Apple Event Live Blog: iPhone 14, Apple Watch Series 8, and AirPods Pro 2

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The highly-anticipated Apple event day is officially here. During this Apple event, we will see the new iPhone 14 lineup, major updates to the new Apple Watch, the launch of AirPods Pro 2, and much more. Head below for the full live blog of everything Apple announces at today’s “Far out” space-themed event.

What to expect at today’s Apple Event

As a recap, here’s a rundown of the hardware we’re expecting from today’s Apple event. First and foremost, there’s the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max. We’re also expecting the Apple Watch Series 8 alongside a new Apple Watch SE and the completely redesigned Apple Watch Pro. AirPods Pro 2 are also on the docket for today’s event.

Outside of the hardware, there are some software announcements on the table as well. During the Apple event, the company will announce the official release date for iOS 16, watchOS 9, and tvOS 16.

Finally, there’s the increasingly important services category of announcements. Specific information here is still unclear, but we could get some details on Apple’s multi-billion dollar acquisition of NFL Sunday Ticket streaming rights. Another possibility is the release date for Ted Lasso season three.

Apple Event live blog

Refresh for updates throughout the Apple event. We’ll be offering specific announcement details, running commentary, and more. You can watch the stream itself right here when it kicks off at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET.

• Apple Watch Ultra, Series 8, SE orders open now, iPhone 14, 14 Pro, and AirPods Pro soon
• AppleCare+ now includes ‘unlimited’ repairs for accidental damage
• Apple Watch Ultra band compatibility explained
• iOS 16 RC now available to developers ahead of official release next week
• Apple Fitness+ no longer requires an Apple Watch
• iOS 16 to launch on September 12 for all iPhone users
• Apple kills SIM card with eSIM-only iPhone 14 in the US
• iPhone 14 Pro is here: Interactive ‘Dynamic Island’ notch, Always-On Display, new colors
• Our site crashed :(
• Sattellite connectivity confirmed!
• All iPhone 14 models sold in the United States will not have a physical SIM card slot, relying fully on eSIM tech.
• “Momentum for 5G is stronger than ever,” Apple says. Apple also taking time to explain eSIM technology.

• New “action mode” for video to improve stability.
• The Phototonic Engine benefits every camera: 2x low light improvement on front camera and ultra-wide camera, 2.5x improvement on main wide camera.
• Deep Fusion will be applied much earlier in the processing so that more detail remains in the image. Apple is calling this the Phototonic Engine.
• Improved front-facing camera with auto focus for the first time and better low light performance. “Hybrid system,” as Apple describes it.
• iPhone 14 camera: New 12MP main camera with a larger sensor and larger pixels. Faster aperture at f/1.5. 49% percent improvement in low-light performance.

• A15 Bionic chip inside: improved graphics based. the same A15 Bionic from iPhone 13 Pro.
• iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch display and iPhone 14 Plus has a 6.7-inch. Both are Super Retina XDR OLED displays. All-day battery life.
• iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus colors: midnight, starlight, product red, and blue.

• And here are iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus. That’s right, not Max. iPhone 14 Plus. The Plus naming is back.
• AirPods Pro look impressive. Lots of the improvements I was hoping for. Doesn’t seem like they support true lossless playback, though. Just improvements over existing quality.

• $249 price point, available to order on September 9.
• You can now also charge your AirPods Pro via your Apple Watch charging puck. Lightning is still supported for wired charging as well as Qi wireless charging.
• New AirPods Pro charging case supports Precision Finding in the Find My app. There’s also a speaker and a lanyard hole in the case.
• 30 hours of battery life with charging case, 6 hours for the earbuds themselves.
• New capacitive sensing layer on the stems that let you adjust the volume.
• Active Noise Cancellation is improved up to 2x better than the existing AirPods Pro.
• New XL eartip will be included in the box with AirPods Pro 2: L, M, S, XS sizes
• Design of the buds is the same. New H2 chip with high bandwidth audio playback. Also a new custom audio driver and custom amplifier.

• And now we’re heading on to AirPods, for those of us who prefer watching TV not exercising. AirPods Pro are Apple’s best selling AirPods model, Tim Cook says.

• Apple Watch Ultra will be available on September 23, order today, $799 price point. Much lower price point than I expected.

• Built-in 86 decibel siren. New watchOS ‘Depth’ for water sports.
• 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, then run a marathon ride all on one battery charge. I will be testing this. I won’t stand for deceptive marketing.
• Apple Watch Ultra also includes “the most accurate GPS” of any smartwatch.
• New bands and watch faces designed for extreme sports. Apple is focusing on bands for specific sports situations, such as a new thin and light band for endurance athletes.

• Cellular is built into every Apple Watch Ultra. Up to 36 hours of battery life in a single charge. 60 hours of extended battery life with new battery optimization setting enabled.
• New Action button on the side that’s bright orange and customizable. New Digital Crown design. Added a second speaker for increased volume.
• Now we’re on to the Apple Watch Ultra. Not Pro! Ultra! Rugged and capable. Aero-space grade titanium. Flat sapphire crystal display for durability, 49mm case.
• New Apple Watch SE: available in midnight, starlight, and silver. 20% faster performance, new recycled back case design, and crash detection. Available to order today for $249 GPS and $299 cellular.

• $399 for GPS and $499 for cellular, order from today and available on September 16. You also get 3 months free of Fitness+.
• Many new band colors, including Nike and Hermes. You can also now use the Nike watch faces on any Apple Watch, not just the specific Nike models.
• Apple Watch Series 8 aluminum colors: Midnight, starlight, silver, and Product Red.
• Apple Watch Series 8 stainless steel colors: Silver, goldm, and graphite

• New Lower Power Mode for Apple Watch Series 4 and later. This will extend battery life to up to 36 hours. The normal battery life is still 18-hours.
• Crash detection works only when you’re driving and works with all popular car types, including SUVs, sedans, trucks, and more.

• Next up, Apple has added a new crash detection feature with Apple Watch Series 8. This feature will automatically detect the crash, call for help, and tell your emergency contacts your location.

• Everyone will be able to see new temperature trend data in the Health app. Temperature is tracked overnight, every five minutes. The idea is to track trend data over time to spot differences.
• Apple Watch Series 8 features a body temperature sensor, as expected. So far, Apple’s said that it will be used for new women’s health features including improved ovulation features in the Health app.
• The Apple Watch Series 8 is now official. All the features of the Series 7 alongside exclusive new complications for your watch face and more.
• These Apple Watch videos are always impressive and emotional, and this one is no different. As Tim always says, Apple’s greatest contribution to humankind will be something health care related.

• We’re kicking things off with Apple Watch, with Tim introducing a video telling the stories of users who have been impacted by the product’s health and fitness videos.
• Tim says we’re here to talk about three products: AirPods, iPhone, and Apple Watch. Early confirmation of what to expect!

• Tim Cook is on stage at Steve Jobs Theater welcoming those in attendance. He confirmed that this will be a pre-recorded event.
• Between the lack of masks and the jam-packed pictures we’ve seen, this really is looking like an Apple event of the pre-COVID days. We shall see what the event itself is like!

• Here’s our first look inside Steve Jobs Theater as the press gets settles in and mingles with Apple execs (via Neil Cybart).

• Tim Cook is out milling around taking selfies with people, as Tim loves to do (via dilarakocakiyiyasam on Instagram)
• And the press is now descending into Steve Jobs Theater itself. T-minus 27 minutes till kickoff.

• Joanna Stern says there is much more security at Steve Jobs Theater than at past Apple events, including metal detectors, patdowns, and more.
• And here’s a look at the mayhem that is the press waiting to descend into the actual Steve Jobs Theater (via Lance Ulanoff).

• Here’s a look inside the walkway toward Steve Jobs Theater (via Nilay Patel).
• In case you were wondering, 9to5Mac was not offered an invite to the IRL event this year. If you think we deserve one, tweet at Tim Cook and tell him.
• Some context to the Apple event: California’s power grid is on the verge of collapsing. The state is calling on people to conserve power amid record-setting heat. We’ve already seen rotating outages implemented. Apple Park is powered by 100% renewables, but it’ll be interesting to see if anything is impacted by this. Climate change! Yay!

• Here’s a look at the spread of food that Apple is handing out to the press. Everything is bite-sized and beautifully arranged as usual (via Scott Stein)
• It doesn’t appear that Apple is requiring masks for members of the press. This marks the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic that Apple has welcomed developers or press to Apple Park without masks.

• Tom’s Guide Kate Kozuch shared this snap of Apple’s eco-friendly press badges, with the green Apple logo as well.
• Personally, I’m placing my bets on a pre-recorded video like what we saw at WWDC in June…but I’d love to be proven wrong! Let me know down in the comments what you think we’ll see this time around.
• The jury is still out on whether this will be a fully in-person Apple event like the old days or will be a pre-recorded video. Regardless, the press is there to have hands-on time with the new iPhone 14 and other products.

• And here’s another money shot from Stephen Nellis over at Reuters.

• Members of the press are arriving at Steve Jobs Theater ahead of the 10 a.m. ET/1 p.m. PT kickoff. Here’s a shot from Lance Unlanoff showing off the festivities.

• Apple Fellow Phil Schiller is also here to celebrate.
• Tim’s use of “stellar” is yet another egg in the space-themed bucket of teasers. Could we finally see satellite connectivity for the iPhone 14 this year? It’s beginning to look that way.

• Tim Cook is awake and ready to celebrate today’s Apple event. Tim took to Twitter to share a gorgeous image of Apple Park, with the teaser that he’s “looking forward to a stellar Apple event.”

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