This article was originally created by Sutu.com (sootoo123)
Author / Qiao Zhibin
Cover source / Apple (China) official website
At 1 a.m. Beijing time on September 8, Apple officially held the 2022 autumn new product launch conference. At this press conference, three product lines, namely iPhone 14 series, Apple Watch Series8/SE2/Ultra, and AirPods Pro (second generation).
If you summarize the press conference in one sentence, it is the iPhone 14 that is standing still, the professional Apple Watch, and the AirPods Pro that is going to be a step further. But as the most important Apple launch conference for Apple every year, I believe everyone wants to know more about the upgrades of new products? How much is the price? Is it worth paying for a new one?
Next, please follow Sutu.com from different product lines and quickly review the press conference that just ended.
iPhone 14 / iPhone 14 Plus: The new generation of "stock nemesis"
This year's iPhone 14 series, the biggest difference from the previous generation is that it canceled the 5.4-inch mini product line and turned to the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Plus. After all, there was a bleak data that iPhone 13 mini only accounted for 3% of the total iPhone sales in 2021. It can be seen that users are shouting that they want small-screen flagships, but few people are paying for it. Therefore, Apple simply caters to consumers' psychology of buying large numbers, and it is reasonable to launch the "Bigger than Bigger" iPhone 14 Plus.
However, this iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus have a sense of "stock nemesis". In terms of the screens of
, the 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch screens of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are exactly the same size as last year's iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max, and even the border width is exactly the same. This means that in the iPhone 14 generation, there will be a large number of old components reuse, reducing inventory pressure while reducing costs on a large scale.
However, the screens of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus do not support 120Hz high refresh rate display. It can be seen that Apple intends to make the display smoother and smoother ProMotion screen adaptive refresh rate technology, which has become the "watershed" between the Pro version and the basic version. In terms of performance of
, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are equipped with the "full blood" A15 Bionic chip launched last year (equipped with iPhone 13 Pro). The scale of GPU has increased from 4 cores to 5 cores, and the theoretical graphics performance has increased by 18%. However, due to the higher power consumption and heat generation, the actual experience cannot widen the obvious gap with the "residual blood A15" of iPhone 13.
image part, iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus also use the 12-megapixel main camera sensor on iPhone 13 Pro last year. Due to the increase in sensor area of , its performance in dark light is expected to improve.
At the same time, in the iPhone 14 generation, Apple has also added a camera sports mode for video recording, and can record stable videos without a gimbal while the handheld camera is running or bumpy. Apple also brought the "light image engine" technology when taking photos. By applying a deep fusion algorithm in earlier image processing pipelines, the official claims that all camera lenses have up to 2 times improvement in low-light environments.
In fact, the iPhone 13 Pro, which has the same performance and image specifications, could have had the above-mentioned new image functions, but obviously, in order to ensure the sales of the iPhone 14 series, Apple has no intention of decentralizing the old models. Even in order to prevent you from seeing that the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus are the products that were pieced together after the previous generation iPhone 13 Pro was deleted and some of the features were removed, Apple also removed the iPhone 13 Pro series from the official store.
. What is really released as a new technology is the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus that brings the "upward piercing the sky" satellite help function. However, this feature will not start trial operation in the United States and Canada in November, and the national version will not be able to be with it.In terms of the price of
, due to changes in the exchange rate between the RMB and the US dollar, the price of the Chinese version of iPhone 14 has increased. The price of iPhone 14 starts at 5999 and the price of iPhone 14 Plus starts at 6999. Both start pre-sales at 8 pm on September 9. The iPhone 14 will be released on September 16, and the iPhone 14 Plus will be released on October 7.
Purchase suggestions: iPhone 14 Plus has a certain potential for hits due to its large screen, longer battery life, and price lower than the Pro version; while iPhone 14 is not upgraded well, it cannot form enough upgrade momentum for old users. However, in the upcoming shopping festival, iPhone is destined to still become the protagonist of the e-commerce promotion, and under the strong subsidies of the platform, it will also generate certain momentum for upgrading.
iPhone 14 Pro / iPhone 14 Pro Max: Top-level screen + photo focal length completion
Compared with the standard version of the "stock nemesis", iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have significantly upgraded in terms of screen display and image.
is first of all, in terms of screen. Unlike the "exclamation mark" screen that was previously revealed, Apple chose to connect the entire area together and become the shape of a "pill". Apple calls it "Lingdong Island", and through the joint optimization of software and hardware, notifications, reminders and real-time activities are integrated into one place, emphasizing interactivity and versatility.
screen quality, the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max Max Super Retinal XDR displays have been upgraded again. While the screen border has narrowed, the display brightness has been greatly improved. When displaying photos and HDR videos, the peak brightness is up to 1,600 nits, and the peak brightness can reach 2,000 nits in the dazzling sunlight outdoors, which can display screen content more clearly.
In addition, the upgraded LTPO display can support dynamic refresh rate adjustments of up to 1Hz and up to 120Hz, which also lays the foundation for the screen's all-weather display (AOD, Always-On Display) function. When the AOD function is enabled, you can display time, widgets, real-time activities and other contents. In terms of image, the main cameras of iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have been upgraded to a 48-megapix sensor. However, compared with Android manufacturers, it is more willing to advocate the number of pixels, and Apple pays more attention to the complement of the focal segment, providing better imaging uniformity. For example: When shooting at the main camera, the 48-megapixel sensor uses a pixel in one, outputting 12-megapixel photos with better photosensitive performance. The ultra-wide angle and 3x optical telephoto equivalent of 0.5x are directly outputting 12 million pixels of photos. Not only that, with the advantage of high pixels of the main camera sensor, Apple has also upgraded to 12 million pixels through screen cropping, achieving the return of the commonly used focal segment equivalent to 2x optical zoom . The 12 million pixels in the entire link give iPhone better stability in image capabilities. In terms of front cameras of
, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are equipped with a 12-megapixel original depth camera module that supports autofocus, which not only brings 2x low-light processing capabilities, but also can automatically focus on multiple subjects at the same time, from single close-ups to multiple people taking photos, all of which are clearly and vivid. Compared with the screen and image upgrades, Apple has not made too much statement on the A16 bionic chips equipped with the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max. Sutu.com only learned that the A16 bionic chip adopts TSMC 4nm process technology , has 16 billion transistors , neural network computing power reaches 17TOPS, video memory bandwidth has increased by 50%, and other information, while the most core CPU and GPU performance have not been mentioned. Judging from the previous Apple style, the A16 Bionic chip is likely to have not significantly upgraded in performance compared to the previous generation A15 Bionic chip, but is optimized and iterated based on the existing mature ones. In terms of price of
, iPhone 14 Pro starts at 7999, iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at 8 pm on September 9 and officially starts at 16 September.
Purchase suggestions:
If you are a member of the "Appearance Association", then the "Lingdong Island" design and narrower borders in the front of the iPhone 14 Pro will make this model still highly recognizable in appearance.
If you pay attention to the image function of your phone, the image quality improvement brought by the larger main camera sensor, and the commonly used 2x focal regression through cropping will greatly improve the playability of your phone's shooting.
However, if you are a mobile game enthusiast, the improvement of the A16 processor may not necessarily increase to a qualitative change. It is recommended to hold the currency and wait and see, and you can also expect Sutu.com to unbox and start the first time after getting the real machine.
Overall, for users of iPhone 13 Pro, the improvement brought by iPhone 14 Pro is still in the "quantitative accumulation period". For users with limited budgets, it is still recommended to upgrade from generation to generation.
AirPod2: The noise reduction capability doubles, the transparency mode upgrade
In the view of Sutu.com, the biggest highlight of this press conference is the official release of AirPods Pro2, which has further consolidated Apple's position in the already leading TWS headphone track.
On AirPods Pro2, Apple officially brought the H2 chip. Thanks to this, the AirPods Pro2 monitors noise frequency per second has increased from 200 times to 48,000 times, achieving a "double" increase in noise reduction capabilities. However, Sutu.com speculates that the "doubling" here is not a double of the noise reduction depth, but a double of the energy. According to the calculation formula and referring to the previous generation AirPods Pro's noise reduction depth is 35dB, and the actual noise reduction depth is about 3dB, that is, 38dB, which is not outstanding in the advantages compared to the existing domestic TWS.
However, the power of the AirPods Pro series lies in its no "transparent mode" in the industry, allowing users to completely restore the listening experience of the surrounding environment without taking off their headphones. On the AirPods Pro2, it has been upgraded to "adaptive transparency mode". While restoring the sound effects of the surrounding environment, it can greatly reduce the intensity of loud noise such as whistle or power tools, allowing users to hear the sounds around comfortably.
In addition, personalized spatial audio can use the original depth camera on the iPhone to create personal profile information based on the geometric structure of the user's head, making the sound more suitable for the user's unique ear shape. This information can also be synchronized between the user's various devices, bringing a more immersive surround sound effect. This feature has been implemented in the iOS 16 beta version. In addition to AirPods Pro2, AirPods Pro and AirPods3 users can also use this feature. In terms of battery life, thanks to the higher energy efficiency of the H2 chip, the AirPods Pro2 headset can have a maximum listening time of 6 hours when active noise reduction is turned on, which is 33% higher than the previous generation. The total battery life of and the charging box can reach 30 hours, an increase of 25% higher than the previous generation.
If the chip capability of H2 has created a comprehensive upgrade of AirPods Pro2, Apple also built a U1 ultra-wideband chip in the charging box this time, which can use the ultra-wide screen function of the iPhone to locate the headphones in a small area, and use the newly added speakers in the headphone box to generate sound to assist positioning.
It can be said that with the support of independent chip development capabilities, the product power of AirPods Pro2 has been comprehensively evolved, making it the most anticipated and purchased product at this press conference, provided that you are already a user of the Apple ecosystem. In terms of price of
, AirPods Pro2 is priced at 1,899 yuan, a price reduction of 100 yuan compared to the previous generation. It will be pre-sale on the evening of September 9 and will be officially released on September 23. It is worth mentioning that in order to prevent loss, the AirPods Pro2 headphone box is also equipped with a lanyard hole, and the official also provides Incase lanyard accessories, which are priced at 98 yuan.
Apple Watch: Ultra product line is available, but it is not suitable for everyone
At this press conference, Apple officially brought a new member of the Apple Watch family - Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple Watch Ultra has the largest and brightest screen in the Apple Watch series, with an excitation brightness of up to 2000 nits in the sun. It is also protected by an aviation-grade titanium alloy case and an sapphire glass mirror, improving the durability of the watch. In terms of functional design, this watch has undergone "Ultra" upgrades in many aspects, such as:
· has added a shortcut button to customize functions on the left side of
·;
· watch body has added an additional speaker, which can play 86 decibel sirens, attracting attention within 180 meters;
· body has added an additional GPS module , which can improve triangular positioning even when GPS usually fails;
· waterproof performance has been improved to 100WR level, which is other Apple 2 times the Watch model; the battery life level of
· also reaches 2 times that of other Apple Watch models. The official claims that the battery life can reach 36 hours, and the longest battery life can be enabled on the low-battery mode can provide up to 60 hours. Whether it is appearance or very "Ultra" parameters, the Apple Watch Ultra positioning is very "hard-core", which further enhances the durability and outdoor survival functions required for professional athletes or outdoor adventurers. For ordinary users, whether it is worth paying extra money for these unusable functions is a question that needs to be considered.
In comparison, the upgrades of Apple Watch Series8 and Apple Watch SE2 seem to be more "routine". The upgrade of
Apple Watch Series8 is mainly reflected in the addition of a set of temperature sensors that can be used to help women understand their own health. The newly added combination of "high dynamic range gyroscope + dual-core acceleration sensor" allows Apple Watch to realize car accident detection. After the watch detects a car accident, it will automatically call a helping call and notify emergency contacts.
Apple Watch SE2 uses the S8 processor of the same model of Series8 on the basis of the previous generation of Apple Watch SE, with a performance improvement of 20%. The screen has also been upgraded from 38mm/42mm of Series3 to 40mm/44mm of Series4 (AOD display still does not support AOD display), and the display area has increased by 30%. In addition to the same core features as the main Apple Watch, including heart rate notification, atrial fibrillation history and emergency SOS, it also adds collision detection.
Compared with the "hard core" of Apple Watch Ultra, Apple Watch Series8 and Apple Watch SE2 are more inclined to be fashionable and personalized. The former provides more rich functions and provides joint models such as Nike+ and Hermes to choose from; while the latter retains basic functions and opens up the market through price advantages. At the end of the article
article, let’s take a look at the iPhone 14 Pro Max and AirPods Pro2 released today in a way that compares " meta-universe ".
In fact, using AR ( augmented reality ) technology to project virtual products into real scenarios is no longer a "new thing" for the industry. However, as a technology company that hardly claims to the public, Apple has been subtly increasing its investment in the "metauniverse" cause in recent years.
"I don't know the true face of Mount Lu because I am in this mountain." From the original deep-sensing cameras on iPhone and iPad, 3D modeling of human faces can be realized, to the use of LiDAR (optical radar) on the back, it provides a simple and feasible hardware foundation for spatial modeling. Speaking of today's AirPods Pro2, the addition of personalized spatial audio is an important step for Apple to expand from immersion in visual space to immersion in audio space.
Apple is already one of the closest companies to the "meta universe". It just doesn't mention the meta universe at all. Perhaps it is Apple that is waiting for a maturity opportunity, an opportunity that can ignite the market.
