Best of Apple Event 2018: Highlights straight from the Apple HQ, as it went down
Here's our hot take on the Apple Event 2018, as it went down. Be warned: we've had a long day
It’s been an overwhelming evening, full of bold claims and unnecessarily frequent rounds of applause, but now, thank Jobs, it’s finally over. We very nearly ticked off all the items on our Apple Bingo checklist, but sadly no Apple Cars skidded onto stage during the tech conference this year.
The Apple Special Event began with an overproduced Mission Impossible-themed intro, soundtrack included, but it seems Apple isn’t quite rich enough to hire Tom Cruise. A real disappointment after such a dramatic buildup. The video did show a man using a teleportation function on his Apple Watch, a feature that was not officially confirmed during the Apple Watch 4 reveal. There was also an all-white bicycle on display – Apple iBike 2018 confirmed? Sadly, not yet.
Read on for a brief summary of all the new products announced during Apple’s Super Special Amazing Event.
Apple Watch Series 4
The Apple Watch can now save your life by detecting falls and identifying heart-rate irregularities. An appearance by the president of the American Heart Association proved that this wasn’t just another ‘lifestyle wearable’, but a medically recognised and FDA approved device with an ECG monitor that can share heart data with your doctor. But will it send you a notification to inform you of your impending demise? The Samsung Galaxy Watch certainly can’t do that.
iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max
The next level of the iPhone X is here. The next levels, in fact, as Apple has unleashed two of them at once – both with the horrific notched design from the iPhone X we all hoped would never return. The iPhone Xs is a 5.8 handset, while the comically named iPhone Xs Max is 6.5in – the largest iPhone screen to date.
Both will come in Gold, Silver, and Space Grey and feature the “most durable” glass ever seen on a smartphone. They will both also be waterproof up to IP68, meaning you can keep them 2 metres underwater for up to 30mins – why you’d intentionally do that to your £1,000 device, though, is beyond us.
Apple continues to push its surreal Animoji, and with the new A12 Bionic it will have ‘never before seen’ augmented-reality capabilities, including Galaga AR. A famous basketball man then came on to explain how it can improve your three-pointer skills.
During the iPhone Xs reveal, we were even treated to the charismatic presence of Todd ‘It just works’ Howard, who showcased the upcoming Elder Scrolls Blades for the iOS; the graphics were absolutely stunning.
For a full in-depth breakdown of the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max specifications, head to over to our iPhone Xs & Xs Max page.
iPhone XR
If you spent the event sadly looking from your bank balance to the screen, then the iPhone XR could be your knight in shining aerospace-grade aluminium armour.
You don’t get all the bells and whistles of the iPhone Xs, mind. It’s packing the same 7nm A12 Bionic chop, but the screen is back to LCD, and there’s only one camera lens. Despite this, Apple reckons it’ll still take fancy bokeh shots for you to impress your #friends with on Instagram.
Apple is quite proud to have undercut the price of the iPhone 8 launch, starting at “just” $749. We technically don’t have a UK price, but given everything else announced had the whacky currency conversion of $1=£1, we’re going to go out on a limb and say that will be £749 when it launches.
That launch will come a bit later than the more expensive models, though. Preorders open on 19 October, with shipping following a week later on 26 October.
