Apple event in September 2018: Apple Watch Series 4, iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR

The Apple event at which the company presented new iPhones and Apple Watches has just ended. A summary of the keynote.

Apple Watch Series 4

After a short speech, the event began with the presentation of the new Apple Watch Series 4. One version now has a 40-millimeter case and the other a 44-millimeter case. As expected, the display has been enlarged to the edges, so that more information can now be displayed on the wrist at once. To be more precise: the display has grown by over 30 percent. In order to make the best possible use of this space, the corners of the touchscreen have even been rounded. There are also new watch faces that, among other things, also make use of the newly gained space. In addition to the display, the speaker and the digital crown, which can now be used to create full-fledged ECGs (electrocardiograms) with a simple tap of the finger, have also been improved.

The display of the Apple Watch Series 4 has been enlarged to the edges of the watch (Image: Apple)

The Apple Watch Series 4 is powered by the new S4 processor. This chip is a dual-core processor that is supposed to double the performance. The gyroscope and acceleration sensor have also been updated, meaning the watch can now detect when you fall down a flight of stairs, for example. Strange, but true. An emergency call can then be made (optionally automatically). The operating system is watchOS 5 and the battery should last a whole day again.

The Apple Watch Series 4 is available in silver, gold and space gray. In addition, various stainless steel models will also be available this year. All models will again be compatible with all previously released wristbands. You can pre-order the Apple Watch Series 4 from Friday, a week later the new watch will be available everywhere. The cheapest version will cost 399 US dollars at launch. watchOS 5 will be available to users of older Apple Watches starting September 17th.

iPhone XS (Max)

It continued with the iPhone Xs and the large iPhone Xs Max, both of which look extremely similar to the iPhone X. These are protected against water according to IP68 and will be available in gold, silver and space gray. The iPhone Xs super retina display is 5,8 inches while the iPhone Xs touchscreen is 6,5 inches. Both displays support HDR and a refresh rate of 120 Hertz. Face ID is also back, which means that there is still no trace of Touch ID.

The new A12 Bionic, the first 7-nanometer chip ever, powers the two new Apple smartphones. It has six cores and can handle up to five trillion operations pro second. In connection with the performance improvements in iOS 12, the operating system on the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max, apps can now start up to 30 percent faster. These apps and other data can now be stored on the up to 512 gigabytes of memory. Of course, the battery life has also been improved. However, there were no exact figures for this. In addition, both new iPhones can be used in dual SIM mode. The second SIM is an eSIM, which you have to apply for from a mobile operator with whom Apple works.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are also available in gold (Image: Apple)

The resolutions of the cameras remained the same as last year. Only the picture processing, the bokeh mode and a few other things have been further developed, so that the new iPhones should now produce even better photos. Examples during the keynote looked very promising in my opinion.

The iPhone XS is available for pre-order at a starting price of $ 999. The starting price for the iPhone XS Max was set at 100 euros higher.

iPhone XR

The iPhone XR is the new entry-level iPhone from Apple, which is available in several bright colors: black, white, blue, orange, yellow and red. The housing is made of aluminum and glass and looks very much like an iPhone 8 from the back. The LCD display, which Apple calls Liquid Retina, is 6,1 inches and extends over the entire front. There is also Face ID - the technology for it is in the notch. Despite the fact that the iPhone XR is an entry-level device, Apple also installed the A12 Bionic here.

The iPhone XR is available in several bright colors (Image: Apple)

The single wide-angle camera has a resolution of 12 megapixels and can even take bokeh photos thanks to optimized camera software and hardware. The battery should last an hour longer than the one in the iPhone 8 Plus.

The iPhone XR will be available for pre-order starting October 19, starting at $ 749.