Gadgets Mobile Phones Technology

Smaller Devices with Large Specs – Apple iPhone SE and iPad Pro

Apple iPhone SEApple’s recent event showed the company going smaller on the outside. The new iPhone SE and iPad Pro have fallen in size, a change from the previous releases of bigger devices. For some people, bigger devices are great, for others they’re not worth the hassle. Having the big device and then learning it doesn’t fit into your pocket or takes up too much room in your bag makes the extra size not so convenient. That’s what mobile devices are for, convenience and mobility.

Starting with the iPhone SE, Apple is really updating its iPhone 5S with the internals of the iPhone 6 and 6S. According to Apple, some people really love smaller phones. The hard drive sizes of the iPhone SE are 16BGB and 32GB, which is standard for Apple devices. Why Apple still persist with 16GB phones is a difficult question, as that size really is too small for all the data that ends up on devices. With apps, music, images, video, the iOS operating system and whatever else you keep on your phone, 16GB is like taking a two-door coupe for a family trip with the kids and a dog.

The processor of the iPhone SE is the A9 with M9 co-processor and the camera is a 12-megapixel rear camera (Taken from the iPhone 6S). The features from the iPhone 6S camera are there, with the ability to shoot video in 4K, True Tone Flash capabilities (To enhance the lighting in selfies) and the Live Photos feature. The size of the iPhone SE is where the difference is, as the device is 4-inches, as opposed to the standard 4.7-inch design.

The iPad Pro also has a smaller model being released, and it’s more of an update on the iPad Air 2 rather than on the larger iPad Pro. Essentially the 9.7-inch iPad Pro has the same internal hardware as the iPad Pro, but with an improved 12-megapixel camera. As with the other iPad Pro, there’s an A9x processor and M9x co-processor, Pencil support, Smart Keyboard support and the same speaker setup. The storage of the new iPad Pro has a large 256GB hard drive, as well as 32GB and 128GB versions.

Apple iPad Pro 2016The camera on the iPad Pro has the same features as other new iPhones, such as 4K video and Live Photos. A feature on both the iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro is one called “True Tone”. “True Tone” changed the lighting of the display depending on the light around you and the time of day. It does this by using ambient sensors.

Apple’s Watch has had slight upgrades added. A new band and a less expensive price were announced. The new watch strap is made from woven nylon, available in four colours. This change is only in the entry level Apple Sports Watch line, but it may not be enough to get many new customers interested in forking out a couple of hundred dollars for something that hasn’t shown why an individual needs it. Apple is the dominant player in the smartwatch market, but it’s not a must-have device like the iPhone was.

An updated iOS was announced iOS 9.3. Following researchers at John Hopkins figuring out how to view video and images via iMessage, Apple has taken lengths to fix this vulnerability. The leaks of personal video and images of public figures shone a light on encryption and what can happen when someone really wants to get someone’s personal files.

“Night Shift” is a mode that has been added to iOS 9.3 and Apple claims . “It may help you sleep” sounded like a mantra coming from Apple, and this is a claim that sounds a little lazy. Something sounds like Apple new that it wasn’t releasing anything impressive or new and needed to focus on a claim that may or may not be true. A welcomed addition is password protection for its Notes app, so you will be able to keep personal Notes protected on your device. CarPlay, as been updated to support more than 100 car models and the iPad version, has educational tools for students added.

Apple’s new range isn’t a leap forward but makes the iPhone range seem complete. To some, it may make more sense to release the range together so customers are given more choice. But perhaps Apple loves its events and product launches more than it likes to offer different devices.

Prices for the new devices are $399 for the 16GB iPhone SE and $499 for the 64GB model. The 9.7-inch iPad Pro is $599 for 32GB, $749 for 32GB, $749 for 128GB and $899 for 256GB. The Apple Sport Watch is now $299, down from $349.

Source: Apple(1), Apple(2)

 

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