Adam Kos Apple showed us a whirlwind of hardware news at its September event. Here we have two new iPads, one new Apple Watch and a series of iPhone 13s, again numbering four different models. At the same time, the company managed to state all this in less than an hour and 20 minutes, and added information about the expansion of the Fitness+ service. But is it actually a lot or a little?
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Cursed leaks
Anyone who was involved in the whole event even before the event was held could have guessed that we would actually see the 9th generation iPad. It was a surprise only for those who expected only iPhones and Apple Watch. However, almost no one expected that the iPad mini would come, even if without surprises in terms of its functions. Immediately after the quick introduction, it was necessary to praise.
The second surprise was certainly caused by the Apple Watch Series 7. Not because we didn't expect them, but because they don't look at all like we expected. The leaks did say that we won't see them right away (in which they were right), but as far as the design is concerned, they hit the nail on the head. Yes, they have a larger display, but it is enlarged in a completely different way than it was shown.
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But there was also a third surprise. Even though the reduction of the cutout of the iPhones and indeed the 120Hz refresh rate were among the news that were almost certain, no one expected the movie function. It doesn't matter if you use film mode or not, and if ProRes leaves you cold, just like ProRAW did last year. The point is that Apple innovates.
Although we do not have the removal of the Lightning connector or an ultrasonic fingerprint reader, when the latter in particular can freeze someone, on the other hand, we have a strong extension of the usability of the iPhone as such. The latter, in turn, is one step closer to definitively displacing other single-purpose devices that you may still be using for it – i.e. camera and camera.
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Pricing policy
Apple is not a cheap brand. She never was and never will be. That's why it's really nice to see that if you want to, you can do something with a price. The upgrade of the 9th generation iPad brought an increase in storage to 64 GB, while its price tag is still CZK 9. The entire range of iPhone 990 then became cheaper. Somewhere more, somewhere less, but it got cheaper. The price of the iPhone 13 mini model, even though it is a complete novelty, has finally fallen below the magical threshold of twenty thousand. Yes, you will pay more than 13 thousand for the largest storage of the largest iPhone 13, but that should not be the main attraction for customers. They will go after the lower storages.
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The only thing that can freeze is the price of the iPad mini. 14 and a half thousand is too much in my opinion, especially when the iPad Air is close to it, which is the clear winner in my eyes thanks to its larger display. At the same time, there are not so many changes between them. But put the price tag at least 1 CZK less, it could have been a great draw. In this way, we can only wait to see if it will be accepted by customers and will not be "hated" like the iPhone mini, which we should not be waiting for next year. The question remains the price of the Apple Watch Series 500, although it is safe to assume that it will keep the price that the current Series 7 has. And that's probably cool.
Personal summary
The above text is my personal view which reflects my opinion purely. You can agree with him, you can object to him. However, this will not change anything about my perception of the event, which after a long series of rather contradictory ones pleased me. Below you will find a bulleted list of essential facts from the event as I feel them and how they affect me.
Biggest surprise:
- iPad mini
- Apple Watch Series 7 design
- iPhone 13 movie features
Biggest Disappointment:
- Apple Watch Series 7 as a whole
- iPhone 13 Pro does not have Always-On feature
- Unannounced AirPods 3
Greatest expectations:
- iPhone 13 Pro Max Photography Skills (Macro)
- Work fluidity with the ProMotion display of the iPhone 13 Pro
- Availability of Apple Watch Series 7
Biggest concerns:
- The weight of the iPhone 13 for the Max and the extremely prominent array of its cameras
- iPad mini sales success
- Apple Watch Series 7 Price
The price of the iPad mini is perfectly fine in my opinion. But I judge it from the top - from the most expensive option downwards. The iPad mini is completely different from the basic iPads and when compared to the iPad Air - the size and weight has a different weight for everyone.
iPhone mini is killed by a weaker battery life (it does not limit me personally) and a "bad" camera. If it had telephoto instead of ultra wide, it's a completely different song. Anyone who switched to the iPhone 12 (mini) from the iPhone X must feel it a lot. It's extremely freezing when you have a mobile worth more than 20 thousand, but you can't rely on its photography capabilities. You use ultra wide only exceptionally, a few times a year, and standard wide distorts all your loved ones in such a way that you are ashamed of those photos and delete half of them immediately. Apple should have done something with this, at least in terms of software. You can't even photograph a stupid document without it being distorted.
I like my "mini", but I'll have to go Pro just for the tele lens. So it will again be about compromises - I will pay a lot more for one little thing and I will also have a few disadvantages (weight and size). If it wasn't such a pain, I wouldn't regret the benefits so much.