Can you guess what the most popular holiday gifts will be this year? At its annual event on Wednesday, Apple unleashed several new toys upon the world: two iPhones, the iPad Pro and iPad mini, an Apple Pencil, an update to Apple TV, flashy Apple Watch frames and bands, and more newness. After the announcement, Apple let media test out all the gadgets — here's a close look at what you can expect if you choose to buy.
One of the most talked-about features of the new iPhones? 3D Touch, which prompts different actions depending how hard you press down on something. For instance, pressing lightly on the Phone app will bring up contacts . . .
Live Photos sounds like it's something straight out of Harry Potter. The new iPhones will come with Live Photos as the default camera mode, and here's how it works: take a photo like you normally would and the phone will record one-and-a-half seconds before and after you snapped the photo. Then, when you hold down the photo, it will look like a mini animation. Cool, right?
Apple unveiled two new iPads — an iPad Mini 4 starting at $399 and iPad Pro starting at $799— but the iPad Pro was the only one people seemed to care about.
It's huge, with a 12.9-inch display and, although it only weighs 1.57 pounds, it feels heavy if you're used to the lightweight feel of other Apple products.
You can also buy a Smart Keyboard for $169 that attaches to the iPad Pro. It prompts useful features like the ability to easily toggle between apps by holding down the Tab key.
Artists everywhere are going to love the new Apple Pencil that goes with the iPad Pro and sells for $99. It also uses force technology; for instance, if you draw lightly, the color will show up lighter than if you were to press harder.
Oohs and ahhs came after Apple announced its additions to the Apple Watch line, including new Sport bands (like the red and lavender colors) and gold and rose gold cases.
It comes in three different band options that also come in different colors — a multi-wrap band, a thin, sleek band, and a thicker one that looks like a belt. The Hermès watch will start at $1,100.