Day: September 9, 2015

New iPhones, iPads and Apple TV: a roundup of today’s announcements

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

That's all, folks. Apple's highly anticipated 'Hey Siri' event has come and gone. All announcements have been made, all products have been unveiled, and we finally got a glimpse of long-rumored, top secret Apple projects like the super-sized iPad Pro and the new Apple TV.

A lot has happened in the last several hours, and we understand it can be difficult to keep track of everything throughout the day. So as usual, we've put together an awesome roundup of everything important you need to know from today's event and subsequent reports.

Hands on with the iPhone 6s, new Apple TV and iPad Pro

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

By now you probably feel like you know everything there is to know about Apple's new iPhone, Apple TV and iPad Pro, but thus far, you've only seen the devices from either afar or in marketing materials. Sure, all products look good in staged or rendered settings, but what are they like in real life?

Following today's event, Apple gave a select group of journalists the chance to spend some hands on time with the aforementioned iPhone, set-top box and iPad, in an effort to garner some initial feedback. So naturally, we’ve rounded up some of these first impressions in a single, digestible post.

OS X El Capitan Golden Master released to developers and public beta testers

Jeff Benjamin ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

Apple has seeded the golden master version of the latest update to its desktop operating system, OS X 10.11 El Capitan. The update, which comes with a build number of 15A282b, is now available on Apple's Developer Center for registered developers. It is also available for public beta testers via Apple's beta website.

Like the iOS 9 GM seed, which also was released today, this will likely be the final version of the OS X 10.11 beta before it is released to the public.

Let’s Talk iOS 099: First reactions to the iPad Pro, New Apple TV and iPhone 6s

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 11, 2015

Episode 99: A special episode featuring a brief recap of today's Apple event. We discuss our first impressions of the new Apple Watch colors and bands, the iPad Pro, the new Apple TV, and the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

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So does the new Apple TV support 4K or not?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 9, 2015

As I was watching Apple's media event unfold this morning from halfway across the world, I kept my fingers crossed for a 4K-capable Apple TV. Thankfully, the much improved Apple TV is at long last official but it's conspicuous that there is absolutely no word of 4K support whatsoever.

True, 9to5Mac did report last month that the new box would “lack 4K support for streaming video and AirPlay,” but apparently the hardware itself does support 4K capability, meaning Apple has purposefully disabled 4K on the new Apple TV,

Does that mean that the company is planning on enabling 4K with a software update int the future? This has been on my mind since the event has wrapped up and I'm hoping you could help me get to the bottom of this matter.

Meet Nimbus, the first gamepad designed specifically for the new Apple TV

Cody Lee ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

SteelSeries and Apple on Wednesday announced the Nimbus, the first gamepad designed specifically for the new Apple TV. It's unclear how much Apple was involved in the development of the controller, but the company is highlighting it on its website and there does seem to be an above-average level of cooperation here.

For starters, the Nimbus features a Lightning port for revitalizing its internal battery, which SteelSeries says will provide gamers with more than 40 hours of gaming per charge. It also has an extra large Menu button, similar to the one found on the new Apple TV remote, which could allow users to navigate around the new tvOS.

New iCloud storage plans: get more for less

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 9, 2015

iCloud storage has always trended towards the more expensive side of things when compared to other popular cloud storage providers such as Google and Microsoft. Users will be happy to know that Apple apparently understands this, and as a result, its significantly reduced the price of its iCloud storage. With 4K video support and a higher megapixel camera featured in the new iPhone 6s, iCloud storage will be in higher demand for those of you using iCloud Photo Library.

Siri Remote for the new Apple TV will be available in just eight countries

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 9, 2015

One of the best features of the new Apple TV, in my personal opinion, is its redesigned remote with Bluetooth 4.0 and built-in dual microphones for Siri functionality. Too bad not all buyers will be allowed to enjoy the new Siri Remote, as Apple is calling it.

According to the company's official documentation for developers, the new Siri Remote is available in just eight key markets like the United States, United Kingdom and Germany, to name a few. Apple TVs in all other countries will be packaged with the standard remote.

If you want a gold iPhone, you’ll have to buy the iPhone 6s

Cody Lee ∙ September 9, 2015

If you're in the market for a new iPhone, and prefer the color gold, you're going to have to spring for the new iPhone 6s (or its larger sibling). The gold version of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus disappeared from Apple's website this afternoon, and the company has confirmed with The Verge that its older handsets are no longer available in the color.

3D Touch: how Peek and Quick Actions will change how you interact with your iPhone

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 30, 2018

As part of today's event, Apple announced the new iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus with 3D Touch technology, a hardware and software combination that tracks how much pressure is being applied to the display and carries out different functions based on various levels of pressure. Also announced was the Taptic Engine in Apple's new 6s iPhones, which brings the addition of subtle taps, deepening the experience of 3D Touch with a haptic feedback element. Apple likens 3D Touch's new Peek and Pop actions to the legacy Tap, Swipe, and Pinch Multi-Touch gestures, but with a third dimension of functionality, bringing about the "3D Touch" moniker.

Confirmed: the new Apple TV has 2GB of RAM

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 9, 2015

You'd be hard-pressed to find that piece of information on Apple's Tech Specs webpage for the new Apple TV, but newly posted documents related to third-party tvOS software development provide some interesting tidbits related to the device's underlying hardware.

In addition to the 64-bit A8 chip, the new box has two gigabytes of RAM, up from just one gigabyte of RAM inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both of which also use the A8 chip. The new Apple TV isn't exactly focused on multitasking so Apple most likely doubled the RAM to enable finer detail in games.

Weight, size, and battery life: how iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus compare to their predecessors

Jeff Benjamin ∙ September 9, 2015

As of today's big launch announcement, Apple now has four really powerful smartphones in its lineup, not including the entry-level iPhone 5s. At the lower end of the totem poll, there's the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. At the top of the lineup are the just-announced iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus.

How do all of these devices compare? What about things like battery life, size, and weight? In this comparison post, I'll breakdown the differences between each of Apple's iPhone offerings.