APPLE just unleashed a flurry of new gadgets including the iPhone 14 – but it’s NOT the pick of the lot for me.
I’ve had eyes-on and hands-on with all of the new gear at Apple HQ in California, and there are three products I”m really excited about.
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There’s plenty to like about the iPhone 14 – including the new colours and boosted camera.
But here are three brand new gadgets that stole the show for me at yesterday’s Apple event…
Apple Watch Ultra
The Apple Watch is an absolute timekeeping titan – it even sells better than the entire Swiss watch industry.
Now Apple has made its biggest change ever with the Apple Watch Ultra.
It’s like having Bear Grylls on your wrist, with a rugged exterior and loads of ways to keep you safe on your next adventure.
The watch has a big and bold design built from aerospace-grade titanium.
It’s tougher and more waterproof than any Apple Watch we’ve ever seen. It certainly looks the part.
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The GPS is improved, and there are Waypoint and Backtrack features to help you get lost. A mammoth 36-hour battery life only adds to the peace of mind.
And there’s even a special bright orange Action Button that you can use for quick settings – like creating GPS pinpoints as you move.
If all else fails, you can blare out an 86dB siren that’s built right into the body of the watch.
It’s not cheap at $799/£849 but it looks like an absolute workhorse – and could save your life out in the wilderness. Priceless, really!
iPhone 14 Pro
The iPhone 14 looks great, sure – but the iPhone 14 Pro really stole the show.
It’s got plenty to enjoy: better low-light photography, an ultra-fast A16 processor and a brighter-than-ever screen.
There’s also an Always-On Display that means you can instantly check key info without having to tap on your iPhone.
But what really stood out to me is the iPhone redesign – exclusive to the Pro model.
The “notch” at the top of the screen – first released with the iPhone X – to house Face ID is gone.
Face ID and the selfie camera are still there, but they’re not hidden inside a small pill-shaped cut-out.
This new “mini notch” is called the Dynamic Island.
Ostensibly it should be a bad thing as it blocks part of the screen – but Apple has somehow managed to turn it into a very cool feature.
The Dynamic Island is much smaller than the notch, and turns into a sort of notification bar.
You can tap on it to fully expand it into a proper notification pop-out.
And it’ll displaying ongoing background info like music playback, a timer countdown, or journey progress in a taxi app.
If you’re playing music, you’ll see the album art and a colour-matched waveform.
And Apple says it’ll bring sports scores to the Dynamic Island too.
It’s infinitely better than the notch, and really gives the $999/£1,099 iPhone 14 Pro the edge over its cheaper sibling.
Apple AirPods Pro
I wasn’t expecting to be as impressed by the new AirPods Pro as I was.
After all, the gadget looks mostly the same as its 2019 predecessor from the outside.
But Apple has made some significant improvements that may mean the 2022 AirPods Pro are the best wireless earbuds on the market.
Firstly, Apple has changed up the equipment inside the AirPods to provide improved sound – and especially better bass.
I had a quick go with them at the Apple Park HQ and the sound is impressive enough.
A brand new H2 chip inside also means you get six hours of listening time per charge – and 30 hours with the charging case.
Active noise cancellation is improved, but it was already pretty good.
Much better is the revamped Transparency Mode – a squeeze of the stem switches off noise-cancellation and lets you hear outside noise as if you weren’t wearing AirPods.
Importantly, the Transparency Mode makes it easy to hear important things like voices – while shutting out loud ambient noise: think trains, traffic or the relentless hum of an airplane cabin.
The AirPods stems are now touch sensitive, so you can swipe up and down with a satisfying ‘ear click’ to change volume.
And Spatial Audio – the 360-degree sound offered by some music and movies – can now be personalised using your iPhone.
You can use the TrueDepth camera on the front to scan your head and ears to perfectly optimise your own “soundscape”.
This means you should be able to enjoy Spatial Audio like never before.
And if that wasn’t enough, Apple chucks in free case engravings – including Memoji – on this slick pair of £249 / $249 earbuds.
Apple has managed to pack in so many improvements to the AirPods Pro – I can’t wait to try them out properly.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
