Everything you need to know about Apple's iPhone 11 launch

New triple-camera iPhone 11s, Apple Watch 5, updated entry-level iPad and new games and TV services showcased

Apple released three new iPhone 11 smartphones - as expected - last night alongside the latest Apple Watch 5, and an updated entry-level iPad. It also pinned launch dates on its long-awaited games and TV services, and revealed that iOS 13 will be released on 19th September.

However, many observers found the launch underwhelming, with the iPhone 11 offering only incremental upgrades before the expected release of 5G-capable of iPhones next year, while some of the features showcased on the Apple Watch 5, such as an always-on display and compass (!) were derided.

The flagship features on the iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max were the triple camera arrays, coupled with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch Super Retina RDX displays. The devices are powered by Apple's A13 Bionic ARM-based CPU. The iPhone 11 Pro will cost £1,099 and the iPhone 11 Max will cost £1,149 - poor value compared to the $999 and £1,099 cost respectively in the US.

The iPhone 11, meanwhile, offers just a double camera array, but a new glass and aluminium chassis that, the Apple claims, makes it one of the toughest smartphones made to date (not including ‘rugged' smartphones, of course). The iPhone 11 comes with 64GB, 128GB or 256GB in storage and will be available from £729 in the UK (against $699 in the US).

All iPhone 11 models will be available for pre-order from Friday, 13^th September, and will begin shipping on 20^th September.

Apple iOS 13 coming on 19^th September

Apple's iOS 13 operating system will ship on the all-new iPhone 11 models, coming to iPhone and iPad users from Thursday 19^th September. The iPhone 5S, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S Plus, however, won't be receiving iOS 13, nor will the recently replaced sixth-generation iPod Touch.

Apple claims to have made a number of performance tweaks with iOS 13, including Face ID unlocking 30 per cent faster, while apps will launch up to 50 per cent faster.

The Siri personal assistant is also getting a boost. Using "neural text-to-speech", Apple's digital helper should sound less robotic than before. It'll now read messages to AirPod wearers, too, with support for both Apple's new WhatsApp-like Messages app and third-party services, such as WhatsApp and Messenger.

The iOS 13 operating system will also bring with it a Swype-style keyboard dubbed 'QuickPath', WhatsApp-style profile pictures in Messages, and improved Health features.

A ‘dark mode' has been introduced that will change the colour of the dock and notifications, while Apple's native apps including Messages, News and Notes will sport a deep black background. This is not only intended to be easier on the eyes, but also to save on battery life.

Apple also claims to have improved privacy, forcing a new 'Sign in with Apple' button onto apps that use third-party single-sign-on services. Unlike similar buttons offered by the likes of Facebook and Google, Apple's alternative enables users to mask their email address from developers, with Apple instead generating a unique random address that forwards to an email address registered with Apple.

The update will also enable users to choose to give their location data to an app "just once", preventing it from constantly being able to ping your location when you're using it. Developers have slammed the change as "anti-competitive", giving Apple the power to hijack the ‘relationship' between app makers and their customers.

Apple iPad

A small surprise shoe-horned into Apple's launch event was the release of an all-new entry-level iPad, with a screen increased in size from 9.7-inches to 10.2-inches.

Though not a major upgrade, the scaled-up tablet also boasts Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard support, 10-hours of battery life and an A10 Fusion chip. While this is slightly less powerful than the A10X Fusion chip found in the second-generation iPad Pro, Apple claims it delivers "two times faster performance over the top-selling Windows PCs".

The new iPad runs iPadOS, naturally, which was first shown off at WWDC earlier this year. The tablet-specific software brings with it a redesigned homescreen, a Files app that supports folder sharing, column view, metadata, server access and external storage devices, desktop-class browsing and new Mac-a-like keyboard shortcuts. iPadOS will roll out to older models on 30 September.

The price of the new iPad will be £349 for the 32GB storage entry-level model, all the way up to £479 for the 128GB model offering mobile support alongside WiFi.

The device will be made from recycled aluminium, which isn't as bold an environmental claim as you might expect. While making aluminium from bauxite is energy intensive, recycling aluminium (which doesn't rust) uses much less energy. Much of the world's aluminium-based products made today are made from recycled aluminium.

The new iPad will ship on 30^th September.

Apple Watch 5

Perhaps the biggest ho-hummer of the launch event was the Apple Watch 5, where development appears to have markedly slowed down. This was reflected by the showcase on such developments as an always-on screen (just like a real watch) and a built-in compass. The devices are also little different in appearance from previous Apple Watch models.

Apple claims that the Apple Watch 5 will last the "whole day", although Apple's idea of a whole day is 18 hours, rather than the more conventional 24 hours. It achieves this, though, by cranking the refresh rate down from an unnecessary 60hz to just 1Hz, as well as a new display driver to reduce power consumption.

The Apple Watch Series 5 is available for pre-order now for £399/$399, or $499£/499 for the mobile-capable models. They will be released on 20 September. The Apple Watch 3, meanwhile, has been reduced to £199/$199.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/5bvcyIV4yzo

Apple Arcade and Apple TV+

Finally, Apple used the event to reveal the Thursday 19^th September release of the Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ services, which the company first showed off in March this year.

Apple Arcade is a games subscription service where, for the sum of £4.99 a month ($4.99 in the US) users can play Konami's Frogger in Toy Town or Capcom's Sensekai: Into the Depths on Apple devices, including iPhone, iPad, Mac and Apple TV. An account can be shared by up to five family members and titles are downloadable to the device, rather than playable ‘in the cloud', like the forthcoming Google Stadia service. Apple Arcade will be available from 19^th September.

Apple TV+, meanwhile, is coming on 1^st November. For the same subscription price of £499/$4.99, subscribers will be able to watch such shows as Snoopy in Space, Servant, and Truth Be Told. Don't all rush at once to cancel your Netflix subs.