Skip to main content

Apple event highlighted by iPhone SE, new 9.7-inch iPad Pro

Welcome to a special post-Apple event edition of DT Daily. Today’s announcements from Apple didn’t hold many surprises, thanks to an increasingly reliable rumor mill, but we did get pricing and availability details on a couple of new products, along with some insight into how iOS is evolving.

Before they got to the good stuff, Apple CEO Tim Cook took a moment to reiterate that the company will not back down on its position against the FBI with regards to iPhone security. Immediately following that short overture, Apple took a moment to talk about how it is trying to be a more environmentally friendly company, introducing Liam, a new machine designed to mechanically disassemble iPhones so individual parts can be harvested for their materials.

Eventually, however, Apple got to the good stuff, starting with the new iPhone SE, a return to the 4-inch screen size for the company, but with all the power found in the iPhone 6S, including an A9 processor, M9 motion sensor, always-on Siri, and 12-megapixel camera with the ability to shoot 4K video and massive 63 megapixel panoramic photos. The phone will go on sale March 24 at $400 for a 16 GB version or $17/month on Apple’s 2-year payment plan.

Next up on the hardware list is the new 9.7-inch version of the iPad Pro, which, much to the delight of artists, supports the Apple Pencil stylus — part of what makes the original Pro so popular – and will go for $599 for a 32 GB, zooming right up to $899 for a 256 GB model. With an available accessory keyboard, these new iPads are looking more like full-on computers than tablets, and hitting your wallets just as hard, too.

There was some news for the Apple Watch at the event, as well. The successful smartwatch got some new nylon bands, but more notable was a price drop. You can now get the smaller version for $299 and the larger version for $50 more. It is important to note, however, that the Apple Watch was already seeing some nice discounts at retail, so this looks a little like an admission that maybe the watch was priced a bit high for immediate adoption in the first place.

Finally, Apple TV owners got some new features, not the least of which is dictation ability, which will make entering usernames and passwords for apps like Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon a whole lot easier. Apple also talked up advanced Siri search capability and the addition of folders to tvOS, making app organization a bit easier, too.

That’s it for today’s special-edition DT Daily. We’ll see you back here for our regularly scheduled show tomorrow.

Caleb Denison
Digital Trends Editor at Large Caleb Denison is a sought-after writer, speaker, and television correspondent with unmatched…
Apple One, Ubisoft Forward wrap-up, life on Mars, and more | Digital Trends Live
digital trends live episode 457 curiosity at work on mars  artist s concept

On this Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler talks the top tech stories of the day, including how Twitter and Google handle preelection misinformation, Apple's accidental reveal of Apple One, an Ubisoft Forward wrap-up, the Mars Curiosity rover begins its search for life, and more.

 

Read more
Work/Life: How to remain focused during times of distraction
worklife episode 26 featured

On this episode of Work/Life, Ciara Pressler, author of Pregame and Game Plan, talks with Greg Nibler about how to remain focused during the constant distractions, chaos, and confusion of the current climate, whether it’s pandemic fatigue, protests, wildfires, the election, or any number of other things out of our control that can take our attention or bog us down.

“There’s a lot going on,” Pressler said, “so how do we focus when there’s so much going on?” The first step of gaining focus, she says, is to acknowledge what’s going on -- not just with the constant barrage of news, but with yourself. “You might not be feeling like working at 100%, and that’s ok!” she says.

Read more
Oracle eyes TikTok, Oculus 2, LG’s dual-screen phone | Digital Trends Live
The Oculus Quest 2 on a table.

On this Digital Trends Live, host Greg Nibler takes on the top tech news of the day, including Oracle’s bid for TikTok, Facebook removes false fire posts, LG’s dual-screen smartphone, Oculus 2 is coming, and more.

John Velasco joins the program to rate the various models of robotic vacuums on the market, including the Shark IQ, the Roborock S6 Max V, the iRobot Roomba S9+, and more.
Julia Daviy

Read more