Here are the key products announced at Apple’s iPhone event

Apple has finally taken the wraps off the new iPhone 13 range, the new iPad line-up and the Apple Watch Series 7 at its September event. Here’s the rundown of what was announced, and all the key dates you need to know. 

When was Apple’s iPhone event?

The Apple iPhone event took place on Tuesday 14 September 2021 at 6pm BST / 10am PDT / 1pm EDT / 10.30pm IST.

This is unlikely to be the only Apple event this autumn. Read about the other Apple Events coming up. Plus why the absence of the AirPods from the September event hints at the date for the next Apple Event.

What did Apple launch at the September event?

Apple unveiled next generation updates for the iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. There was also the announcement of the A15 Bionic chip, which is available on the iPhone 13 range and the new iPad mini.

Fitness fans will be pleased to see some new features coming to Apple Fitness+ in the coming months. All the hardware products use more recycled materials, demonstrating Apple’s commitment to being more conscious of the environment. 

Surprisingly, there was no update given for the AirPods – you can take a look at what wasn’t announced at the event here. 

Here’s a full breakdown of what was announced:

iPhone 13

The star of the show was the iPhone 13 and the iPhone 13 mini. The next-generation iPhone comes with the new A15 Bionic chip for improved performance, five colour options – including a new pink option – and improvements to the camera and battery life. 

The iPhone 13 costs start from around £799/$799 for the regular model, and around $699/$699 for the mini. Pre-orders for the iPhone 13 start on Friday, and the phone will be available to buy on 24 September. 

The iPhone 13 has a flat edged design, a ceramic shield front and an IP68 rating. The phone boasts a super retina HDR display, with support for Dolby Vision and more. 

The all-new A15 Bionic chip boosts the phone’s performance, with a six-core CPU and improved performance for text-to-speech Siri and Maps. There’s also a four-core GPU, with 30% faster graphics compared to competition, according to Apple. 

The iPhone 13 and 13 mini have a dual-camera set-up, with a 12Mp wide-angle camera and a 12Mp ultra-wide camera. The camera features improvements to the low-light and night modes, as well as a cinematic mode for video, with the ability to tap focus between subjects for artistic shooting. 

There’s also an improved battery life, with a claimed extra two and a half hours for the regular model and an extra one and half hours for the Mini over the previous generation phones. 

Read about the iPhone 13 camera features coming in 2021 and our complete guide to the iPhone 13 features.

iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max

Alongside the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini, we’ll also be getting a refresh to the Pro range – with the new iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max.

Also equipped with the A15 Bionic chip (with a five-core GPU rather than a four-core one), the new Pro range includes a triple camera set-up with a 77mm telephoto lens, low light improvements and a new Sierra Blue colour.

Prices start from around £999/$999 for iPhone 13 Pro and £1,099/$1,099 for the iPhone 13 Pro Max. Users can also get their hands on a 1TB model, if storage is an issue. Pre-orders go live this Friday 17 September, with the phones hitting shelves on 24 September. 

The design is complete with a matte glass rear finish, and a IP68 water resistance rating. The phones also boast ProMotion, with a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for improved gaming and video playback.  

The triple camera array is once again the star feature of the Pro models, with a new 77mm telephoto camera, an ultra-wide camera, and a wide camera. These feature low light improvements, and a 6x optical zoom range. There’s also support for macro photography.

All cameras have night mode, as well as a new feature called photographic styles, which allows you to customise photo filters. Videophiles will also be pleased to hear that there’s support for Dolby Vision HDR recording on video.

Like the regular iPhone 13, there’s improvements to the battery lives of the iPhone Pro models. Apple claims that the iPhone 13 Pro can last one and half hours longer than the iPhone 12 Pro, whilst the iPhone 13 Pro Max can last two and half hours than the iPhone 12 Pro Max – making it the iPhone with the biggest battery life so far. 

You can find out more in everything we know about the iPhone 13 Pro range. 

New iPad 2021

Despite rumours suggesting that a new iPad wouldn’t be revealed until later in 2021, Apple opened up with a refresh to both the regular iPad model, as well as the iPad mini. 

Prices for the new iPad (2021) start from £319/$329 for the 64GB. Pre-orders are available now, and you can purchase it from Friday 24 September. 

The new iPad (2021) now features a True Tone 10.2in retina display, and runs on the A13 Bionic chip.

There’s also a newly improved 12Mp front camera, which offers the Center Stage experience (as seen on iPad Pro). This model also supports the first-gen Apple pencil. 

You can find a full round-up of specs over on our new iPad (2021) article. 

New iPad Mini 2021

As well as the regular iPad, there’s also a refresh for the iPad Mini – which features some big changes. These include a rounded design, the A15 Bionic chip (also featured in the iPhone 13 range) and a USB-C port. 

Prices for the new iPad Mini (2021) start from £479/$499. The tablet is available to pre-order now, and goes on sale on Friday 24 September. 

The new iPad mini comes in four colours – purple, pink, starlight and space gray. On the front, you get a liquid retina 8.3in screen with True Tone. There’s also touch ID on the top right hand corner for extra security. 

For performance, there’s a 40% improvement in the CPU and 80% jump in GPU from the previous generation. The USB-C port enables support for other devices such as cameras – a big step for Apple. This device also has compatibility with the second generation Apple pencil. 

The front and rear cameras on this iPad has also improved and now have a 12Mp sensor. Find out more about the features of the new iPad mini (2021) here. 

Apple Watch Series 7

Apple has also given an update to the Apple Watch. Series 7 has a slightly bigger display and a new look with thin borders and softer, rounder corners – in line with the redesign for the iPad mini. 

The Apple Watch Series 7 is available later this Autumn, and costs £379/$399. Sadly, no pre-order or release dates were confirmed at the event. 

Buttons have been redesigned and enlarged to be easier to tap, and the screen can now fit more text. There’s a full keyboard, along with ‘quick tap’ to allow you to quickly switch between letters and predict words as you type. 

The watch screen is crack resistance with IP6X certification, making it both swim proof and dust proof. 

The watch boasts an 18-hour battery life, and improved charging – with 45 minutes taking it from flat to 80%.

The regular model comes in a choice of five colours, but you can also opt for steel and titanium models, as well as special edition models from brands such as Nike. 

This watch runs on Apple’s Watch OS 8, which has an all-new cycling mode, with fall detection and support for e-Bikes. 

Read more about the new Apple Watch Series 7.

Apple Fitness+

In-line with the new Apple Watch, the event also revealed software updates for Apple Fitness+.

These include the ability to have group workouts, an all-new Pilates section, guided meditations and new workout plans to get you ready for snow season. 

New subscribers can get one month free, and Apple Watch users can get three months free. These features will begin to roll out this month and throughout the Fall season. 

Release dates

If you just wanted to know the key dates to be aware of, here is a quick summary: 

Tuesday 14 September: Pre-orders are now open for the new iPads

Friday 14 September: Pre-orders are now open for the new iPhones. Read: How to pre-order iPhone 13

Friday 24 September: This is the on-sale date for the new iPhone 13 range, as well as the new iPad and iPad Mini

Even with all these potential launches Apple won’t be done for the year. There will most likely be an October event at which we will see new Macs and (if we’re lucky) the new AirPods. 

We also discuss what Apple will do in September here: New Apple products coming in September 2021.

What didn’t get announced at the Apple September event

Apple packed in a lot at the September iPhone event, but there were a few omissions that didn’t make the cut. Here’s the main ones that are due a refresh, and are now expected to get an announcement at the next Apple event… whenever that may be. 

New AirPods

In a surprising twist, Apple didn’t reveal any new design updates for its AirPods range. 

It’s been a couple of years since Apple last updated the AirPods so we are really hopeful that new models are coming soon. The new AirPods are thought to sit between the wireless charging standard AirPods and the AirPods Pro – so a kind of AirPods Pro Lite, with shorter stems and new silicone ear tips. Read more here: Everything we know about the new AirPods.

New MacBook Pro

Another contender for this event was a refresh to the MacBook Pro – but sadly no announcements to anything in the MacBook range were given. Rumours suggest that this laptop could feature Apple’s M1X or M2 chip and new mini-LED screen technology. You can find out more in our rumour roundup for the new MacBook Pro. 

iPad Air

Though the regular iPad model and the iPad Mini got refreshes, there was no mention of the iPad Air. That being said, leaks did indicate that cheaper models in the range would be the first to get announced. If you’re still keen to know more, take a look at everything we know about the new iPad Air.