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Last week, Apple held its annual fall event when it announces its new products and services, but the event was much different this year than in previous years. Because of COVID-19 concerns, the event was held virtually via streaming video from Apple’s headquarters in Cupertino, California. Also unlike previous years, Apple did not announce any new iPhones.
Instead, Apple announced updates to some of its products, including the iPad and Apple Watch. The company also announced a new fitness service called Fitness+ and a new subscription plan called Apple One.
New iPads
Apple announced updates to its basic iPad and iPad Air models, but not its iPad Pro models. Both the iPad, called the iPad 8th generation, and the iPad Air received upgraded hardware to make the models faster and more powerful.
iPad 8th Generation
With its new components, this new iPad performs up to two times faster than the best-selling Windows laptop, up to three times faster than the best-selling Android tablet, and up to six times faster than the best-selling Chromebook, according to Apple.
The iPad 8th generation works with the Apple Pencil, has a 10.2-inch Retina display, and keeps the home button.
Pricing for the iPad starts at $329 for Wi-Fi only and $459 for Wi-Fi plus cellular.
iPad Air
The new iPad Air eliminates the home button and introduces Touch ID on the power button. With this innovation, the iPad Air lets you turn it on and unlock it when you press the power button. Your fingerprint automatically unlocks the iPad without you having to take an extra step of entering a passcode or pressing the home button to unlock it.
The hardware of the new iPad Air makes it faster and more powerful than previous iPad Air models and the iPad 8th generation. The new iPad Air comes with a 7MP front-facing FaceTime HD camera and the same 12MP rear camera as the iPad Pro.
The new iPad Air has a 10.9-inch Liquid Retina display and is available in silver, space gray, rose gold, green, and sky blue. As with the iPad Pro, the new iPad Air charging port has a USB-C connector.
Pricing for the iPad Air begins at $599 for Wi-Fi only and $729 for Wi-Fi plus cellular.
Apple Watch
Apple also introduced new Apple Watches, including a lower cost Watch SE and the Apple Watch Series 6. For the first time, Apple is allowing wearers of Apple Watch to use the device if they don’t have an iPhone. This new feature is called Family Setup and lets parents purchase an Apple Watch for their children who don’t own an iPhone.
Apple Watch Series 6
The new Apple Watch Series 6 adds features such as a blood oxygen meter that can measure the oxygen saturation level of your blood. Its always-on display is up to 2 1/2 times brighter than that of the Series 5 in sleep mode, yet the battery can be fully charged in 90 minutes.
The Series 6 also comes with an always-on altimeter to measure your elevation. Your altitude can be added as a complication on the Series 6 Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 6 is available in blue, silver, space gray, Product Red, graphite, and yellow gold colors. Prices start at $399.
Apple Watch SE
The Apple Watch SE is designed for those who want to wear an Apple Watch but don’t need all of the features of the Apple Watch Series 6 and would like to save money. The SE has the same accelerometer, gyroscope, and always-on altimeter as the Apple Watch Series 6, and is available in the same sizes.
What the SE lacks are the always-on display, blood oxygen meter, ECG app, and the advanced processor and fast charging of the Series 6. The Apple Watch SE and Series 6 have the same battery life.
The Apple Watch SE is available in silver, space gray, and gold colors beginning at $279.
Apple Fitness+
Apple introduced a new subscription service called Apple Fitness+ that provides workout videos from top trainers. Apple Watch wearers can see their workout and fitness progress in the Fitness+ app to see how much energy they’re burning during their workouts.
Subscribers can search for workouts by type of workout, their favorite trainers, duration, or the type of music played during the workout. People who also subscribe to Apple Music can save their favorite music playlists from Fitness+ to their Apple Music library.
Workouts can be geared from beginner to advanced. At launch, Fitness+ workouts will include cycling, treadmill, rowing, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), strength, Yoga, dance, core, and mindful cooldown. Every workout includes music selected by the trainer.
No equipment is needed for Fitness+ so you can do the workouts anywhere, giving you fewer excuses to skip your workout. If you use fitness equipment, you can use any brand of equipment.
Trainers include professional athletes, yogis, personal trainers, martial artists, health coaches, gymnasts, Ironman champions, marathoners, fitness club founders, and more. The trainers work as a team and will sometimes appear in each others’ videos.
Apple promises to keep your workout data private in Fitness+, retaining the data on your iPhone in the Fitness app and not sharing it with third parties without your permission.
Fitness+ will be available in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the US by the end of 2020. Subscribers will be able to try Fitness+ free for one month and buyers of new Apple Watches after September 15, 2020 will get three months of Fitness+ free.
Subscriptions to Fitness+ will cost $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year. Up to six family members can share a Fitness+ subscription with Family Sharing.
Apple One
If you’re a user of more than a few Apple services, you may be a big fan of Apple One. Not only could Apple One save you money, it also could let you try some services you might not otherwise have used.
Apple One is an all-in-one subscription service that lets you pay one price for multiple services: Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and iCloud.
You can choose from three tiers including:
- Individual, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 50GB of iCloud storage for $14.95 per month.
- Family, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, and 200GB of iCloud storage for $19.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members using Family Sharing.
- Premier, which includes Apple Music, Apple TV+, Apple Arcade, Apple News+, Apple Fitness+, and 2TB of iCloud storage for $29.95 per month, and can be shared among up to six family members via Family Sharing.
If you sign up for Apple One, any services you’re not already subscribed to are free for the first month.
Apple One will be available this fall in over 100 countries for the Individual and Family tiers. The Premier tier will be available in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the US, where Apple News+ is available.
Your Thoughts
Which of Apple’s announcements last week were the most interesting to you? Are you planning to purchase a new iPad or Apple Watch? Will you be trying Fitness + or Apple One? Would Apple One save you money?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
I think a lower priced Watch SE is a good idea. More people are turning to smartwatches but the price is pretty off-putting. It’s the oxygen sat on the series 6 that’s particularly interesting to me. I’ve got a cheapy Honor Band that introduced oxygen stats in a recent update, but I’m not sure how accurate it is. I’d like to think we can have more confidence in Apple’s tech. Great round-up of all the newness from the latest event! 🙂
Caz x
Hi Caz, Yes, the Apple Watch SE is an excellent alternative to the cutting edge Apple Watch 6 for those who don’t need all of the features of the latest model. The oxygen meter is very handy, as is the brighter always-on display, on the Watch 6. It’s great that Apple offers both options.
I hadn’t realised the display was always on before this either. That’s quite appealing, especially if it doesn’t run down the battery too quickly.
Yes, Caz, the new Apple Watch has an impressive battery life even with the brighter always-on screen. I have the Apple Watch 5 and like the always-on feature. A brighter screen would be better.
I think purchasing is Apple One is great as it contains different entertainment apps.
Hello Hong, Yes, Apple One is a great way to save money and try new Apple services you might not have otherwise tried. I hope Apple One launches soon!
Wow Carolyn. Apple keeps churning stuff out like clockwork. I am an Android guy – not big on tech myself – but respect what they do. Amazing.
Ryan
Hi Ryan, Yes, very exciting announcements from Apple. But they’re not done yet. Apple is scheduled to announce more new products soon. Stay tuned to The Wonder of Tech to learn about Apple’s upcoming news!