WWDC 2014

In case you live under a rock, today was WWDC 2014 aka the Apple Keynote which announces new Apple products.

For me the stream started out pretty rough. It kept defaulting to this lovely screen.

Eventually the small widgets rotating at the bottom of the screen started working so I was at least able to see what the video was supposed to be showing me. Then I got this a few times…

After about another minute or two I finally got video and sound!

Apple’s first announcement was the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

General improvements to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus:
– The first is size. The iPhone 6 is .7″ larger and the iPhone 6 Plus is 1.5″ larger than the iPhone 5. I wonder if it will still fit in my pocket?
– No distinct edges. Glass cover curves around the sides to meet the anodized aluminum enclosure. Say goodbye to all those covers!
– It is dramatically thinner
– New retina HD display and higher resolution. The iPhone 6 has over 1 million pixels and the iPhone 6 Plus has over 2 million pixels.
– Landscape view. Now when you turn the screen everything moves to landscape. Even apps (just like iPad)
– New Apple-designed A8 chip which has 25% faster processing power and 50% faster graphics.
– I am not a game player so I don’t really care about games being faster, but they will be
– Uses VoLTE and faster Wi-Fi speeds with 802.11ac

Now for the cooler stuff!

Health App and Barometer

With the new iOS 8 they are releasing the Health app. This helps measure physical activity and works with third party apps to track other fitness goals. The barometer built in will now help you also measure you elevation when working out.

Updated Camera

The new iSight camera is 8MP. It has focus pixels to help you focus faster and more efficiently. It also has tonal mapping and noise reduction. The optical image stabilizer makes low light pictures more crisp. It can now also take 240fps slo-mo video. It also includes continuous autofocus during video and time lapse! The iPhone has replaced point and shoot camera and video cameras!

iOS 8

Now the new iOS will be available for download the 17th of September for all phones. It includes:
– Predictive keyboard which learns your conversation style and types accordingly
– Health app
– Touch ID to lock apps and content

Sounds great right!?! Here is the pricing

Pre-order is September 12th and they start shipping on September 19th.

Next up was a way to get rid of the traditional wallet, Apple Pay.

Apple Pay is a way to securely load your credit card information into your phone so you can pay without using your card. It uses a NFC antenna, Touch ID and a new chip called the Secure Element. You can add the card from your iTunes or add a new card by taking a picture of it and then using Touch ID to pay anywhere there is contactless payment.

The greatest part is that the phone (or Apple) do not store your credit card information. They use a one-time unique number that generates a dynamic security code. Apple won’t know what you bought or how much you spent. Also cashiers don’t see any of your card information. Also since the information is not stored on your phone if you loose it you don’t have to cancel any credit cards. Just disable them using Find My iPhone. All these retailers are jumping on board!

AND FINALLY THE LAST AND MOST EXCITING THING!!! APPLE WATCH!!

Isn’t it beautiful!?!?!

Ok so this is how it works….

Digital Crown
The side dial is called the Digital Crown. This helps you scroll, zoom and navigate through the display. You can use it without disrupting the display AND it’s the home button.

Display
The watch can tell that you are raising your wrist and activates the display. The main display can show a multitude of apps, which can be customized. The flexible retina display is made of a single polished crystal of sapphire. It can sense touch and force. It will know if you tap or hold something which changes the options you get. There are a variety of watch faces you can choose from: dancing Mickey, the world, moving stars, it can all be personalized.

Interface
The apps are designed for lightweight interaction. It’s not the full app, but enough for you to get what you need accomplished. Glances lets you swipe through information quickly and efficiently.

Activity Tracking
This is by far my favorite aspect. With the gyroscope, accelerometer and GPS on your phone the Apple Watch can track your activity and set goals. It measures how much you stand, daily activity and exercise.

Messages
Smart reply and dictation let you respond quickly to messages. It analyzes the message and gives you options to send back. You can also send a voice memo or dictate a text.

Digital Touch
The button below the digital crown shows you friends. From there you can draw or send interactive images to them. Even taps to get their attention. You can also message or call them.

Inside
The inside is made up of the tactic engine which helps you feel pulses. The S1 chip is like putting a computer on your wrist. It also has a gyroscope and accelerometer.

Back
The back is made up of 4 sapphire lenses. With infrared and visible light LED sensors it helps detect your pulse rate. The back is also the charging port with inductive charging.

Straps
There are 6 different straps: sport band (sweat and chemical resistant elastomer), leather loop (soft, quilted leather with magnets to fasten), leather modern (solid metal clasp), leather classic (traditional), stainless steel link (steel band), Milanese loop (flexible mesh with magnetic closure)

There are three distinct collections.
1. Apple Watch – polished case made from custom stainless steel alloy
2. Apple Watch Sport – iron exchange cover glass and annonized aluminum case
3. Apple Watch Edition – 18 carat gold twice as hard as standard gold

It was really almost impossible for them to explain all the features this watch has. I cannot wait to get one. It is definitely going to put Nike and Garmin running watches and activity monitors like FitBit and Jawbone out of business if it does what it claims to do.

The Apple Watch won’t be available until early 2015 and it’s starting at $349. The best part though it that it will be compatible with iPhone 5S! I just got mine so having to get the iPhone 6 AND the Apple Watch was making my wallet sad.

What are your thoughts?

 

All images acquired from Apple Live Stream