Pops Culture

Thought I’d do something a little different this time and hit the tech side of the culture to let y’all know about the next wave Apple’s got going for this upcoming 4th quarter. Apple’s keynote covered a bunch of new products that seek to “improve” our lives and of course Apple’s market share. So let’s see what they have to offer starting this September.

Apple Watch

Now called Apple Watch “Series 2”, Apple’s new watch looks to push the boundaries of smart watches. These days, there aren’t many places that people go without their phones, so the need for a pairing watch is still a niche market. With that in mind, it seems that Apple realizes this, and they’re looking to tap into that niche through fitness: Runners, swimmers, hikers and gym users now have a slim and simple device that they can use to track their workouts without having to carry any bulky devices with them. There’s also a variety of new apps that will take advantage of the new capabilities such as the GPS, upgraded processor/GPU, 2x brighter screens for greater visibility, waterproofing and some offline capabilities as well.

Additionally, Apple has teamed up with both Nike and Hermes to offer additional options for the Series 2 watches. Hermes will strictly provide an elegant aesthetic to the watches with different bands. However; Nike will be offering a Nike plus version which will cater to the more dedicated athletic user.

The Nike plus model will also feature content specifically designed to motivate you and allow you to participate with others in order to stay active. One such feature is called “Just Do It Sundays” which will inform you of events to compete with others locally and globally. Furthermore; on the software side, they’ve also teamed up with Nintendo to offer Pokémon Go on Apple Watch.

The original Apple Watch will also see some changes. Not only will it now be titled “Series 1”, but it is set to get the same processing upgrade as the Apple Watch Series 2 for faster functionality; however, it won’t benefit from the other Series 2 upgrades.

The Apple Watch Series 2 is set to launch later this September for $369 USD, and the Nike Plus Edition in late October. The Apple Watch Series 1 will drop to $269 USD. To be honest I still don’t see the necessity of Smart Phone watches considering phones are everywhere, but if you’re an active body or apart of the Apple cult, then this watch is for you.

iPhone 7 & 7 Plus

“The best iPhone we’ve ever made!” – Apple

Well no shit…The fact it’s called the iPhone 7 should probably mean it’s the best iPhone ever. Nevertheless, here’s the gist of what you’ll get in Apple’s greatest phone ever. In terms of design, the iPhone 7 and 7 plus, are set to come in all original colours plus a the new black and jet black. Previously, iPhone users were relegated to space grey if they wanted a darker coloured iPhone. The black iPhone has the regular finish, where as the jet black comes with a premium gloss finish that transitions seamlessly from the screen to the back cover. The only downside of the jet black model is that “It’s prone to scratches” according to Apple, so you’d probably still need a case.

The iPhone 7 also features a “taptic” feedback which all add a vibrating response when using certain features, such as using the home button and zooming in to take a picture. Speaking of pictures, the iPhone 7 boasts an all new camera that shoots photos up to 12 megapixels, has better lighting, more colour and allows for stabilized photos even when hands are shaky. The iPhone 7 Plus boasts 2 cameras which allows for clearer zoomed pictures and close to studio photography level photos. The front facing camera also got a boost to 7 megapixels from the previous 5. If you thought girls didn’t look like they did in person as they do on social media before, wait till Apple enhances the selfie game up with the 7.

Finally, the iPhone 7 is now water (and dust) proof. So no more worries if you happen to drop your phone in the toilet like I did (thank God for OtterBox) or the sink while doing dishes. Also, with the dual stereo sound speakers now you CAN safely play music in the shower if you so choose. A couple of changes have come as a result of these changes. No longer is there an audio jack for regular earphones. Instead Apple has introduced their new line of AirPods which are wireless earphones that last 5 hours on a single charge.

They come with an additional wireless charging chase so it’s a way for you to charge them on the go. My only issue is that there’s nothing stopping you from losing the AirPods. There’s no wire tethering the Pods together and they don’t wrap around your ear. One quick trip and you could lose them joints in a sewer, on the street, or have someone step on them. There’s no sound mechanism to find them if they get misplaced either.

On the plus side they pause music the moment they’re no longer in ear and pair with a bunch of Apple devices. If users wish to use wired earphones, there’s an adapter that comes with the phone which allows for the regular audio cords to be placed. Another problem with this, is that it uses the lightning cord, and any current iPhone user knows the lightning cord is designed to look like a dog chewed through the wire after a couple of months. They’re weak.

On the bright side it’s bundled in so your first adapter is free! The AirPods themselves retail for $169 a pop and will be out in October so they don’t ship with the iPhone 7, and if you’re not a fan of the wireless earbuds, Apple is launching new Beats wireless headsets. Lastly, Apple has also enhanced the screen for better viewing both indoors and outdoors, the battery life is improved, and of course the speed and the performance of the phone are better than the 6S.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are set to launch September 16th in Canada and pre-orders open September 9th. Pricing and models listed below. If you have a 6S, I personally don’t see the NEED to upgrade, but if you got the $$$, do you.

iPhone 7

• 32GB – $899 CAD
• 128GB – $1,029 CAD
• 256GB – $1,159 CAD

iPhone 7 Plus

• 32GB – $1,049 CAD
• 128GB – $1,179 CAD
• 256 GB – $1,309 CAD

Appreciate the read as always!