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The All-About-Cameras Edition Wednesday, September 11, 2019

iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, And iPhone 11 Pro Max: Hands-on With Apple’s New Phones, by Samuel Axon, Ars Technica

The most touted new feature is the inclusion of that new lens. It brings the rear-facing camera count from one to two when comparing the XR and the 11, and from two to three when comparing the XS and the 11 Pro. I tried it on all three phones, and found it worked exactly as advertised. Good, old-fashioned 1x zoom is selected by default on all phones. But on all three, you can switch to 0.5x zoom, which is really handy for taking close-up photos of anything from pets to well, iPhones on the Apple showroom floor. I didn't notice any change in quality from one zoom level to the other.

And of course, the 11 Pro can also do 2x optical zoom. Since there are three options on the Pro models and just two on the 11, the interface is a little different, which you can see in the photos above. On the Pro, you see all three selection options and tap the one you want. On the 11, you just see an indicator for the currently selected zoom level and tap that to swap back and forth.

Apple Confirms New iPhones Have U1 Locator Chips, Promises "Amazing New Capabilities", by Nick Statt, The Verge

One of the understated components of Apple’s iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro is the new U1 chip. It didn’t get a prominent callout onstage at today’s announcement event, but it will underpin what Apple says are “amazing new capabilities” coming to iOS devices in the future, including a more accurate, directional version of AirDrop coming with iOS 13.

The iPhone 11 Pro Comes With A USB-C 18W Wall Charger And USB-C To Lightning Cable, by Chaim Gartenberg, The Verge

For the first time since the original iPhone was released back in 2007, Apple is finally upgrading the included wall plug and cable that comes in the box: the newly announced iPhone 11 Pro will — at long last — come with a fast-charging 18W USB-C charger and a USB-C to Lightning cable in the box.

New iPhone 11 And iPhone 11 Pro Models Ditch 3D Touch In Favor Of Haptic Touch, by Juli Clover, MacRumors

Haptic Touch does many of the same things that 3D Touch does so new iPhone users will not be missing out on much functionality, but it's not quite the same as the 3D Touch feature.

The iPhone 11 Supports Wi-Fi 6. Here's Why That Matters, by Ry Crist, CNET

All of that said, the spread of fiber networks and other connections that approach gigabit speeds means that Wi-Fi 6 will probably be a whole lot more relevant to a whole lot more people within the next year or so. And, now that the iPhone is on board, you can expect more devices to follow suit, too. Apple is still a market mover.

Always Telling Time

Apple Watch Series 5 Introduces Always-On Display, by Adam Engst, TidBITS

Tired of having to raise your wrist or tap the screen of your Apple Watch just to see what time it is? With the new Apple Watch Series 5, introduced today at Apple’s special event in Cupertino, that will no longer be necessary, thanks to the “innovative” Always-On Retina display. (Of course, “always-on” has been a feature of every other watch ever.) Other new features include a built-in compass and international emergency calling, and Apple has brought back ceramic cases and introduced new titanium cases. Apart from these new features and case materials, the Apple Watch Series 5 builds on the Series 4’s feature set, including ECG monitoring and fall detection.

‘Apple Watch Studio’ Coming To Apple Stores And Online, Bringing New Customization Experience, by Zac Hall, 9to5Mac

Apple Stores and Apple.com will soon have a new Apple Watch buying experience for customers. The all-new Apple Watch Studio will allow customers to pair watch models and bands separately at purchase for the first time.

Apple Watch Series 5 Hands-on: Software Is King, by Samuel Axon, Ars Technica

The tentpole feature that dominates the Apple Watch series 5 story, though, is something that we've already seen in numerous other wearables: it has an always-on display. Apple is definitely playing catch-up here, but the implementation does seem neat. The Watch's screen brightness lowers when you're not looking at it, but the time and other stuff is still legible. When you tap it or raise it (the same action that turned on the screen to begin with in prior models), the screen brightness raises for easier readability.

Apple Continues Health Push With Three New Medical Studies, by Beth Mole, Ars Technica

Apple announced three new health studies Tuesday that will address issues of hearing, heart health, and women's health as it relates to menstrual cycles and reproduction.

Optional Smartness

Surprise! Apple Unveils Its 7th-gen iPad With A 10.2-inch Display, by Jeff Dunn, Ars Technica

Naturally, the new iPad will come with Apple's forthcoming iPadOS update, which will give the device a more robust multitasking system. It'll be able to connect to thumb drives and SD cards, too, and it will work with Apple's Pencil stylus and Smart Keyboard attachment.

Logitech Announces Rugged And Slim Keyboard Folios For New 10.2-inch iPad, by Michael Potuck, 9to5Mac

After Apple announced its seventh generation iPad today with a 10.2-inch screen, Smart Connector, and more, Logitech has unveiled three folio keyboard cases to offer protection and a great typing experience, with one designed specifically for schools.

Pricing Services

Apple Arcade Gaming Subscription Coming Sept. 19 For $4.99/month, by Kyle Orland, Ars Technica

The service will be price of $4.99 per month for a family subscription serving up to six people, and a one-month free trial will be available. That subscription provides access to over 100 games across iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple TV, Apple says, all of which feature no ads or in-app purchases and are all playable offline with a single subscription. New games will be added to the selection monthly, and Apple said none of them will be available on other mobile platforms or subscription services.

Apple TV+ Launching November 1 At $4.99/month, Free For 1 Year With Hardware Purchase, by Ryan Christoffel, MacStories

The paid subscription service will launch in over 100 countries on November 1, at a price of $4.99/month; a 7-day free trial period will be available to all users. Additionally, Apple is offering an entire year of free Apple TV+ service with the purchase of any iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, or iPod touch from today on.

Scheduling Upgrades

Public Release Of iOS 13 Hits September 19, But iPadOS Is Coming September 30, by Samuel Axon, Ars Technica

iOS 13 will hit iPhones and watchOS 6 will reach Apple Watches on September 19. iPadOS will ship a few days later on September 30. macOS Catalina is still due at an as-yet unspecified date in October.

Apple Asks Developers To Submit iOS 13 Apps For Review, by John Voorhees, MacStories

Ahead of the upcoming public releases of iOS 13 on September 19th, Apple has told developers via its developer website that App Store submissions are open.

Finally, Let's Eat

What The New iPhone Means For Your Dismal Food Photos, by Jenny G. Zhang, Eater

The iPhone fundamentally changed the camera industry and the medium itself, transforming anyone with a smartphone in their pocket into a photographer, a videographer, a documentarian of everyday life and historical events in the making. It sounds frivolous, but each new iteration impacts the photography we see on our feeds, and by extension, how we view the world. Judging by these features, the world of food we observe on our phones is going to be a little better lit, and more easily wider, going forward.

Bottom of the Page

Apple has significantly improved the Apple Watch in both Series 4 and, now, Series 5, that I wonder: why would anyone want to buy the older (and, yes, cheaper) Series 3?

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I am disappointed, and a little surprised, to find the color blue missing from the iPhone 11 lineup. Since the bondi-blue iMac, it seems that blue has always been a color offered by Apple in any generation of multi-color products: iMac (even during the Flower Power era, there's Blue Dalmation), iBook, iPod (mini, nano, touch), and iPhone (5c, XR). (That is, I'm excluding all the black/white/gold/product-red only stuff.)

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Will Slofie replace Boomerang?

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Thanks for reading.