At 11 am on September, 10th, 1000 people took their seats in the Steve Jobs Theater to listen to the keynote speech that made up the 2019 Apple launch event. While the venue in California was at capacity millions more were able to enjoy the show by watching the live stream, all eager to see what new delights Apple had come up with this year, and of course, to see the long-awaited iPhone 11 series which until now had been a series of rumours, shadows and speculation. We had our own watcher in the virtual audience so we can share with you how things went down.

It was clear from the opening shot that flew over the heads of the audience that most people were connected to the internet on their laptops and tablets poised to report live on the latest products to come out of Apple Park. First on stage was Tim Cook, the current CEO who gave the welcome speech and set the tone of the morning.

Apple Arcade

First in the presentation was the new Apple Arcade app. This will launch on 19th September and is a subscription-based mobile gaming service that based well over 100 games in all genres with the promise of more being added every month. Apple has an easy to follow pricing plan, it will cost 4.99, and that is dollars, pounds or euros depending on where you live. To see if you like it there is free month trial and your subscription covers up to 5 members of the family. The audience was introduced to three games across the genres, and these were demonstrated by the respected software houses and their ‘player’ who showcased each game while the presenter explained it. The games demonstrated were Frogger in Toy Town by Konami, Shinsekai: Into the Depths by Capcom and Sayonara Wild Hearts from Annapurna Interactive, and in development by Simogo. 

Apple TV+

Apple TV has been around for a little while now, but Apple has wanted to step up their game to compete with the likes of Netflix and Amazon Prime. So Cook’s next big announcement was the launch of Apple TV+. In addition to providing existing content, the service will be supplemented with original content similar to Netflix Originals and the like. A couple of these exclusives were shown during the stream. First up was ‘The Morning Show’ which features big-name stars such as Reece Witherspoon and Jennifer Aniston in her first major television role since Friends. They play early morning breakfast TV hosts in what is sure to be a hit show. Next up was the first trailer for the Apple-exclusive show ‘See’ this features Aquaman heartthrob Jason Momoa in a future world where everyone is blind. The world changes when some of the next generation are born with sight and all hell breaks loose. The trailers for both shows are currently on the Apple website. The service will launch for £/$/€4.99 and offers a seven-day free trial, though users purchasing a new iPhone or iPad will get 1-year free service.

iPad

Next up was what was new with iPads. The biggest change was the launch of iPadOS as a distinct product from iOS. This will feature several options that ‘make use of the display space available’ and should see some great features on iPads. Cook then told us that their most popular selling entry-level iPad was the 9.7-inch model, so they have made a new iPad that pushed that a little to 10.2-inch but is still priced to be entry-level. This iPad has smart keyboard support and is also able to use the Apple Pencil so should be a good investment for iPad users.

Apple Watch 

Apple Watch was up next as generation 5 of the device was revealed. The focus on this generation has been around health and life-saving technology. The new Apple Watch includes fall detection with the ability to alert people if you fall. It also can monitor the health of the heart. Users will be given the option to submit heart data to help research companies with future development of heart care. Stores are getting an aid to selling Apple Watches in the form of the Apple Watch Studio which will allow users to customise their watch strap and face before purchase. Apple Watch also now comes with an always-on display.

iPhone 11 Series

The main event of the presentation was, of course, the iPhone announcements and the iPhone series 11 was unveiled in all its glory. This comes in three versions. The iPhone 11 was up first as a replacement for the iPhone XR. It is still the baby of the bunch and doesn’t have all the features of the other two models, but it is still a phone heavyweight though it is more competitively priced. This phone comes in a range of 6 colours, which includes new lilac and mint green options which look great. The display isn’t the same as the other two phones either opting for an LCD rather than the OLED of the other two. The camera has been upgraded significantly though and it now features dual lenses on the rear. This alongside the new A13 Bionic chipset that Apple has developed meaning that pictures now look stunning and a slideshow of photos taken with the phone was displayed. This coupled with better battery life and stunning video capabilities mean it will be a great phone.

The final part of the presentation was devoted to the two other handsets in the series. These are the iPhone 11 Pro and the iPhone 11 Pro Max. These are the updates to the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max phones from the last generation. The main thrust of the changes on these was the vastly improved camera options. Both phones feature a triple-lens set up on the rear. With ultra-wide, wide and telephoto lens in 12MP capacity being featured. This alongside a slew of photo and video editing tools make this a workhorse of a phone. They quickly showed a short film that was edited on the iPhone 11 Pro demonstrating its capabilities.

The last part of the presentation was dedicated to their new trade-in scheme. This has improved the discount that you get when trading in an older handset for a new handset. This only works for outright purchases of handsets, but a pay monthly deal from us will give you the best handset for a great monthly cost rather than having to find a lump sum for the trade-in.