It’s that time of the year again when Apple makes minor updates to its portfolio of devices.
This time last year, we got the iPhone SE, and the iPad Pro 9.7. Well, for 2017, the iPhone SE makes a return along with the iPhone 7 in a hot new paint job, and a brand new iPad also joins in the family.
But first, let us address the iPhone 7.
Apple’s (PRODUCT)RED Welcomes The iPhone 7
This one is something that many have wanted to see ever since Apple dived into colours other than the traditional silver, space grey, and black.
Going on sale this Friday, 24 March, is the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus in an all-new red colour, and it will be called the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition.
The (PRODUCT)RED iPhone 7 is priced at $1,218 (128GB) and $1,388 (256GB), while the iPhone 7 Plus costs $1,418 (128GB) and $1,588 (256GB).
The phone will be available all year round.
As with any red Apple products parked under the (PRODUCT)RED label which also includes the Beats line of audio products, what this means is that with any purchase of products under this label, you will also be contributing to the Global Fund to finance HIV/AIDS programmes in sub-Saharan Africa.
(PRODUCT)RED is a partnership between Apple and (RED) that has been ongoing for the last 10 years, with Apple being the Global Fund’s largest corporate donor.
100% of funds raised by (RED) goes to HIV/AIDS grants and will give those in need easy access to life-saving medication.
Doubling Up The iPhone SE’s Storage
In more subdued iPhone news, the mini powerhouse which is the iPhone SE finally gets double the storage from last year.
The iPhone SE is now available in 32GB at the same price as the older 16GB at $658, and the 128GB storage option will be a slightly higher $828.
With this update, Apple has officially killed off the underwhelming 16GB storage base model of any iPhone.
Given that today’s contents are data hogs, having applications, music, and high definition video stored in your phone will no doubt make the 16GB option obsolete.
New 9.7 Inch iPad
The past year or so would suggest that Apple has taken the iPad to Pro heaven with high-spec tablets designed for creative professionals, leaving mere mortals with the very outdated iPad Air 2.
The new 9.7 inch iPad is a direct replacement for the iPad Air 2, and arrives to satiate the needs of casual tablet users for media consumption and a bit of serious work.
All the specs you’ve come to expect are here – A9 chip, iOS10, Retina screen, Touch ID, and Apple Pay.
The 9.7 inch iPad will make for an awesome travel companion, and prices start at $498 for the base 32GB Wifi model, and $698 for the 32GB Wifi-LTE base model.
Other Shoe-ins
The two other announcements that were made alongside their products are software-related.
First is Clips, a portable video editor for your iOS devices.
With this new app, you will be able to quickly edit, add in animations, captions, filters and even emojis into your videos, and then upload them instantly via the various social media and video platform integrations.
Lastly is Swift Playground, the app for iPad that lets you (and your kids) learn Apple’s Swift programming code in a fun and interactive game-like environment.
It is now available in Simplified Chinese, Japanese, French, German and Latin American Spanish.
Apple’s relatively understated announcement wasn’t something many expected, but since the red iPhone 7 was unveiled last night, there has been plenty of buzz on social media.
We guess we’ll see this getting sold out instantly, much like how the Jet Black version was on backorder for many months after its launch.
While we wait for Friday to come, enjoy this unboxing video by Marques Brownlee.
