The new phones were joined by the Apple Watch Series 5, the company’s updated smartwatch. Meanwhile, on the software side, Apple released its free iOS 13 (an update is already planned for next week) and watchOS 6.
Add that to plenty of talk about its Apple Arcade video game streaming service and the opening of its renovated Glass Cube store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, and it was a big week of Apple news.
Read on to learn more about those and other recent Apple headlines:
iPhone 11, Apple Watch Series 5 Are Now Available
IPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max reached stores on Friday. The devices come with upgraded cameras and a more powerful processor that leverages artificial intelligence to create better-looking photos. Apple Watch Series 5, which comes with the same design as last year’s model, but new materials, like ceramic, is also now available. The smartwatch has an always-on watchface so that notifications are more visible.
Will iPhone 11 Sales Soar?
Analysts disagreed this week about whether iPhone 11would appeal to consumers. Rosenblatt Securities analyst Jun Zhang said that preorders of Apple’s iPhone 11 lineup were down as much as 20% compared to last year’s iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. However, TF International Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said that iPhone 11 preorders were up, and they both raised their estimates for the number of iPhone shipments this year to 70 million to 75 million.
Bring on iOS 13 and watchOS 6
Apple released its iOS 13 and watchOS 6 operating systems this week for a variety of iPhones and Apple Watch models. IPad owners also got access to the new iPadOS. All of the operating systems come with design upgrades and improved features. However, some users complained about bugs in iOS 13 that Apple will fix in iOS 13.1 that will be released next week.
The All-New Glass Cube Opens
Apple has reopened its glass cube Fifth Avenue store in Manhattan. The store, which will keep its glass cube design, will be open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. The renovation includes more natural light downstairs, more space, and a flashy staircase that serves as a central focal point.
Is Apple Arcade a Winner?
Apple Arcade is now available, allowing video game players to stream up to 100 games for $4.99 monthly. My colleague Chris Morris, who tested the service, listed five games—Assemble With Care, Overland, Sayonara Wild Hearts, Operator 41, Sneaky Sasquatch—that you’ll definitely want to play.
Bob Iger Talks Steve Jobs
Disney CEO and former Apple board director Bob Iger said this week in an interview with Variety that he and late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs had a strong relationship. And he said that if Jobs were still alive today, Apple and Disney would have merged “or at least discussed the possibility very seriously.” He didn’t say why Apple and Disney haven’t discussed the possibility under CEO Tim Cook.
Apple Suffers from U.S.-China Trade War
Apple is now No. 24 in a new ranking of China’s top brands, down from No. 11 last year and No. 5 in 2017, according to Prophet, a company that surveyed 13,500 Chinese consumers about their perception of various companies. Chinese payment service Alipay and tech giant Huawei landed in first and second place in this year’s study. According to Prophet, Apple’s brand ranking slipped because of the ongoing U.S.-China trade war and negative opinions Chinese consumers have about U.S. companies in light of that.
One More Thing…
At its iPhone press event earlier this month, Apple coined the term “slofie” for slow-motion selfie videos. Now, the company has applied for a trademark with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for the term. If awarded the trademark, Apple would be the only company able to use slofie in its marketing.
