New iPad Air features iPhone 12 chip, new Apple Watch, and more tech news today

Your Tech News Digest via the DGiT Daily Tech Newsletter for Wednesday September 16, 2020. Next up for big events: Son’y PlayStation 5 event today.

1. New from Apple

Apple expanded its Watch and iPad offerings yesterday with its September event and announced that it would be releasing iOS 14, iPadOS 14, watchOS 7 and tvOS 14 on September 16. Today.

This lack of warning came as a surprise. And app developers are pissed off – don’t expect your apps to have iOS 14 functionality right away unless it’s an important one.

Anyway, here is the hardware and subscriptions Apple announced yesterday and what it all means.

Apple Watch Series 6

The new Apple Watch Series 6 is powered by a new S6 chip, which Apple says is a dual-core processor based on the A13 Bionic in the iPhone 11.
New to this model is an SpO2 sensor to measure blood oxygen saturation, which Apple says will take around 15 seconds. Also new is an altimeter with a new U1 Ultra Wideband chip, which is now available in iPhones. (It is expected to be used with Apple’s AirTags tracking we haven’t heard of.)
The constantly on display is now 2.5 times brighter and it now supports 5 GHz WiFi networks (not 5G in case you skim this).
The GPS version starts at $ 399. Pre-orders are open on Friday.
The scope of delivery does not include a USB power supply unit, with some environmental rationale from Apple. Expect the same for your next iPhone box too!

There is also a lower cost Apple Watch SE:

This is a new, cheaper version of the watch.
What is missing is that it has last year’s S5 chip, i.e. no 5 GHz WiFi or the blood oxygen sensor, and also no EKG (a Series 4 feature from 2018). The always-on is also missing.
However, it is just as big as the Series 6.
It starts at a price of $ 279. These are the omissions you would expect when it comes to the cheaper version of a new device.
So $ 120 difference to the latest device. Oddly enough, Apple is still selling the Series 3 for $ 199.
Will not come with a charger in the box either.

Here’s how to choose between Apple Watch Series 6, SE, and older models (The Verge).

New iPad Air is much better and for the time being almost as good as the iPad Pro:

The iPad Air is hot again and updated across the board.
It’s now a 10.9-inch display, has fewer bezels than before, and looks like an iPad Pro with a resolution of 2,360 x 1,640.
The fuller screen is created by sliding the Touch ID fingerprint sensor and button next to the top power button aside. This is a first for Apple.
It’s the first device on Apple’s newest A14 chipset, a 5nm process A14 bionic, ahead of the iPhone 12 later this year.
Apple says it’s faster than ever, with the first ever six-core CPU, four-core GPU architecture and a 16-core neural engine with 11.8 billion transistors used.
It also uses a USB-C connector, not Lightning, and it adds Magic Keyboard support. (“A heartfelt eulogy for the shabby Apple Lightning connector”, WIRED)
There are now five colors, including sky blue and green, and availability will be starting next month.
It starts at $ 599, but unfortunately that applies to a 64GB version of storage and should be ignored: you want the 256GB for $ 699. Add the cellular option and get up to $ 829. So keep that in mind.
This is what most people talk about. There’s really a pause on why you need to buy an iPad Pro that has a nicer 120Hz screen, lidar sensor, and face recognition, but less power now. (For now. The iPad Pro range should be updated with fresh silicon within a few weeks.)

iPad (8th generation)

A quick stop here: the entry-level iPad is better. It now has a new processor with an A12 Bionic on board, from the 2018 iPhone. It still looks a bit dated, but hey, it’s an entry-level model.
No price change is part of the best news: the $ 329 starting point remains, but only 32GB of storage, which limits apps, what you can download to watch later, and more.
Seriously, get the 128GB model for $ 409 unless you’re just browsing.

Fitness +

This is an interesting one. Apple Watch owners have enjoyed closing the rings on fitness tracking, and now Fitness Plus takes it one step further.
It’s a new premium subscription service that integrates with iPhones, iPads, Apple TV, and Apple Watch. There are currently 10 different training types with more to be added. It will cost you $ 10 a month.
The idea is that at the beginning of a session, you will be given metrics like heart rate and calories burned and that there will be classes and instructional videos.
It’s coming in late 2020 and appears to be moving around Peloton’s space. Whether or not this increases awareness of Peleton, and whether the new Apple service is good and how well it works, can be discussed and questioned.
It is crucial that the sessions are not live.

Apple One subscription package

Rumor has it that Apple One combines a number of Apple services into a single subscription.
$ 14.95 per month: Apple Arcade, Apple Music, Apple TV +, and 50GB of iCloud storage.
$ 19.95 per month: Families (up to six) can access the same services and 200GB of iCloud storage.
$ 29.95 per month: Premier Tier for all of the above, plus access to Apple News +, Fitness +, and 2 TB iCloud storage.
Rivals are not happy. Spotify complained that “Apple is using its dominant position and unfair practices to disadvantage competitors.” (Apple Insider)
Apple, believe it or not, said it wasn’t unfair (The Verge).

2. Ad-supported cellular plans could reach AT&T (Android Authority) in 2021.

3. Speed test G: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 versus Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra: Which ultra-premium device has the edge? (Android Authority).

4. Sony has rejected Bloomberg’s report on lower PS5 (Android Authority) production. By the way, Sony’s PS5 event at 1 p.m. PT / 4 p.m. ET will be on YouTube and Twitch.

5. Sony WH-1000XM4 versus Bose Noise Canceling Headphones 700: Battle for the throne (Android Authority).

6. Android TV will most likely be branded as Google TV on the new Chromecast (XDA).

7. iOS 14 will have a new pickup emoji designed by Ford. But it has a problem … (Jalopnik).

8. Waze gets better: lane guidance, travel suggestions, traffic alerts and more (VentureBeat).

9. What kind of saga – only in Australia ?: “If you browse Instagram and find the passport number of former Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott” (mango.pdf.zone).

10. The now released Mandalorian trailer for the second season shows the search for Baby Yoda’s home (Android Authority).

11. Why birds survived and dinosaurs died out after an asteroid hit Earth (Smithsonian Mag).

12. Bill Gates’ father, Bill Gates Sr., has died at the age of 94 (Gates Notes).

13. The European Space Agency awards a $ 153 million contract for its first planetary defense mission (TechCrunch).

14. “Why does the gravity of the moon cause tides on the earth, but the gravity of the sun not?” (R / askcience).

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