While Apple did not make any announcements about the iPhone 12 during this week’s ’Time Flies’ Event, there were a few big announcements. Here’s everything Apple announced during its 2020 ‘Time Flies’ Event, including the new iPad Air, Apple Watch Series 6, Apple One subscription service, and more.
Apple Watch Series 6
Apple CEO Tim Cook began the event talking about the Apple Watch Series 6 and all the new health benefits it provides. While a new sleep app and automatic hand-washing detection feature were briefly mentioned, the speakers focused on a new sensor that lets you measure your blood oxygen levels.
This new sensor on the back of the Apple Watch Series 6 shines green, red, and infrared light onto your wrist. Then it measures the amount of light that is reflected and uses advanced algorithms to calculate the color of your blood. With this measurement, the Apple Watch Series 6 will tell you how much oxygen is in your blood.
Sumbul Ahmad, Apple’s VP of Health, says this blood oxygen saturation measurement is a “vital sign” that provides critical information about your “overall respiratory and cardiac health.”
The Blood Oxygen app takes periodic measurements throughout the day, even when you are sleeping. Then it stores this data in your Health app, so you get a more complete picture of your overall health.
Family Setup
Currently, the Apple Watch needs to be paired with an iPhone, which might not work for everyone. So, Apple introduced the Family Setup feature, which lets you pair multiple Apple Watches with the same iPhone. This is means you can get an Apple Watch for your family members, without buying each of them an iPhone.
Family Setup is designed for parents who want their kids or older members of the family to be able to contact them in case of an emergency. The feature lets your family members have their own phone number and Apple account, even if they don’t have an iPhone. The companion app even lets you approve which contacts your kids can call and also get notifications about their location in real-time.
New Solo Loop
The Apple Watch Series 6 also comes with a new interchangeable band, called the Solo Loop. This one-piece band doesn’t have a clasp, buckle, or any overlapping parts. Made of custom liquid silicone or recycled yarn, the Solo Loop is stretchable and designed to comfortably slip on or off your wrist.
The liquid silicone version of the Solo Loop comes in 7 colors, while the braided Solo Loop comes in five colors. There’s also a new leather band that doesn’t have a loop-back or clasp of any kind.
Apple Watch Series 6 Specs
The sixth-generation Apple Watch features a new dual-core processor that makes it 20% faster than the previous generation. While it is faster, the Apple Watch Series 6 maintains the same 18-hour battery life as the previous model, and it only takes 90 minutes to fully charge.
It also features a better Always-On Retina display that makes it easier to read your watch in bright sunlight. With a screen that’s 2.5 times brighter, you won’t need to wake the display to see the screen.
However, in a bid to be more environmentally-friendly, Apple announced the new Apple Watch will not have a USB power adapter. You will either have to buy a power adapter separately or use the wireless power adapter that comes in the box or a third-party wireless charger.
While Apple has not yet confirmed anything about the iPhone 12, several reports say that it will not come with a power adapter either. Apple is expected to announce the new iPhone sometime later this year.
Apple Watch Series 6 Price and Release Date
The Apple Watch Series 6 has a starting price of $399 for the GPS-only version and $499 for the GPS and Cellular model. It is available to order now on Apple’s website, and it will be released and shipped on Friday, September 18.
Apple Watch SE
Apple also announced the new Apple Watch SE, which has the same design and most of the same features as the Series 6, at a lower price. While it isn’t as fast as the Apple Watch Series 6, it does come with the same accelerometer, gyroscope, compass, altimeter, motion sensors, and fall detection.
However, the Apple Watch SE does not come with the blood oxygen or ECG health apps. Other than that, it is almost identical to the Series 6 in every way.
Apple Watch SE Price and Release Date
The Apple Watch SE has a starting price of $279 for the GPS-only version, or $329 or the model with GPS and cellular. You can buy the Apple Watch SE on Apple’s website now, and it will be released and shipped on Friday, September 18.
Apple Fitness+
During the Apple Time Flies event, Apple also introduced “the first fitness service built around Apple Watch.” With the new Fitness+ app, you’ll get access to a vault of workout videos from professional trainers. You can then link your Apple Watch with an iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV to send your metrics to your screen in real-time.
So, when the trainer tells you to check your heart rate or to cool down for 30 seconds, those metrics will appear on your display, making it easier to see. After your workout, you will also get a detailed summary that includes your calories burned, distance traveled, pace, time, average heart rate, and more.
The new subscription service currently includes 10 workout types, including yoga, cycling, dance, and even mindful cooldowns. Apple says that there will be new workouts added every week.
You can get a Fitness+ subscription for $9.99 per month or $79.99 a year. However, it will only be available at the end of the year. But, if you purchase a new Apple Watch, you’ll get three months of Fitness+ for free.
Apple One
With so many new services, Apple has decided to bundle all its subscriptions together in one plan. With Apple One, you and your family will have access to as many as six subscriptions, including Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and extra iCloud storage.
Normally, the subscriptions that come with the Individual plan cost around $21 a month, which means you will save around $6 a year. With the Family plan, you’ll save around $8 a month, and the Premier plan will save you $25 a month.
Apple One will be available this fall, and it will come with a 30-day free trial.
8th-Generation iPad
During the Apple Time Flies event, Tim Cook announced that Apple was releasing the 8th-generation iPad on the 10th anniversary of the first iPad launching. This new iPad will come with a six-core A12 Bionic chip, which will make it 40% faster than the previous model.
However, other than the new processor, this model has almost identical specs as the 7th-generation iPad.
The 8th generation iPad starts at $329 or $299 for education customers. You can order it from Apple’s website starting today, and it will be available starting this Friday, September 18.
4th-Generation iPad Air
While the traditional iPad hasn’t changed much, Apple completely redesigned the iPad Air. This 4th-generation model has a larger 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display that doesn’t feature a Home button at all. Instead, Apple integrated its smallest touch sensor on top of the iPad Air to extend the display all the way to the edge of the screen.
This model also features an upgraded 12MP (megapixel) camera that lets you shoot in 4K video at 60 frames per second. Plus, it has a USB-C connector, which is 10 times faster at transferring data than the previous model. With the USB-C port, you can also connect your iPad to more devices, such as cameras, external hard drives, and monitors.
This new model also has a redesigned stereo speaker system, and it supports WiFi 6, which gives you internet speeds up to 60% faster than previous models. But what really sets this model apart is the new A14 Bionic chip inside.
Apple Announced New A14 Bionic Chip During Time Flies Event
The 4th-generation iPad Air comes with Apple’s new 6-core A14 Bionic chip, which makes it the fastest iPad ever. This five-nanometer chip is so small that it “challenges the laws of physics,” according to Tim Millet, Apple’s VP of Platform Architecture.
“We’re talking about a scale so small that the dimensions of these five-nanometer transistors are measured in atoms,” Millet said.
Since the A14 Bionic chip has 11.8 billion transistors, it can execute 11 trillion operations per second. That’s a 40% increase over the previous 7-nanometer chip, which is found in the 8th-generation iPad.
In fact, the iPad Air’s processors are so powerful that it can handle console-level graphics for games that run at 60 frames per second. It even allows you to zoom in on photos and enhance them, just like you see in almost every action movie.
4th-Generation iPad Air Price and Release Date
The 4th-generation iPad Air starts at $599, and it is available in 5 colors, including new rose gold, green, and sky-blue finishes. You can order the new iPad Air from Apple’s website now, and it will be released and shipped next month.
New Operating Systems
At the end of the Apple Time Flies event, Tim Cook announced that Apple is finally releasing the new operating systems for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Starting today, you can download iOS 14, iPadOS 14, WatchOS 7, and TVOS 14.
If you want to know what features you will get by downloading iOS 14, check out our article here.
