I went to Apple’s event today – I can’t stop thinking about four life-changing new iPhone and Apple Watch features
The dust is settling on Apple’s annual September event – and we’ve had some time to pick our highlights.
I was lucky enough to be in California for the launch and touch the iPhone maker’s new devices with my humble British hands – four of them characteristics I really noticed.
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Here are my picks for the four standout features from today’s Apple event.
Action button
This is a brand new feature on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The mute switch has been an integral part of iPhone design for years.
But it has now been replaced by something called Action Button.
By default, your iPhone will still be muted – but that’s not all.
Depending on what you set it up for, it can perform a whole range of functions.
It can for example:
- Enable a focus like Do Not Disturb.
- Launch the camera
- Turn on the flashlight
- Start a voice memo
- Translate something
- Start the magnifying glass
And it can also be used for accessibility features or even to enable custom shortcuts that you have programmed yourself.
It makes your iPhone’s side more powerful than ever.
Double tap
Apple has equipped its two new smartwatches with a really clever trick called Double Tap.
It’s available on both the new Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.
And it is designed so that you can control your smart watch without touching the screen.
All you have to do is double-tap your Apple Watch hand with your index finger and thumb.
Through some clever sensor systems, the watch recognizes that you are making this gesture.
You can use it to answer calls, start a time, snooze an alarm, pause what you’re watching, or even start a selfie timer on your iPhone.
I was able to try it out shortly after the iPhone 15 event ended at Apple Park HQ (see our Apple live blog) and it worked great.
Once you master the technique after a few tries, it is very easy to perform.
USB-C
The big change in all four new iPhones Models (iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max) is the charging port.
When the iPhone first came out, it had a huge 30-pin connector, which was happily phased out in 2012.
Then Apple switched to its own Lightning connectors, which became widespread throughout the company’s devices.
But while Apple stuck with Lightning for the iPhone, the world moved on.
Most modern Android phones now use USB-C, and the popular port is often built into new cars and common household appliances.
Even Apple has started moving to USB-C in recent years, particularly on iPad and MacBook models.
Now Apple has finally decided to use USB-C on the iPhone, which is great News.
Forget the little annoyance of your old Lightning cables not working with the new model.
In the long run, you can use the same USB-C cables for almost all of your electronic devices.
Even an Android friend can lend you their charging cable to power your iPhone.
It is a utopian future that we should all want to be a part of.
Super zoom
One of Apple’s best new features has a devastating catch: It’s only available on one model.
The new 5x optical zoom is a real treat, but you can only enjoy it on the premium iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Optical zoom is a lens-based zoom, meaning you can authentically enlarge the image and capture real details.
In contrast, with digital zoom you go beyond the capabilities of the lens.
To do this, you simply need to enlarge the image and crop it to create a zoom effect without adding additional details.
Optical zoom is far better, so the fact that Apple can offer authentic 5x zoom is fantastic news.
I was able to try it out at Apple Park and it works great.
This means you can take stunning shots even from further away – and who doesn’t want that?
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