September typically means back-to-school and new iPhones. And like death and taxes, we can escape Apple’s annual iPhone event. We take a quick look at all that was announced at this year’s Apple iPhone Keynote.

Introducing the iPhone 11

If you’ve been saying the last iPhone was the “X” (like D-M-X) “S,” you’ve made poor life choices and I’m not sure what to say. Apple’s least surprising of today’s events was the unveiling of the all-new iPhone 11 (see, not “ex” but “ten”) – Apple’s take on the mid-tier phone.

The iPhone 11 packs an A13 Bionic processor, a new dual-camera system featuring both wide-angle and ultra-wide-angle cameras which is a departure from the telephoto camera found in the previous flagship. The new camera system allows for new camera modes including Night Shot (for both wide and ultra-wide modes), the ability to shoot in 4K and the front, TrueDepth camera allows users to shoot 4K video selfies in up to 120 fps. Not sure if this is for us, but I’m sure Instagram users will go nuts.

The iPhone 11 will be available for pre-order starting September 13 and will begin shipping on September 20th starting at $699 in the US. If you’re looking to trade-up, Apple Retail has a few options including trade-in offers and monthly payment plans.

Additional Features via Apple

• Face ID, the most secure facial authentication in a smartphone, gets up to 30 percent faster and easier to use with improved performance at varying distances and support for more angles.
• Spatial audio provides an immersive surround sound experience and Dolby Atmos delivers powerful, moving audio to iPhone 11.
• Gigabit-class LTE and Wi-Fi 6 allow for even faster download speeds and Dual SIM with eSIM.
• IP68 water resistance rating up to 2m for 30 minutes.

Going Pro – the iPhone 11 Pro & 11 Pro Max

Do you like cameras? Well, I hope you do because Apple just slapped on three of them on the rear of the newly announced iPhone 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max models. The new flagship devices include a wide-angle camera (read: standard), the ultra-wide-angle camera found in the iPhone 11, and a telephoto camera (tight) to give the new iPhone 11 Pro 4x optical zoom. Along with the new cameras, Apple added a new Super Retina XDR display that boasts a 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio promising crisp blacks and ultra-bright colors.

Additional Features via Apple

• The new Apple-designed U1 chip uses Ultra-Wideband technology, the first-ever in a smartphone, for spatial awareness. With iOS 13.1 coming on September 30, AirDrop gets even better with directionally aware suggestions.
• Face ID, the most secure facial authentication in a smartphone, gets up to 30 percent faster and easier to use with improved performance at varying distances and support for more angles.
• Spatial audio provides an immersive surround sound experience and Dolby Atmos delivers powerful, moving audio to iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
• IP68 Water resistance rating up to 4m for up to 30 minutes.

If you’re into shooting video with your phone, you should really check this out.

While I’m not quite sold on the “Pro”-ness of the phone, the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max will be available for pre-order starting September 13 and will begin shipping on September 20th starting at $999 and $1099 respectively in the US. If you’re looking to trade-up, Apple Retail has a few options including trade-in offers and monthly payment plans.

What about the iPad? Apple Watch?

Yes, there was a new iPad and Apple Watch (the Series 5) announced today.

The iPad now comes in a 10.2-inch variant with Retina Display and Apple Pencil (1st-gen) support. It’s beefed up A10 Fusion chip allows it to do some heavier lifting – think improved multitasking, video game support, and content creation.

The new Series-5 Apple Watch also brings some new features including an “always-on” Retina Display, Built-in compass, and international emergency calling. The new always-on display is interesting – apparently, people buy watches so they can tell time. Who would’ve guessed?

Services, Services, Services

While it’s always nice to hear about the latest and greatest iPhone, it’s become quite clear that Apple is going full-steam ahead on its services platform. At today’s keynote, Apple announced the availability and pricing for two previously announced services: Apple Arcade and Apple TV+. Both make Apple first-to-market with an online streaming gaming platform (beating out Google’s Stadia) and their official foray into television streaming. It’s been teased for a while now and Apple definitely has the war chest to make a dent in the market, now they’re leveraging their large install base to pad their numbers.

Both Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ will be available for $4.99/month and will be included for one year with the purchase of a new Apple device, like the new iPad, iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, or Mac computer. It’s almost as if they expect you to buy a new device and forget to unsubscribe to their service in a year. Hmmm.

That wraps up this year’s iPhone event. You can get more info on any of the items covered here on Apple’s website. Let us know if any of these caught your attention on Twitter or Facebook.