[Apple] Keynote - September 14, 2021

Overview

A summary of the new devices and services announced at the Apple September 2021 keynote.

Summary

1. New Device Announcements

• iPad
• iPad Mini
• iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Mini
• iPhone 13 Pro & iPhone 13 Pro Max
• Apple Watch Series 7

2. Existing Service Content Announcements

• Apple TV+
• Fitness+

3. Personal Thoughts

• I was hoping for an M1X MacBook, but there was nothing exciting and it felt like a waste of time watching.

New Devices

1. iPad

1.1. Processor

• Equipped with A13 Bionic
• All chip performance including CPU, GPU, and Neural Engine improved by 20% compared to the previous generation

1.2. Input Devices

• 12MP Ultra Wide rear camera with improved low-light focusing
• Center Stage feature applied to the front camera
• Smart Keyboard support and 1st generation Apple Pencil support

1.3. Display

• True Tone applied to the display

1.4. Connectivity

• LTE support

1.5. Storage and Pricing

• Starting at $329 with a minimum storage of 64GB; $299 for education
• Available next week as of September 15

2. iPad Mini

2.1. Design

• Redesigned with an all-screen design
• 8.3-inch display size

2.2. Processor

• 40% CPU and 80% GPU performance improvement over the previous generation
• Up to 2x Neural Engine performance improvement over the previous generation

2.3. Input Devices

• Touch ID moved to the top-right side like the iPad Air (power button location)
• USB-C port applied
• 12MP rear camera with Focus Pixels
• Smart HDR with a new ISP
• 4K video recording capability
• 12MP Ultra Wide front camera with Center Stage
• 2nd generation Apple Pencil support

2.4. Display

• Liquid Retina Display applied
• True Tone with up to 500 nits brightness

2.5. Connectivity

• 5G support

2.6. Pricing

• Starting at $499; available to order as of September 15

3. iPhone 13 & iPhone 13 Mini

3.1. Design

• IP68 water resistance rating
• Aerospace-grade aluminum frame
• Reduced notch width due to redesigned front TrueDepth camera

3.2. Processor

• Equipped with A15 Bionic
• 6-core CPU with 2 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores
• 4-core GPU
• 16-core Neural Engine capable of processing approximately 15.8 trillion operations per second

3.3. Input Devices

• Diagonally arranged dual camera system
• Sensor-Shift OIS applied
• Improved Night mode photography with shorter exposure times
• Cinematic Mode for camera (rack focus technique)

3.4. Display

• Ceramic Shield applied to the display
• Super Retina XDR display with up to 800 nits
• Up to 1200 nits for HDR content
• P3 wide color support

3.5. Connectivity

• 5G support

3.6. Storage and Pricing

• Starting from 128GB with a new 512GB option
• iPhone 13 Mini starts at $699 and iPhone 13 starts at $799

4. iPhone 13 Pro & iPhone 13 Pro Max

4.1. Design

• Medical-grade stainless steel band for resistance to wear and corrosion
• Reduced notch width due to redesigned front TrueDepth camera
• Ceramic Shield on the front
• Pro: 6.1 inches, Pro Max: 6.7 inches

4.2. Processor

• Equipped with A15 Bionic
• 6-core CPU with 2 high-performance cores and 4 high-efficiency cores
• 5-core GPU

4.3. Input Devices

• 3x optical zoom for photos and videos
• Night mode on all rear cameras
• Efficient ProRes video encoding for video editing apps

4.4. Display

• Super Retina XDR display with up to 1000 nits outdoor peak brightness
• ProMotion applied, automatically adjusting the display refresh rate from 10Hz to 120Hz based on content
  • Frame rate adjusts to match finger speed when swiping apps or scrolling

4.5. Connectivity

• 5G support

4.6. Storage and Pricing

• 128GB / 256GB / 512GB / 1TB
• Pro starts at $999, Pro Max starts at $1,099
• Pre-orders begin Friday, September 17; all iPhone 13 models launch September 24

5. Apple Watch Series 7

5.1. Design

• 20% larger screen compared to Series 6
• 1.7mm bezel, 40% thinner than the previous generation
• Softer, more rounded edges compared to the previous generation
• Front crystal equipped
• IP6X certified and WR50 water resistance rating

5.2. Input Devices

• Full-size keyboard allowing tap-to-type or QuickPath swipe typing

5.3. Display

• 70% brighter when wrist is down compared to the previous generation

5.4. Pricing

• Starting at $399; launching this fall

New Content

1. Apple TV+

• Several new productions to be added in the second half of the year

2. Fitness+

• 21 newly supported countries added
• Group Workout feature supporting up to 32 participants
• New workout and meditation content to be added

References

• https://www.apple.com/apple-events/september-2021/