Details of every new product Apple unveiled during a 90-minute event were already leaked months before the Far Out event. On the whole, Apple’s Far Out event was predictable and that’s fine. Still, Cupertino managed to throw a few surprises that many were not expecting. If you are wondering what those surprises are, I am here to help you out.
There was no drama, no “aha” moment, and no “one more thing” surprise planned by Tim Cook and the Apple team last week during the company’s first in-person product launch event in more than two years. Instead, here is everything we weren’t expecting from Apple, including the bizarre dynamic island feature on the iPhone 14 Pro. A high-end Apple Watch Ultra targeted at mountaineers and sports, four new iPhone 14 models with satellite connectivity, and the second-generation AirPods Pro with an upgraded CPU and noise-canceling technology were all unveiled by Apple.
Highlights
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The standout feature of the iPhone 14 isn’t only the satellite connectivity but a lesser-known feature buried in the camera app. It’s called ‘Action mode’, which promises cinema-quality video stabilisation without using a powered gimbal. If you are a videographer or a content creator, you already know how stabilisation plays a key role in getting smooth videos and gimbals do that extremely well. The iPhone 14’s Action mode, at least what Apple claims, delivers perfectly smooth footage without a gimbal. The best part: unlike a Gimbal where you need to mount a phone and require a setup to balance out for best results, the iPhone 14’s action mode does that without investing in another device. So, why not use the camera that’s already in your pocket?
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Everybody was prepared to see a pill-shaped cut-out on the iPhone 14 display, but one had not foreseen or predicted Dynamic Island, the most eye-catching feature we have seen on a smartphone in a very long time. What Apple did was turn the pill-shaped cut-out on the top of the display into an active part of the user interface. As you use the iPhone, the cutout changes contextually as if it is a second display. During the launch, Apple teased how a small ‘dock’ became a music interface widget. Or an icon showing AirPods being connected. For years, every Apple phone has had a ‘notch’ at the top of the screen. Apple’s Dynamic Island is not only a new way to approach product design but also embraces constraints and turns them into useful features.