iPhone 14 event: Everything Apple launched at its 'Far Out' show

For millions of tech fans around the world, September is the month of the iPhone. Sure enough, on September 7, 2022, Apple held its huge iPhone 14 event. At this show — which Apple called “Far Out” — the company launched its new family of iPhones along with a slew of other products.

Being an Android-focused site, most of our readers will probably not be interested in the latest iPhones. However, it’s always important to see what Apple is doing since Android OEMs will inevitably start doing the same thing.

Below, we’ve summarized the basics of all the major announcements at Apple’s iPhone 14 event today. Check it out, and be sure to answer our simple Hot or Not poll for the newest Apple smartphones!

iPhone 14 event: The newest flagship smartphones

The headline announcement of today’s show was undoubtedly the iPhone 14 series. Apple didn’t introduce any enormous changes this year, but there are certainly some notable alterations to how the phones look and work.

We’ve got summaries of the four new phones below.

iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus

First, there has been a new addition to the iPhone family — as well as a removal. The 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus now takes the place of the iPhone 13 Mini. Where the Mini model was a smaller version of the mainline iPhone, the Plus model is the opposite: a larger version of the basic 6.1-inch iPhone 14.

Another change this year is something that actually didn’t change. Unlike pretty much every year prior, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus do not feature new silicon underneath the hood. Both phones feature the A15 Bionic, which launched in the iPhone 13 series.

See also: The history of the iPhone

Elsewhere, the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have some new camera hardware that should promise better photography and videography. This is headlined by the new 12MP main sensor which has a faster aperture among other upgrades. There’s also a new 12MP selfie sensor with autofocus, a first-time feature for the iPhone.

One of the biggest changes, though, is something Apple has eliminated: the SIM card tray. Now, all US-based iPhones will be eSIM-only, which could be quite the headache if your carrier hasn’t figured out its eSIM systems yet.

Finally, the new iPhones come with a new SOS system that connects to satellites. It’s a very complicated system that involves you needing to track and point your phone at satellites and use pre-determined messages to express your emergency. The service is free for two years, though, so it’s worth a shot.

The iPhone 14 starts at $799 and the iPhone 14 Plus starts at $899. They will all be available for pre-order on September 9 with the iPhone 14 hitting general sale on September 16. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Plus hits store shelves on October 7.

iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max

The Pro models are where Apple really brought the changes this year. Both Pro-level iPhones have a new chipset in the A16 Bionic. This SoC is faster and more powerful than the A15 from last year, which should give both phones a bit of extra oomph over their predecessors.

Aesthetically, the phones are very different from the front. The tugboat notch is finally gone with a pill-shaped cutout appearing in its place, which Apple is pretentiously calling the Dynamic Island. This cutout is actually a combination of screen trickery and physical cutouts in order to cram in the multiple sensors needed for Face ID and selfie photography. The pill can also resize for notifications and other software features, making the cutout a part of the UI experience.

Apple is also finally bringing an always-on display to an iPhone. However, this is currently locked to just the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max.

On the back, things look mostly the same. There are three camera lenses — a wide, an ultrawide, and a telephoto — but two have seen an upgrade as compared to last year. The main sensor finally upgrades past 12MP to 48MP and there’s also a new 12MP ultrawide camera.

The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099.

Both phones hit the pre-order stage on September 9 and general sales on September 16.

Apple Watch Series 8

The mainline 2022 iteration of the Apple Watch features a handful of upgrades over the 2021 version. However, this year Apple had to hold back on a lot of upgrades to make room for a new version of the watch (which we’ll get to in a second).

The Apple Watch Series 8 features a temperature sensor for the first time. This is going to give better insights into women’s cycle tracking, specifically ovulation. However, it will also help record temperature fluctuations during sleep for all users, which can be a good indicator of health issues.

Series 8 also can now detect car crashes. This is something Pixel smartphones have offered for years, but now Apple is bringing it to a watch.

Another new feature is “Low Power Mode,” which allows you to extend the pretty poor battery life of your Apple Watch by turning off various features. However, this feature is coming to all Apple Watch products from Series 4 and later, so you won’t need a Series 8 for this.

You can grab the Apple Watch Series 8 with Wi-Fi connectivity only for $399. Need LTE connectivity? That variant will set you back $499.

All Apple Watch Series 8 models are available for pre-order today and will hit store shelves on September 16.

Apple Watch Ultra

For the first time ever, Apple launched a premium-level variant of its Apple Watch at the iPhone 14 event. This upgraded version of the Apple Watch Series 8 is bigger, more rugged, and has more functionality as compared to the vanilla model. It also, as one would expect, is more expensive.

Physically, the Apple Watch Ultra has a large sapphire glass display, which is nominally bigger than the one in the regular Series 8. It also has an additional button on the side (the Action Button), a larger and louder speaker, and LTE connectivity comes with every model. It also has a larger battery than any Apple Watch ever.

See also: What’s the best smartwatch?

The Ultra comes with a host of features for athletes. Rock climbers, SCUBA divers, hikers, and other folks who are looking for a smartwatch that can help them track intense workouts and also keep them safe will find a lot to love about the Ultra.

Essentially, Apple Watch Ultra is designed for intense athletes who wish their Apple Watch was a Garmin watch. Time will tell if Garmin die-hards will move away from their favorite brand, however.

The Apple Watch Ultra will start at $799.

You’ll be able to pre-order an Apple Watch Ultra today. It will be available for regular purchase on September 23.

Apple Watch SE (2022)

Apple went all out this year and also launched a third watch. The Apple Watch SE (2022), as its name suggests, is an upgraded version of the Apple Watch SE. This model exists as an entry point for budget-conscious shoppers who only need the basics.

Essentially, the Apple Watch SE 2 is a watered-down version of the Apple Watch Series 8. It features the same processor and even the car crash detection feature but doesn’t have the temperature sensor or other premium health-tracking hardware.

Budget shoppers will be happy to hear, however, that the Wi-Fi-only model starts at just $249.  There is an LTE model as well, with a starting cost of $299.

The Apple Watch SE 2 opens for pre-order today with general sales starting September 16.

AirPods Pro (2nd Gen)

The last-but-not-least product launched at the iPhone 14 event is something three years in the making. The Apple AirPods Pro were a huge hit for the brand, but are about three years old at this point. Today, the company finally launched a follow-up.

The AirPods Pro 2 feature numerous upgrades over the original. Even the case got some upgrades, with a new speaker system on the case which can sound an alarm to help you locate it. There’s also wireless and MagSafe charging onboard.

See also: The best true wireless earbuds

The new Pro earbuds also have a new H2 chip, which make them more powerful and create better sound. A larger battery is here, spatial audio is also included, and active noise cancellation is still onboard, with Apple claiming twice as much cancellation as previous AirPods.

Finally, on the stem, Apple is introducing a touch-capacitive swipe gesture, which allows you to turn the volume up or down with a swipe.

AirPods Pro 2 start at $249, making them quite expensive. You can pre-order them on September 9 and buy them outright at retail on September 23.

That’s a wrap on all the things Apple announced today! Which one has you the most excited? Let us know in the comments.