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This week Apple announced new products, updates to products, new accessories and a new app. If you’re looking to buy an Apple product, your choices may have just changed.
New iPad
Apple introduced a new 9.7″ iPad that is not only less expensive than the previous iPad, it’s less expensive than the iPad Mini. Beginning at $329/£339, the new iPad has more advanced hardware and a brighter screen than its predecessor, the iPad Air 2, despite the lower price.
The new iPad is available with 32 or 128 GB of storage, with or without cellular.
Apple is still offering the 7.9″ iPad Mini 4, and the iPad Pro in 9.7″ and 12.9″ sizes. Unlike the new iPad, the iPad Pro models work with Apple Pencil and have laminated displays with anti-reflective coatings.
The new iPad will be available to order tomorrow, March 24.
Red iPhone
iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will soon be offered in a new color: red. Beginning tomorrow, you’ll be able to order an iPhone that is part of Apple’s Product Red line of products.
This red iPhone comes with either 128 and 256 GB of storage. The red extends to the back and sides of the phone, and the front bezel is white.
[tip] You could get a Product Red case if you already have an iPhone and just want to change the color to red. [/tip]
Apple contributes proceeds from Product Red sales to the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS programs.
All red iPhone 7? Gotta have it pic.twitter.com/jO9eyrmI3N
— △⃒⃘ (@ItsPaoloni) March 21, 2017
I’d only be interested in a Red iPhone if I could use it to call Batman. pic.twitter.com/e2fO9pFbrB
— P Scott Patterson (@OriginalPSP) March 21, 2017
New Accessories
Apple also announced new accessories to go with its products. New bands for the Apple Watch were introduced, including new colors, and bands from Nike and Hermès.
Cases for the iPhone now come in new colors that match the new colors of Apple Watch bands.
Clips App
A new app called Clips will be coming in April from Apple. This free app lets you edit videos taken on your iPhone and iPad, and add filters, stickers, music and text. Choose from videos in your Photos app or use the Clips app to record videos and edit them.
After your videos are edited you can share them on social media sites such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
Find out more about the app at the Clips page on Apple’s website.
Your Thoughts
Are you excited about these announcements from Apple? Do you like that the price of the iPad has been reduced? Are you looking forward to the red iPhone or the Clips app?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Voice of America Learning English
Learners of English who also want to learn about tech should check out my person technology column at Voice of America Learning English. This week’s article is: Netflix Update Changes How Users Rate, Watch Shows.
Disappointed there is no news on the iPad pro. I’m waiting to upgrade to a 12.9″ iPad Pro and still don’t know the specs of the next release, or when it will be available. Apple seem to enjoy keeping info close to their chests. Very frustrating!
Hi Philip, Yes, some people were expecting an iPad Pro update. But Apple doesn’t tend to update the iPad line as often as it does the iPhone line. You may have to wait a bit longer if you want to upgrade to a newer model.
I agree with you, it’s frustrating to not know when a product line will be upgraded. We have pretty good knowledge about phones, but little idea when iPads or Macs will be updated. The update cycle for those products is not consistent.
I live red Iphone 7. It’s modern and nice.
Hi David, I’m glad you like the red iPhone. I hope you’re able to get one soon!
Hi,
Well I really loved the red Iphone in the picture above. I hope this would be available in the market soon.
Thanks
Hello RajKumar, Yes, I hope you are able to get one soon. It will be very interesting to see this in person to know how it looks. Very cool.
Red iPhone ? Honestly, that not the sort of innovation one would expect from a company like Apple. When the first iPhone was launched it was a breakthrough achievement, unfortunately, post that it’s just been a story of adding few features here and there or adding few a centimeters to the size at max a new color.
Being a market leader they should bring in more technological changes than anybody else. Nothing new in the batteries, or display or even the design of the phone.
Sorry for my rant Carolyn, but as they say, with more power comes more responsibilities.
Hi Jitendra, Feel free to rant here! You’re right, an iPhone in red isn’t anyone’s idea of a technological breakthrough.
But I do respect Apple’s brilliance in generating interest in a phone model that is six months old. This is about the half-way point in the iPhone upgrade cycle so some people begin holding off in getting a new phone until the next model is announced in September.
Introducing an iPhone in a new color, never seen before on an iPhone, is a very easy and cost-efficient way to boost sales without interrupting the upgrade cycle.
Thank you very much for sharing your passioned thoughts with us, Jitendra!
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks.
Also “generating interest in a phone model that is six months old” is just a simple marketing technique, not a technological expertise. See what Samsung has done in terms of design of the Samsung Galaxy S8, being one of the global leaders it was expected out of them.
Moreover their devices have matured over the generations…just compare the ” Galaxy S” lineup devices and with the iPhones. Unfortunately not a huge change in the latter’s case.
I hope this year the come up with something unique and interesting 🙂
You’re absolutely right, Jitendra, adding a color to a phone is no one’s definition of a technological breakthrough. The S8 has plenty of cool innovations, and it would great to see whether Apple’s next iPhone will wow us in September. Let’s all hope it does because competition is good for us consumers!