September, 2024 - Organizer

Apple Watch Series 10 review – this makes me want to ditch the Ultra

8:00 am | September 10, 2024

Hands-on Apple Watch Series 10 review: Two-minute preview

Apple Watch Series 10 family. — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Going into Apple’s September 9, 2024, “It’s Glowtime.” event, I wouldn’t have blamed you for potentially dismissing the rumored Apple Watch Series 10. I heard it would get a larger display, a new health feature, and a thinner build. On paper, that doesn’t do much, but I’ll admit I underestimated it.

Maybe, I should have checked the calendar as today (Sept. 9) marks the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch, and while the Series 10 casts a familiar look, it’s all in the details.

Ten generations in, it’s clear Apple’s sticking with this rounded square design, and they’re working on perfecting it – or, as my colleague Lance Ulanoff put it, Apple’s well-polishing the Apple.

To sum it up, the Series 10 does indeed resemble the Series 9, but it’s way thinner – Apple shaved off a whole 1-millimeter, which is a lot for something on your wrist – and packed in a way larger display. In fact, the 46-millimeter display is even bigger than the Apple Watch Ultra 2, and while that sounds like a behemoth, it’s not. The smartwatch didn’t feel massive at all on my wrist and looked rather elegant, especially in the Jet Black aluminum finish, which brings me so much joy as someone who waited for hours to get an iPhone 7 Plus in that same shade.

Apple Watch Series 10 vs Apple Watch Series 9 — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The screen here is the star, though, and it’s not just bigger for sheer numbers' sake. In Calculator, you can more easily hit buttons, and when viewing photos, you can pick out more details. Better yet, when reading text in an email or a news article, the screen's large enough to fit an additional line of text.

That’s super functional, but the display is also more visible, so you can make out what is on the display for off-axis viewing, even at extreme angles. Think of this as the second half of what Apple was aiming to do with the Series 7 that curved down the edges.

To accomplish the Apple Watch Series 10 has a “Wide Angle OLED” display with an LTPO-3 panel underneath. In practice, it’s a wicked bright (up to 2,000 nits) screen that offers crisp, vibrant details and can get down to a super low 1Hz refresh rate. Watch and timepiece: fans will appreciate just how good the ticking secondhands look on various watch faces.

You’d likely expect this from an Apple Watch, but the screen on the Series 10, seemingly a pretty simple upgrade, steals the show here and makes a much bigger impact or impression after you see it in real life. The 44-millimeter to 46-millimeter doesn’t sound massive, but it makes me want to ditch my Apple Watch Ultra. Of course, if you don't want the larger Apple Watch, you still get the thinner build and more expansive display with the smaller, 42-millimeter Series 10.

Second, while Apple is still promising the same 18 hours of battery life, they offer an enhancement in the charging realm. I’d call this battery adjacent, as it can let you stretch the life of the Series 10 with a simple charge. It still ships with the fast-charging USB-C Apple Watch puck that’s been in the box since the Series 7, but thanks to a new coil on the Series 10 it can hit 80% in just 30 minutes. That should make a big impact, and you can still get 8-hours of use in just 8 minutes.

That alone might sway you to wear the Apple Watch Series 10 overnight for sleep tracking, but Apple’s also adding a new health feature. Sleep Apnea detection will arrive on Series 10 the Ultra 2, and Series 9 once the FDA clears it. Essentially, it’s using the accelerometer and a custom algorithm to detect if you potentially have it, and if it detects it, you’ll get an alert in the Apple Health app. It doesn’t need to measure blood oxygen or employ other sessions, and Apple’s only rolling out this feature after extensive testing to root its process in science.

Apple Watch Series 10, rear — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

These three stand out as the most impressive feats Apple pulled off for the Series 10, which debuted on the tenth anniversary of the Apple Watch. Inside, it’s powered by the S10 SIP, which performs similarly to the S9 (in the Series 9 and Ultra 2). Still, because the Series 10 is thinner, Apple had to engineer the inside, so it’s much flatter than the previous one.

Apple also redesigned the speaker, which is now larger and shaved off 1-millimeter of the Digital Crown on the inside. The red circle on the Digital Crown, which noted LTE connectivity, is gone, and the rear panel of the Apple Watch is now metal, matching the rest, which makes it seem like the Series 10 is one hull.

I had my skepticism going in, but I cannot wait to spend more time with the Apple Watch Series 10 and put it through its paces. Though, as I write this after a long, lengthy day at Apple Park, my mind keeps returning to the screen. It’s much more expansive, but it’s not overly large and doesn’t have an extensive bezel around the screen like the Ultra. It’s minimalist, classy, and still feels like an Apple Watch at its core.

If you're already sold, the Apple Watch Series 10 is up for order now, starting at $399 / £TBC / AU$649 and will begin shipping on September 20, 2024.

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iPhone 16 review: New buttons, new colors, new processor, more pro

6:05 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Two-minute preview

Apple iPhone 16 in Pink and Ultra Marine — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Apple's iPhone 16 is officially official, and returning are fun, vibrant colors, a redesigned camera bump on the rear, and a slew of new buttons. I'm on the ground in Cupertino, CA, and as Tim Cook closed out the "It's Glowtime." keynote, I dashed out of the Steve Jobs Theater and headed straight towards the iPhone 16.

First, the colors are fantastic and best described simply as fun, at least for most shades. Ultra Marine (a mix of blues, but don't call it blue), Pink, and Teal all come together to freshen up the iPhone palette and look delightful. I think Pro users will be a little upset with the vibrant shades here, though. You could say Black and White here resembles the more neutral shades that the Pros get.

Regardless of shade, it's most prominent on the back and is also the canvas for the redesigned main camera bump that sits vertically. It contains a 48-megapixel primary lens and a 12-megapixel ultrawide lens, and the new orientation will allow this iPhone to capture spatial video for playback on the Vision Pro.

Apple iPhone 16 Main Camera Module — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

The physical changes live on the sides, though – the Action Button has trickled down to the standard iPhones and lives above the volume rocker. I see it as a welcome addition, and much like the new customization features of iOS 18, it is a customizable button on your iPhone. You can be like me and use it to unlock your car, play a specific version of "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen, make a custom Shortcut to trigger, or pick from presets like turning on the flashlight or opening up the camera.

Though, I don't know why you would set it to camera, considering the iPhone 16 has an all-new "Camera Control" button on the left. It's in the perfect position, as when you're holding the iPhone 16 horizontally, it's on the top right, which mirrors the design of nearly any camera. You can click it once to open the camera and again to take the shot, but it's a button filled with technology. You can swipe left or right to zoom in or out, and a slightly lighter press-in lets you jump between shooting modes and other effects. It's really cool, and I cannot wait to spend more time with it.

Apple iPhone 16 Camera Control — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Aside from these changes, though, the iPhone 16 really resembles the iPhone 15 quite a bit. Thanks to an aluminum build, it still feels solid in the hand, but it won't weigh you down. To the untrained eye, the front is nearly all display, at 6.1 inches, and the OLED is still vibrant and crisp with details. It's still just 60Hz, so there is no buttery smooth refresh rate, but I imagine most folks will be split. If you have a phone with a 120Hz screen, it's best to steer clear, but if you haven't experienced it, I don't think you'll mind it all.

Plus, the Dynamic Island is on top, so you can use the Live Activities galore. During my brief hands-on time, the iPhone 16 felt snappy for opening applications, playing around with the new buttons, and even attempting a few games. There is also a new chip under the hood – yes, an entirely new one instead of Apple trickling the Pro's one down – and it's the Apple A18 chip, which can handle a lot. It will be plenty for daily tasks and will be ready to help you make the most of Apple Intelligence when those features arrive.

To address the proverbial elephant in the room, the iPhone 16 will come out of the box with iOS 18, meaning that no Apple Intelligence features will be available out of the box. The first of those features, Writing Tools and Photo Cleanup will arrive with iOS 18.1 in October.

That about sums up my first impressions of the iPhone 16 – it's a powerful smartphone that should be zippy with some extra buttons in a similar, familiar build. I suspect the experience will be a lot like the iPhone 15, but I'm also curious to see how it steps things up, especially compared to earlier iPhones. At the minimum, these are way more colorful, which is something to celebrate.

Apple iPhone 16 in Pink, Teal, and Ultra Marine — (Image credit: Future/Jacob Krol)

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Price and availability

Starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399
Pre-orders open on September 13, and shipping begins on September 20

The iPhone 16 was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 starts at $799 / £799 / AU$1,399 for the model with 128GB of storage, with that price rising to $899 / £899 / AU$1,599 for the model with 256GB of storage and $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$1,949 for the model with 512GB of storage.

Full iPhone 16 pricing can be found below.

Hands-on iPhone 16 review: Specs

Below, you'll find a roundup of the iPhone 16's key specs.

iPhone 16 Pro Max review – Small changes add up to an AI and Camera Control revolution

5:51 am |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets iPhone Phones | Tags: AI | Comments: Off

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Two-minute preview

At a glance, the iPhone 16 Pro Max doesn't look or feel much different from what preceded it, and perhaps that's to be expected. The competitive game of smartphones is now one of inches. The question is, can the small or even invisible changes add up to something big?

In the early going with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I'd say the answer is yes.

Design-wise, it's a doppelganger for the iPhone 15 Pro Max...except it isn't. As soon as I held a sleek Titanium Black one, I was struck by the screen. It's still Super Retina XDR, but somehow, it seems much larger. Where the iPhone 15 Pro Max offered a 6.7-inch display, this one is 6.9 inches. That is Apple's largest iPhone display ever. Thankfully, Apple did not do this by simply making the whole device larger (it is a bit larger but more or less a wash-on weight difference). One way Apple gained so much visible screen real estate was by shrinking the black bezel surrounding it way down. I suspect that someday, that bezel will disappear altogether.

A bigger screen does make everything seem bigger, brighter, and better. But it's not just that.

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Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max Hands on — (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

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There is one other truly noticeable physical difference between the old and new iPhones. The iPhone 16 Pro Max (actually the whole line of iPhone 16 phones) has the new Camera Control.

This button is a bigger deal than I imagined, and I'm almost embarrassed to say that I already like it quite a bit.

Covered in sapphire, the roughly half-inch long button sits on the phone's left side a couple of inches down from the power/sleep/Siri button. It's recessed (which is important, and I'll explain why in a bit) and is both a physical button and a haptic one.

A hard press gives instant access to the iPhone 16 Pro Max camera. That's a nice trick, but, of course, you could program the Action Button to do so, too. However, when I pressed lightly on Camera Control, I felt a little haptic vibration and then could sweep up and down on the button to quickly switch between the phone's cameras. If I lightly pressed twice, I gained access to deeper image controls.

Using the Camera Control, however, was not initially obvious. I was pressing too hard and then not hard enough. It took me about 20 seconds to figure it out.

I could use Camera Control to switch zoom, depth of field, and image styles. Oh, and you're not blindly guessing which settings the Camera Control enables. Every time I used it, a little black cutout appeared on the screen right next to the button to show me every setting and control.

Yes, if you hold the phone in landscape mode, it begins to feel like you're using a traditional camera...with one caveat. The feature that would let me light press to lock focus and long press to shoot is not yet enabled. I can, though, always full press to complete taking a photo.

I even saw how Snapchat is already using Camera Control to control images simply and send photos to friends with the press of a button.

Camera Control seems like a slight misnomer. The button will also be used to enable Vision Intelligence, which lets you point the phone at an object and press the button to get a description. It's like Circle to Search without the circle or, I guess, Google.

As I noted above, the button is recessed, and I found that it's quite hard to trigger it accidentally. That's a good thing.

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The other big changes are in software and silicon. Inside the iPhone 16 Pro Max is the new A18 Pro. This is the apex Apple silicon mobile chip, a 3nm CPU that has more power for the Pro phones. It should also provide enough power to game to your heart's content. The iPhone 15 Pro Max was a pretty decent little gaming console, so I would expect no less from this bigger and better-equipped beast. I'll know more when I finally test the phone.

You won't need to play a game to experience this power, though. Like the A18 found in the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus, the A18 Pro has all the juice you need for the Apple Intelligence.

In my brief experience with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, this is not full-boat Apple Intelligence. When the iPhone ships next week, it won't have any Apple intelligence, but an iOS update should roll out next month and then Apple will slowly seed the rest of Apple Intelligence into these iOS 18-running iPhone 16 handsets over the coming months.

Here's what I did quickly try the demo iPhone 16 Pro Max phones running a later version of iOS 18:

I brought up some photos and navigated to the new Clean Up tool. I found photos that Apple had taken and some that others in the demo room added to the phone. In one, I used my finger to paint over offending objects and watched as they disappeared. I didn't make it easy for the phone, and sometimes there was only a partial deletion. When I used a canned photo with a distinct person in the background, Apple Intelligence Clean Up automatically found and highlighted them. I tapped the screen, and they disappeared. It was as if they were never there.

I tried the Writing tools, which I still think are sort of hidden, in Notes. There were many offers to change the text to be more professional, more concise, or a total rewrite. This is not a feature I am likely to use, but I suspect some will think it a godsend.

Siri has an all-new look, and she now makes the iPhone 16 Pro Max screen glow when you summon her. The effect is beautiful on the big-screen phone. It was a loud room, so Siri only caught part of my request. I think I asked for her to show me a photo of where I am, but she only heard "where I am" and quickly brought up my location.

While I took a few pictures, I can't offer anything definitive about the cameras. What I will say is that there is good news in this updated camera array. Now we have two 48MP cameras, one on the main Fusion camera and another on the new ultrawide. There's also still the 12MP 5x tetraprism lens. The main camera is reportedly faster than ever, with virtually no shutter lag. Between that and the updated image pipeline, I expect photography on this big phone to be better than ever.

I have not tried out the new Cinematic Slow Motion, which looks insanely cool, nor did I get a chance to try the studio-grade mics. I did see the latter in action and was impressed by how the In-frame setting could cut away any sound not coming from whatever was in the frame. I also thought the studio quality, which left in the background noises but emphasized the main subjects' sounds, was quite good.

The new 4k 120fps-capable camera looks like it will transform how people take dramatic videos. I like that there's a new speed control that will allow for easier stepping up and down of playback speed (half or quarter speed).

My takeaway from all these new photo and video tools is that this may be the ultimate pro videographer phone option. Apple, by the way, shot its entire Glowtime video presentation on an iPhone, and it's no wonder. The iPhone 16 Pro Max is a powerful device with some serious skills.

Apple is promising better battery life on all the iPhone 16 models, but the gains may be especially great on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. Its much larger battery, coupled with the efficient A18 Pro and more battery management, might add hours to the battery life, but I won't know for sure until I test it.

Finally, there's the look of this phone. As I mentioned above, I got to touch the Titanium Black. It is a gorgeous device, and I really can't understand why you would want any other color. But if you're so inclined, it's available in White, Natural, and new Desert Titanium (think sand but shinier).

Is this the best iPhone Apple has ever made? Possibly, It'll certainly claim a spot near the top of our best iPhone list and maybe even best smartphones. I'll offer my definitive take when I finish my full review.

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Price and availability

Starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149
Pre-orders open on September 13, shipping from September 20

The iPhone 16 Pro Max was announced at Apple's 'It's Glowtime' event on Monday, September 9. iPhone 16 preorders will begin on Friday, September 9, and the new phone will hit store shelves on Friday, September 20.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,149 for the model with 256GB of storage, with that price rising to $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,849 for the model with 1TB of storage. For context, those are the same starting and maximum prices as the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Full iPhone 16 Pro Max pricing is as follows:

Hands-on iPhone 16 Pro Max review: Specs