It has been a long road for fans of the iPad mini.
They’ve been waiting since 2019 for Apple to update their smaller iPad, and today that patience has been rewarded in the form of a new iPad mini with a larger screen, slimmer bezels, and a USB-C port.
Along with that, we saw a new 10.9-inch iPad base model, the iPhone 13 series, the Apple Watch Series 7, and other software features that we’re excited to test this fall.
Make sure to keep refreshing MobileSyrup over the next few days to stay on top of all current Apple news.
Apple also kicked off the presentation with a musical performance by California Soul by Marlena Shaw, so if you really want to relive the event while reading this recap, check out the video below (you can thank our telecom reporter Alyssa Tremblay for digging up the song).
iPad mini: USB-C port that connects to my heart
The iPad mini has been in a strange place in the Apple tablet landscape for the past few years. It wasn’t as cool or powerful as an iPad Air or iPad Pro, but it cost more than an entry-level iPad and had a smaller screen.
This new iPad mini is basically a small version of the iPad Air with an Apple A15 Bionic chipset, no home button and fun colors. It also has a Touch ID sensor built into the power button on the top of the device.
Apple says the new iPad mini is 80 percent faster than its 2019 predecessor, but the biggest addition is its new USB-C port. This allows it to connect to many more accessories and makes it a more useful tool for people in professional workspaces.
You can read more about the new $ 649 iPad mini here.
iPhone 13 Pro / Pro Max – I’m trying to get excited about the smaller notch, but “meh”
There’s a lot to get excited about with the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max.
Overall, the iPhone 13 series features a smaller notch, and Apple says the new Ceramic Shield glass is the toughest smartphone glass, making the new iPhones even more resistant to breakage. There are also new colors like ‘Sierra Blue’, but overall the phone looks very similar to last year’s iPhone 12.
The only real change is in the cameras, which have been updated to work better in low light conditions. The new ultra-wide sensor in the iPhone 13 Pro can also be used as a macro shooter, a fun mode I’ve used with Android devices. Pro camera systems also feature a 77mm equivalent zoom lens that offers 6x zoom when fully zoomed out at ultra wide angle. Both phones also have access to a new ‘Kinematic Mode’ which I will explain in more detail below.
You can read more in depth about the iPhone 13 series here and the iPhone 13 Pro series here.
Cinematic mode looks fun
Vloggers and TikTokers are going to have fun with this, I think. Apple’s new camera feature allows users to rack focus automatically based on what their head is doing in the frame. You can also enable this feature manually after capturing the file, which suggests that Apple is using software-based bokeh.
In Apple demos, the depth of field effect seemed quite effective in some scenes, and it will be interesting to see how it works when the feature is available.
You can read more about cinematic mode here.
Apple watch
The Apple Watch Series 7 includes features like a slightly larger screen and a more curved design, but overall, there aren’t as many changes to Apple’s smartwatch this year.
Apple showed off some new interface features that take better advantage of the larger screen with minimized bezels, including a swipe-based keyboard that lets you type messages. The Series 7 can also charge 33 percent faster, which is a nice addition to the portable device, as it is designed to be used all the time.
Overall, this will likely be nothing to sway Series 6 owners, but it might be tempting for people with older Apple Watches.
You can learn more about it in our ad posting here.
Where were the new AirPods?
The tech world was eagerly waiting to see if Apple would launch any new AirPods at this event, but interestingly, the company should save them for another day.
There are rumors of one or perhaps two other Apple product reveal events scheduled for this fall, so we could still see them this year. Still, the new AirPods that were revealed alongside the new iPads and iPhones was quirky, to say the least.
Other updates include new Apple Fitness + features and an update to the base model iPad.