Apple today made their anticipated announcement of the new iPhones and Apple Watches. And as expected there will be a bigger version of the iPhone X that debuted last year, as well as a new Apple Watch with a larger OLED display and thinner body. 

The iPhone Xs, Xs Max, and Xr.

The iPhone Xs is, as the ’s’ has come to designate, the newly revised model of the current iPhone X. It’s powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chip, which features faster CPU, GPU, and a Neural Network chipset. Battery life has been improved to add an additional 30 minutes of usage per day. 

The iPhone Xs Max is essentially what would have been called a ‘Plus’ last year. It features a 6.5” OLED display, the same chipset at the Xs, and has an additional 90 minutes of typical usage than the current iPhone X thanks to a larger battery. 

Both phones have improved cameras which take advantage of the neural network chip to help automate things like stability and HDR. In addition, both phones come with storage options up to 512g. 

The iPhone Xr is the less expensive option for the new model. It too features an edge-to-edge display, but a 6.1” in LCD as opposed to the higher quality OLED. The Xr also uses a single lens camera as opposed to the dual lens in the Xs and Xs Max. The Xr will come in a myriad of colors such as Black, Yellow, Blue, and even a Product Red option. 

Phone prices start as follows:

iPhone Xs – $999 for the 64gb, $1149 for 256, $1,349 for 512gb

iPhone Xs Max – $1099 for 64gb, $1249 for 256gb, and $1449 for 512gb.

iPhone Xr – $749 for 64gb, $799 for 128gb, $899 for 256gb

The Apple Watch Series 4

This year’s Watch update was arguably the biggest yet. Apple continued the theme of an edge-to-edge display which adds almost 1/3 more much-needed screen real estate. The smaller Apple Watch now has about as much screen the large Series 3 Apple Watch. The Watch is also about 15% thinner, all while maintaining the same battery life. 

The big update for the Apple Watch comes in health and safety features. The Series 4 Apple Watch has serious improvements in heart monitoring, making it more accurate and sending alerts. The Watch can detect atrial fibrillation and send an alert so the wearer can seek immediate medical attention. That new Apple Watch also has ECG functionality, which includes the option of sending the data to your physician, which is really groundbreaking for those under medical care for cardiac problems. 

Another interesting safety feature Apple included is slip and fall detection. The Series 4 Watch can detect motion caused by a slip or fall and ask if you require assistance. Or, if you’ve fallen and can’t get up, it will send an emergency notification on your behalf, even alerting your emergency contact. There is no doubt the Apple Watch will be saving lives in the next year.

Other features include haptic feedback on the rotating crown, 50% loud volume through upgraded speakers, a better placement for the microphone that will allow clearer phone calls and some additional options for color. 

The new Apple Watch Series 4 pricing is as follows: 

Series 4 aluminum starts at $399 with GPS, or $499 with cellular.

Series 4 stainless steel starts at $699 with GPS, or $799 with cellular