Apple's Latest News

Remember when you could set up a functional, no-frills rotary phone for under fifty dollars? Now, the price of the newest phones range from $999 to $1,099. Rotary phones were certainly cheaper, and simpler to use. Startlingly enough, Apple has recognized this price barrier to some extent.

In a highly anticipated conference on September 10,  Apple’s announcements reflected the fact that most folks aren’t willing to spend that much money on a new iPhone. Apple’s revenue has been dropping, even though the iPhone has been their gadget of choice for the past twelve years. That means Apple is pursuing new streams of revenue, and for once, their newest iPhone model wasn’t the star of the show. 

On September 10, Apple announced their newest models: the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. Key user-friendly features that might make your life easier are: a battery life that lasts four to five hours longer than past models, 30% faster facial recognition, and three cameras that provide stunning image and video quality. They also come in four finishes: midnight green, space gray, silver, and gold. If you’re an iPad lover, Apple announced their seventh generation iPad with a 10.2-inch screen.

The biggest perk of the new iPhone models is their photo and video capabilities. With three cameras, both iPhone models are a photography powerhouse. There’s three camera options: Wide, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto. This lets you take great pictures, from action shots to low-light photos. If you’re into making your memories look even better, advanced video and photo editing tools are built into the iPhone. If you love taking action videos of your grandkids running across the beach, or your dog playing fetch, this iPhone also provides an immersive video experience. 

However, the big conference news is that for once, the new iPhone models aren’t really news at all. Many critics and Apple fans aren’t hyped, and it’s easy to see why. The radical transformation between other iPhone models in the past didn’t happen. We chalk it up to the fact that the tech world is waiting for 5G to hit. Terms like 3G, 4G, and 5G all represent data processing speeds. Now, the smartphone world revolves around 4G. We anticipate that 5G will arrive in the near future. That means many phone providers don’t want to waste money creating new devices that will soon be obsolete. If you fondly remember huge developments between phone models, waiting for 5G is your best bet. 

All this means that Apple’s established brand loyalty hasn’t been enough to give their new gadgets the pull they used to have. And Apple knows it. Since they want to double their revenue by 2021, which would equal 50 billion dollars, Apple had to take a different tack. 

Are you a fan of streaming baseball games, nostalgic shows, or fun movies? The names that might come to mind are Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, and Disney+. Now, Apple has decided to step into the ring. With original, Apple-produced content, they plan to launch their own streaming platform on November 1 with some big-name actors. Jason Momoa, recent star of superhero blockbuster Aquaman, is in one of their new movies. Samuel L. Jackson and Anthony Mackie, of Marvel Cinematic Universe fame, feature as well. Oprah Winfrey, and an animated Snoopy cartoon, represent more of Apple’s big-name offerings. Apple’s reach is out of the ordinary, too. They’ve promised content that is subtitled or dubbed in nearly 40 languages, and is available in approximately 100 countries. If English is your second language, or you’re traveling, Apple has you covered! 

However, if you love binge-watching—a phrase coined to describe watching episodes back-to-back—you may not be pleased. Some of Apple’s offerings will launch Netflix-style, with every episode in a season dropping at one time. Most, however, will launch with three episodes. Afterward, they will air one episode per week until the season is over. Also, since Apple is only offering original content, their streaming library is quite small. If you’re a Netflix fan, with hundreds of options at your fingertips, this isn’t very exciting. However, we chalk this up to Apple’s plan to compete with quality over quantity. Even though they only have a handful of shows, they plan to make them the best shows available. However, their currently limited scope is reflected in their pricing—$4.99 per month. 

If you’re a fan of free trials, though, Apple knocks it out of the park. If you purchase one of their new models, you get a year-long free trial. After that, it’s $4.99 per month. If you have an old device, though, the free trial lasts one week.