Recapping the Latest Apple Release: iPhone 7, Watch Series 2 and AirPods

By Katelyn Orrok | Thursday, September 8th, 2016

The day that many Apple users wait for every year finally came - the release of the newest Apple products. From the latest iPhone to the all-new Airpods, Apple had a lot to share with us yesterday afternoon. We’ve recapped some highlights below.

Watch Series 2

Unlike the Watch Series 1, the Watch Series 2 now has a built-in GPS and is water resistant. The new processor will now be in the Watch Series 1 and the Watch Series 2, but there will be a $100 price difference between the two models.

iPhone 7

The new iPhone 7 introduces a new camera, better performance, longer battery life, stereo speakers, the brightest display yet, and it’s the first water resistant iPhone. iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus are splash, water, and dust resistant and were tested under controlled laboratory conditions with a rating of IP67 under IEC standard 60529. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings, but the iPhone 7 and & 7 Plus have been tested to hold a charge up to one (7 Plus) or two (7) hours longer.

Strangely, Apple seemed quite excited to announce the introduction of two new colors - black and jet black.

The biggest change for iPhone users is the elimination of the audio port. Stepping in are AirPods, Apple’s version of wireless headphones. The iPhone 7 will come with traditional EarPods that are connected through the lighting connector (goodbye, headphone jack!), or you can use an old set of headphones using the provided adapter. AirPods are an additional cost ($159).

AirPods

Apple’s new wireless headphones claim to have an easy set up and superior sound. Driven by the Apple W1 chip, AirPods are extremely efficient - music pauses when you take out the headphones and plays automatically when you put them in, Siri is accessible through a double tap, and there is a five-hour battery life. They aren’t cheap, however. These headphones will cost you $159 and come with a charging case that will give your headphones up to 24 hours of charge.

iOS 10

Available on September 13, iOS 10 is bringing new features to iMessage, Siri, photos and much more. To start off, iMessage now has features including multilingual typing, contextual predictions, iMessage Apps, and these are just some of the many features. As for photos, iOS 10 uses on-device intelligence to identify the people, objects, and scenes in Photos, and power QuickType suggestions. Siri is now able to work with more apps, search along your Maps route, make reservations and can guess where you are going. A security highlight: sensitive information users provide Apple with for services like Siri and Maps is always encrypted.