The Apple iPhone 11 Pro

I’ve never really been ‘into’ phones. I’m the one in the family that always gets the hand-me-downs, even from the kids! I am, however, into photography….and that’s why the brand new, not yet released iPhone 11 Pro is exciting me more than any other phone I’ve ever seen.

Apart from the unprecedented leap in battery life – Apple is promising four hours of extra battery life when compared to last year’s iPhone XS – and the stunning choice of sleek, matte, stainless steel colours (Gold, Space Grey, Silver, & my favourite, Midnight Green), it also boasts the first triple-camera system which allows for more detail, smart lighting and wider shots.

‘It enables a whole new level of photography and is the first iPhone powerful enough to be called Pro. It is our most powerful iPhone to date’ – Phil Schiller, Apple senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing.

Stepping up its camera game this year, Apple have introduced the iPhone 11 Pro’s three-lens system, featuring an ultra-wide 12MP lens, alongside the main & telephoto lens, and 4x optical zoom. Artificial intelligence capabilities in the camera will auto-adjust lighting and reduce noise to also allow users to take low-light images….

….and if that’s not all…. the standout feature is definitely the Video. Apple has allowed all cameras to record simultaneously, allowing you to smoothly zoom in or out from a subject & adjust video in real-time. Videos made with the iPhone 11 Pro will also shoot in 4k resolution at 60 frames per second and, lastly, features slo-mo video capabilities in the front-facing camera.

To enable all this, Apple has fitted what some have described as ‘ugly square humps’ which make the camera bulky. I say, as a keen amateur photographer that it’s completely justified and beats dragging an SLR everywhere you go!

The Apple iPhone 11 Pro is available to pre-order from 13.00 on 13/09/19

The Apple Watch Series 5

Well, what can I say? Apple say that ‘You’ve never seen a watch like this’…and glancing at the website, it would be easy to think ‘wow…no, I haven’t’… but read a little further and it doesn’t actually seem like that much has changed.

Chief among the differences is that it will have an Always-On Retina display that is constantly visible at dim brightness but that wakes up to a fuller brightness when you tap it. This feature could be useful when you’re in a meeting and raising your hand would be a dead giveaway that you’re bored, apart from that, I can’t really see when else you would need it.

Despite this Always-On display, battery life is still being advertised at around 18 hours which would be very similar to the Series 4.

Beyond that, this is the Apple watch that you know so well by now, just with some new straps & finishes that are all interchangeable. The screen still comes in two sizes (40mm & 44mm) and as well as introducing a new Titanium case, they have also reintroduced the Ceramic.

So, unless you are unfortunate enough to have to endure regular tiresome meetings, or fancy reliving your childhood & swapping your strap regularly (remember Swatch) then, personally, I would stick with the Series 4.

The Apple Watch Series 5 is available to order on 20/09/19

The Apple iPad

I have to be honest, I’ve been seriously considering replacing my laptop with an iPad for a while now and I think, with the release of the new seventh generation iPad, it might just be the time.

They’re not cheap, that’s for sure – but given the price of comparable laptops, they’re not unreasonable either & with a 10 hour battery life, 2 screen sizes (11inch & 12.9inch) and support for the Apple Pencil & Smart Connector, which lets users attach Apple keyboards to turn it into a pseudo-laptop, it seems the smart choice. At less than half a kilo and less than 6mm thick, it’s more portable than ever and packs everything my laptop does and more.

With the introduction of the iPad Pro, Face ID comes to iPad and works seamlessly whether you hold it in portrait or landscape.

The front 7MP TrueDepth camera system which makes Face ID possible means that as well as taking selfies, you can now have features including Portrait mode and Animoji and Memoji in Messages and Group FaceTime and the speaker quality should not be possible from such a slender device.

Then there is the pencil. How cool is the Apple pencil? The Apple Pencil now responds to your touch. With a double tap you can quickly change brushes or switch to the eraser without interrupting your flow. It also magnetically attaches to one side of the iPad, and wirelessly charges whilst it’s there.

There is a USB-C which gives you high-performance connection to accessories and the A12X Bionic chip which has the Neural Engine, runs five trillion operations per second and delivers 2x faster graphics. It also has a smaller bezel which gives you edge to edge liquid retina display.

The only downsides I can see is not having a mouse or trackpad and not being able to open more than two windows at a time. I’m sure with some practice it would become second nature to switch between Apps quickly and, in time, I would become accustomed to a new way of working…..so maybe I’ll take the plunge.

Not everyone likes tablets, but if you do, then the market is showing that the iPad is, comfortably, the very best on the market right now.

The Ipad is available to order on 30/09/19