Apple event 2021: iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, and more

After months of rumours and leaks, Apple held its highly-anticipated September event on Tuesday and unveiled a slew of products including the iPhone 13, Apple Watch Series 7, an all-new iPad mini, and more.

If you want to know everything announced during the California Streaming product launch event, we have got you covered. Here's a quick recap of all the announcements to emerge from Apple's fall event:

1. Four new iPhone 13 models

The Cupertino tech giant unveiled four new iPhone models: the iPhone 13, iPhone13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max at the event.

In terms of design, the series is quite similar to the iPhone 12, but the notch is around 20 per cent smaller in width.

The iPhone 13 mini and iPhone 13 feature improved Super Retina XDR OLED displays with a 28 per cent increase in max outdoor brightness and a higher peak brightness for HDR content such as photos and videos.

According to 9to5Mac, Apple also said that the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini include a "massive leap in camera design" with a new Wide camera that gathers 47 per cent more light for less noise and brighter images. Apple has also added sensor-shift optical image stabilization to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, a feature that was previously exclusive to the iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Apple said that this "stabilizes the sensor instead of the lens so shots are more steady, while the custom-designed Ultra-Wide camera with a new sensor captures images with more detail in the dark areas of photos and videos with less noise."

The iPhone 13 also introduced a new Cinematic mode feature, which records videos of people, pets, and objects with a depth effect and automatic focus changes. This is similar to the Portrait mode feature that has been available for still images.

Apple said that users can change the focus during and after capture, and adjust the level of bokeh in the Photos app and iMovie, reported 9to5Mac.

Apple is also introducing something that it calls Photographic Styles, which it describes as customized preferences and filters that intelligently apply the right adjustments to different parts of the photo to ensure the important elements, like skin tones, are preserved.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini are both powered by Apple's newest A15 Bionic processor, but more details on performance improvements compared to the iPhone 12 are unclear currently. Efficiency improvements, however, have led to improved battery life, with the iPhone 13 offering up to two and a half more hours than iPhone 12, and iPhone 13 mini up to an hour and a half more than iPhone 12 mini.

Pricing for the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini is the same as their predecessors, but the base configuration storage has been doubled. The iPhone 13 mini starts at USD 699 for 128GB of storage, while the iPhone 13 starts at USD 799. Both devices will be available to pre-order on Friday in red, starlight, midnight, pink, and blue.

Apple also introduced the new iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, its two flagship iPhones for the year. Similarly, there are few changes to the design with these devices, but you do get a slightly smaller notch and a much larger camera bump on the back.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are powered by the A15 Bionic processor and offer many of the same camera features as the non-Pro models, including Cinematic mode for video, Photographic Styles, and more.

The iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max do have their share of exclusive features. Both models feature an Ultra-Wide camera with a 92 per cent boost in low light performance, auto-focus, and a 6-element lens. There are also some other camera features including Macro photography, Smart HDR 4, ProRes video recording and Night mode for all three cameras.

In terms of battery life, the iPhone 13 Pro will last up to one and a half hours longer per charge than iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max will last up to two and a half hours longer per charge than iPhone 12 Pro Max.

Both the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will include new ProMotion displays for the first time. This brings an adaptive refresh rate display to the iPhone several years after it first came to the iPad Pro. The display supports an adaptive refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz.

The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max are priced the same as their predecessors, starting at USD 999 and USD 1099 respectively. Notably, there is also a new 1TB storage configuration for the first time. The iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will be available to pre-order on Friday in graphite, gold, silver, and sierra blue.

2. Apple Watch Series 7

The tech giant also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 7. Unlike rumours had predicted, the Apple Watch Series 7 features a similar design to its predecessor, with rounded edges rather than flat edges. The Series 7 is compatible with all previous Apple Watch bands.

The Apple Watch Series 7 is, however, available in new 41mm and 45mm sizes, just as rumours had predicted. This means you get larger displays on both models, with Apple saying the bezels are 40 per cent smaller, leading to a 20 per cent increase in screen size, reported 9to5Mac.

Other notable improvements include 33 per cent faster speeds for charging, with Apple saying it will now take 45 minutes to go from 0 to 80 per cent. This new charging method will use USB-C and the current magnetic charging puck.

In terms of finishes, the Apple Watch Series 7 is available in five different aluminium colours: green, blue, red, starlight, and silver. Stainless steel and titanium colours are unchanged from Series 6: silver, graphite, gold, natural, and space black.

However, there is no official release date for the new Apple Watch just yet. Apple Watch Series 7 will be available 'later this fall' according to the company.

3. New entry-level iPad

Apple also launched the new entry-level iPad, marking its ninth-generation update. The new iPad is powered by Apple's A13 Bionic processor inside, which the company says provides a 20 per cent boost in performance. With this update, the entry-level iPad is now 6x faster than the best-selling Android tablet and 3x faster than the best-selling Chromebook.

In terms of design, the new iPad is largely the same as its predecessor with a 10.2-inch design. One notable change is that True Tone display technology is now available on the entry-level iPad. This feature adjusts screen content to the colour temperature of a room.

As per 9to5Mac, the iPad 9 has also added a new Ultra Wide front-facing with support for the Center Stage feature, which automatically pans the camera to keep users in view as they move around.

Apple has also doubled the base storage configuration from 32GB to 64GB for the same USD 329 starting price. The new ninth-generation iPad is available to order now.

4. iPad mini

iPad mini was also launched at the event and has gotten a complete and drastic redesign. The new iPad mini features an 8.3-inch display with slim bezels around the sides.

The Home button has been removed in favour of a new Touch ID-equipped power button. On the bottom, you'll find USB-C connectivity. There's also support for the second-generation Apple Pencil.

The iPad mini is powered by Apple's newest A15 Bionic processor. Apple said that the 6-core CPU delivers a 40 per cent jump in performance, and the 5-core GPU delivers an 80 per cent jump in graphics performance compared to the previous generation of iPad mini, reported 9to5Mac.

Just like the entry-level iPad, the new iPad mini also features an ultra-wide front-facing camera with Center Stage support. The back camera now features a 12MP sensor with Focus Pixels and a larger aperture. The iPad mini also packs support for 5G connectivity for the first time ever.

The new iPad mini is available to order now with prices starting at USD 499 for 64GB of storage. You can upgrade to 256GB and cellular connectivity for a higher price.

5. Tidbits and wrap up

In addition to the new hardware, Apple announced that it will release its next round of software updates, including iOS 15, watchOS 8, and iPadOS 15, on September 20. The company also announced new features for Apple Fitness+ and teased its upcoming TV shows and movies launching on Apple TV+.

6. Notably absent from the event

Several leaks and tips suggested that Tuesday will bring the first look at the AirPods 3. These were not supposed to replace the AirPods 2. Instead, they were to arrive at a higher price than the earlier model, which retails for USD 159. However, AirPods 3 and new Macs were not unveiled at the event. This means that Apple still has more up its sleeve to hold another special event sometime in October or November.