At the Far Out event at Apple Park on Wednesday, new products from Apple’s new iPhone 14 series were unveiled. The much-anticipated satellite technology from the firm and, in the case of the iPhone 14 Pro, the new A16 bionic chip, which Apple claims is the fastest chip ever in a smartphone, are both included in the handsets.
“Our customers rely on their iPhone every day, and iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus introduce groundbreaking new technologies and important safety capabilities,” said Greg Joswiak, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide marketing.
Here is what users can expect from the new releases — and when they can get their hands on them.
The series will include the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus, as well as the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone Pro will come with a 6.1-inch screen, while the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 14 Pro Max will have 6.7-inch displays.
The iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models start from $799 (Dh3,399) and $899 (Dh3,799), respectively, while the iPhone 14 Pro costs $999 (Dh4,299) and the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099 (Dh4,699). Trade-in will be available at Apple stores.
The pricing came as a surprise to many analysts — it is the same as last year’s models, despite global supply chain challenges and inflationary pressures.
Pre-orders begin on Friday, September 9, for customers in Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Singapore, Spain, Thailand, the UAE, the UK, the US, and more than 30 other countries and regions. The iPhone 14 will be available from September 16 and the iPhone 14 Plus from October 7.
The iPhone 14 will be available in Malaysia, Turkey, and 20 other countries and regions from September 23.
The entire iPhone 14 line-up can provide emergency assistance.
With a new dual-core accelerometer capable of detecting G-force measurements of up to 256Gs and a new high dynamic range gyroscope, the new crash detection feature on the iPhone can detect a severe car crash. It can also automatically dial emergency services when a user is unconscious or unable to reach their device.
Apple said these capabilities build on existing components, such as the barometer, which can now detect cabin pressure changes, the GPS for additional input for speed changes, and the microphone, which can recognise loud noises typified by severe car crashes.
Meanwhile, emergency SOS via satellite is included, whereby custom components deeply integrated with the software allow antennas to connect directly to a satellite. This enables messaging with emergency services when outside of cellular or Wi-Fi coverage.
The iPhone front-loads some questions to assess the user’s situation, and shows them where to point their phone to connect to a satellite.
The initial questionnaire and follow-up messages are then relayed to centres staffed by Apple‑trained specialists, who can call for help on the user’s behalf.
The technology also allows users to manually share their location over satellite with the “find my phone” feature when there is no cellular or Wi-Fi connection, which is handy for hikers and people who camp in remote areas.
Emergency SOS via satellite will be available to users in the US and Canada in November, and the service will be free for two years.
- A new main camera with a larger ƒ/1.5 aperture and 1.9-micrometre pixels, enabling photo and video improvements in all lighting scenarios for better detail and motion freezing, less noise, faster exposure times and sensor-shift optical image stabilisation.
- A new front truedepth camera with an ƒ/1.9 aperture that enables better low-light performance for photos and video. Using the new autofocus, it can focus faster in low-light conditions and capture group shots from farther away.
- A new action mode for smoother-looking video that adjusts to significant shakes, motion and vibrations.
- The ultra wide camera, offering a unique perspective for wider shots and improvements to low-light photos with photonic engine.
- An improved true tone flash that is 10 per cent brighter and has better uniformity for more consistent lighting.
- Cinematic mode, now available in 4K at 30 fps and 4K at 24 fps.
- End-to-end dolby vision HDR.
