CUPERTINO, California — As expected, Apple showed off a bunch of new tech upgrades at their September 2021 event.
While this year's event may have been virtual again, due to COVID-19 concerns, that didn't stop the tech giant from teasing fans with their latest and greatest devices.
iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini
It seems Apple isn't ready to ditch its iPhone mini lineup just yet, as they release another one alongside the upgraded iPhone 13.
Both the new regular size and mini iPhone 13 models will come in five colors (pink, blue, midnight, starlight, and red).
The iPhone 13 has a 6.1-inch screen from corner to corner and the iPhone 13 mini has a 5.4-inch display.
Apple said these newer smartphones will have an upgraded camera system, a faster processor, longer battery life, and a brighter screen with Ceramic Shield, hopefully making the screen less likely to break than before.
The two cameras on this phone are capable of taking video with the depth effect in Cinematic mode, allowing them to pull focus on one object and leave other things in the background out of focus.
Storage space on these phones starts at 128GB and goes up to a maximum of 512GB.
They also have an IP68 rating for water resistance and they support 5G.
The iPhone 13 mini starts at $699 and the iPhone 13 starts at $799.
U.S. pre-orders start on September 17, with availability beginning September 24.
iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max
The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max both come in four colors (graphite, gold, silver, and sierra blue).
Similar to the regular and mini iPhone 13 models, the Pro and Pro Max have an upgraded camera system, but these ones have three camera lenses (ultra-wide, wide, and telephoto) instead of two.
The new ultra-wide camera is now able to take macro pictures, which means really close-up shots of things.
Apple also said the new wide camera does 2.2 times better with low-light photos and videos.
These cameras are also capable of taking video with the depth effect in Cinematic mode, allowing them to pull focus on one object and leave other things in the background out of focus.
The cameras on the iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max now have 3 times optical zoom rather than the 2 times previously offered on the iPhone 12 Pro.
The iPhone 13 Pro has a 6.1-inch display and the Pro Max has a 6.7-inch display.
The same improvements have been made to the battery, screen, and processor just like the other iPhone 13 models.
Storage space on these phones starts at 128GB and goes up to a maximum of 1TB.
They also have an IP68 rating for water resistance and they support 5G.
The iPhone 13 Pro starts at $999 and the iPhone 13 Pro Max starts at $1,099.
U.S. pre-orders start September 17, with availability beginning September 24.
Apple Watch Series 7
The newest Apple Watch has been redesigned in a couple of ways in terms of size and shape.
The surface area of the screen is larger and closer to the edges of the watch with thinner borders and edges that are smoother.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is available in 41mm and 45mm sizes.
Because of the larger screen sizes, the watch offers two larger font sizes and a new QWERTY keyboard that can be tapped or swiped.
There are two unique watch faces for the Apple Watch Series 7 — Contour and Modular Duo — and Apple said they're designed specifically for the new smart device.
This new smartwatch boasts the same all-day 18-hour battery life, and it is supposed to take 33% less time to charge.
The Apple Watch Series 7 is supposedly the most durable Apple Watch ever with a more crack-resistant screen.
The new smartwatch comes in five aluminum case colors, including midnight, starlight, green, blue and red.
The Apple Watch Series 7 will start at $399 and Apple said it will be available later this fall.
New iPad mini
The latest iPad mini has a new design, similar to that of the iPhone 13 models.
It has an 8.3-inch display with more narrow edges and it comes in four colors - pink, starlight, purple, and space gray.
Apple said this iPad mini is up to 80% faster than the previous generation.
The front camera on the new iPad mini has been upgraded to an ultra-wide one with a 12MP sensor and a much larger field of view, which allows it to automatically keep the user in view with the feature Center Stage.
The Wi-Fi model of iPad mini starts at $499 and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $649.
The new iPad mini is available to order now and it will be in stores on September 24.
iPad (9th generation)
The newest standard size iPad takes a similar shape to the iPad Pro and it comes in silver and space gray.
The 9th generation iPad has a 10.2-inch display from corner to corner with the same ultra-wide camera as the new iPad mini, which allows it to automatically keep the user in view with the feature Center Stage.
Apple said it has improved performance and retains its all-day battery life.
The new iPad starts with 64GB of storage, which is double the storage of the previous version, and there's also a 256GB model.
Wi-Fi models of the new iPad start at $329 and Wi-Fi + Cellular models start at $459.
It can be ordered now and it will be in stores on September 24.
Apple Fitness+ getting new workouts
Apple said it will introduce guided meditation and Pilates to its fitness service on September 27.
Later this fall, Apple said Fitness+ will introduce Group Workouts, where users can work out with up to 32 people at once.
Then later this year, Fitness+ will be available in 15 new countries.
Fitness+ is available as a subscription service for $9.99 per month or $79.99 per year.
