Episode 152: Apple Event Breakdown

In this week’s Double Tap Canada, Steven Scott, Marc Aflalo & Shaun Preece take a look at just what was unveiled at the recent Apple event. With no sign of the iPhone 12, Air Tags or a new Homepod, was there actually anything released to get excited about?

With the only devices shown being Apple Watches & iPads, did Apple add any new features to either platform to make people want to upgrade? The new Series 6 Apple Watch features faster performance & a brighter screen but it’s main claim to fame was the ability to monitor blood oxygen levels. Then there was the Apple Watch SE which has the same CPU as the Series 5 but with the improved 2nd generation heart rate & accelerometer sensors found in the Series 6. If the actual hardware doesn’t excite you, then maybe the new Family Setup feature in Watch OS 7 will. This allows you to pair multiple Apple Watches, (Cellular models Series 4 and above), to 1 iPhone. This means that you’re able to give family members Apple Watches without the need for them to also own an iPhone. A great way to keep in touch but also saves on the extra expense of multiple smartphones.

When it comes to the iPad range, the new 8th Generation iPad sports the old familiar design as previous entry level iPads including the Home Button & Touch ID, while the new iPad Air has a design that is closer to the iPad Pro, with USB C, a great CPU and also Touch ID built into the wake/lock button.

Aside from the hardware, we’ll take a look at iOS 14 and some of the bugs you should be aware of before upgrading.