Apple, Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) held its highly anticipated annual product launch event on Wednesday. Here's a recap of some of the biggest announcements and unveilings.
Apple Watch Series 8: The new Apple Watch Series 8 will be more durable than previous versions and comes with a temperature sensor that can help track ovulation and other temperature-related health conditions.
The watch also has a new car crash detection feature that can automatically detect a severe automobile accident and call emergency services. The Series 8 will start at $399 and come in black, gold, aluminum and red. Models with cellular connectivity will start at $499.
Related Link: Apple Could Be Bringing A Much-Desired Design Change To Watch Pro, Leaked Images Show
Apple Watch SE: The new low-cost Apple Watch SE will have a larger screen than previous models, and new heart rate notification and fall detection features. Apple plans to market the device for children who may not need their own iPhones. The device will retail for either $249 or $299.
Apple Watch Ultra: The new high-end Apple Watch model is geared toward outdoor athletes and features a new design, larger screen and titanium case. Features include a compass, a new watch face and an orange "action" button for quick use. The Apple Watch Ultra can detect underwater depth and will get up to 60 hours of battery life following a software update this fall. The Apple Watch Ultra starts at $799 and will be available starting on Sept. 23.
Related Link: Apple To Contest Brazil's Ban of iPhone Without Charger As It Braces To Launch iPhone 14
AirPods Pro: Apple said its new model of AirPods Pro wireless earbuds will have improved sound quality and clarity thanks to the Apple H2 chip, an upgrade from previous AirPod chips. Features include new touch control for volume adjustment, up to 6 hours of battery life, a speaker added to the case, and noise cancellation that is twice as effective as previous models. The new AirPod Pro starts at $249.
iPhone 14: The new iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models will replace physical SIM cards with digital eSIM cards to improve security and support multiple phone numbers.
The iPhone 14 features include true-tone OLED display, five colors, improved battery life, more durable ceramic screens, better low-light camera performance and Action Mode to stabilize video recordings.
Apple announced a new free Emergency SOS via Satellite feature that can connect to emergency services even if the user is out of cellular or WiFi range. The new satellite service is expected to launch in November and will be provided by Globalstar, Inc. (NYSE:GSAT).
Globalstar shares, which were trading lower by 15.8% on Wednesday, were halted during the Apple event. The company then announced it will be the satellite provider for the new Apple emergency services.
Apple will pay fees to Globastar under a partnership agreement. Globalstar said it is required to raise additional debt capital for the construction and launch of the new satellites under the terms of the agreement with Apple.
The iPhone 14 will start at $799 and the iPhone Plus will start at $899.
iPhone 14 Pro: The new iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are the high-end iPhone models. The Pro comes with a 6.1-inch screen, and the Max comes with a larger screen. These models have a new design that includes a smaller cutout for the front-facing camera and an always-on display that stays on even when the phone is not in use. These models include Apple's A16 Bionic chip built on a 4-nanometer process, and a 48-megapixel camera with a larger sensor. The iPhone 14 Pro starts at $999.
Market Reacts: Apple investors didn't seem to see anything earth-shattering in Wednesday's event. Apple shares threaded higher by just 1% on a strong day for the market.
Shares of high-end smartwatch market share leader Garmin Ltd. (NYSE:GRMN) were also higher by 2.8% on Wednesday, suggesting the market doesn't see the Apple Watch Ultra as a significant threat.
Photo courtesy of Apple.
