This new service, which works best with an Apple Watch, allows you to stream workouts supervised by professional trainers. What is different is its integration with Apple Watch + Fitness + + iOS / iPadOS / tvOS! When you start a training session, your activity details (heart rate, calories burned, duration, distance, pace, etc.) are displayed on the larger screen (iPhone, iPad or TV), including alerts, when you close those exercises. rings! Fitness + will not be available until the end of this year and will be limited only in select markets. I think it’s worth a try, for the free month Apple offers (three months free if you buy a Series 6 or SE).

Speaking of subscription, Apple announced its subscription package, AppleOne. There are two different packages, the individual subscription that has Apple Music, Apple TV +, Apple Arcade and 50 GB of iCloud storage at PhP375 / month (a savings of PhP300), or the family subscription (shared with five other family members) which has the same package but with 200GB of iCloud storage and is priced at PhP495 / month. Unfortunately, the Premier package, which is an upgraded family package with 2TB of iCloud storage plus News + and Fitness +, at $ 29.95 / month, will not be available in the Philippines * yet *. I am looking forward to these packages!

The second category of products covered at this event is the iPad, both the iPad and the iPad Air. While I’m not looking for an iPad right now (I’m still waiting for the iPad Pro 2020 delivery), the iPad 10.2 update with faster processors is very welcome, especially for students learning remotely from their teachers and peers. The iPad Air, however, is a huge upgrade – this is Apple’s first product with the A14 Bionic chip. Usually, new chip models are released first on iPhones, but this time, perhaps due to some supply chain scheduling issues, the iPad Air got it first. This iPad Air has a more powerful chip than the iPad Pro 2020! The only advantages of the iPad Pro 2020 are FaceID (although the iPad Air does come with TouchID on the power button), the ProMotion display, a secondary camera with TrueTone flash, and the LIDAR sensor, IMHO. Did I mention that the iPad Air comes in 5 different colors? 🙂 Anyway, this is a solid iPad lineup for Apple, but I wish they would update the iPad Mini too.

These are all new and expensive Apple products. One that is equally expensive, but at least in my current price range, is the new Apple Watch strap! The Solo Loop (and the more expensive Braided Solo Loop and other more expensive models) is a new band that is made up of a single piece of stretchable silicone rubber. However, I hope they are as good as advertised.

So there you have it. I can’t wait to get the AppleOne package and receive the Deep Navy Solo Loop, hopefully in two to three weeks. And one more thing, iOS 14, iPadOS 14, and watchOS 7 will be officially available tomorrow, September 17, 2020, Manila time. Can’t wait to block all those trackers!