Before we begin, it’s only fair that we share one important thing…
We are serious Apple devotees and consumers. Which is par for the course in the creative and marketing industry. But we’re also tech and brand junkies who live for this stuff—because of how it shapes our world, effects our daily lives and advances communications. It’s the world’s most powerful brand, as ranked consistently by Forbes, so we can’t help but report only the most positive progress from this week’s announcement.
HERE’S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
- iPhone 7
The digerati can’t stop discussing the latest incarnation of Apple’s premiere product, ad nauseam. There are two new colors: matte black and jet black. Oh, the decisions! Apparently, the jet black, as shiny and lovely as it seems, is prone to micro-scratches. Consider buying a case if you’ll be one of the millions standing in line to score one of these jet black babies.
The headphone jack is gone, in favor of a totally wireless future. Apple calls this “courage”. We agree. It certainly does change things.
And we welcome a new, faster processor. Which (in non-technical terms) makes this iPhone a bajillion times faster than anything we’re used to.
Finally, the new iPhone has two cameras on the back. Allowing for something called “3D Depth Sensing” which is Coming Soon, according to Apple’s website. In short, just insert the words “Virtual Reality” whenever you see Apple talking about dual cameras or 3D.
- Apple Watch Series 2
And now, onto the biggest wearable of all, the Apple Watch Series 2. They got rid of the high-end version’s gold case and replaced it with harder, and more inexpensive, white ceramic. The big story here, however, is Apple’s increased focus on brand partnerships. There’s a new one with Nike and an extension with Hermès.
Nike, as you well know, owns Fitness. (Read: Shoe Dog. Read it now. Just do it.) We speculate that soon they’ll own our wrists too. It’s not clear on whether or not Nike was the decision-maker behind adding the GPS feature to the latest Apple Watch, but we can be certain they pushed for it on the roadmap. With the introduction of Nike+ to the Watch Family, get ready for a whole new level of fitness inspiration and health monitoring.
As for Hermès, Apple worked with the preeminent house of luxury to introduce a few new watch bands with names like Double Buckle and Single Tour. You can thank Angela Ahrendts for this bespoke partnership. The perfectly branded orange box comes complete with an exclusive watch face.
Are you noticing a pattern here? Apple is partnering with the premiere brand for each use case: market domination. We’re interested to see who they’ll partner with for other use cases in medicine and productivity.
- AirPods
This is by far one of the most interesting announcements. Not only are the AirPods the first truly wireless, tiniest headphones ever created, but they offer unparalleled capabilities.
You can take conference calls with the built-in mic, talk to Siri with its bluetooth connection, listen to music while you work out AND THERE ARE NO MORE WIRES to mess with.
Gone are the days of wire tangles and awkward white cords in your face.
We will not miss those days.
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Apple’s vision, stated time and again by Tim Cook, is to make great products that enrich people’s lives. This week’s announcement is another step for them on that road.
