The Morning After: Everything Apple announced at its Far Out event | gadget

Apple’s long-awaited Far Out event was a . The new one was blessed with an oversized sibling, and ditched the notch for a diamond-shaped hole punched into its screen. Sorry, the folks at Apple insist we call the hole a “dynamic island,” since the screen around it will resize for notifications. Joining the new was the , with all the added ruggedness that extreme sports types have been waiting for. Plus, it got touch-sensitive controls and better noise cancellation, thanks to the addition of the H2 chip. It was very much a show focused on quality-of-life tweaks for these devices, with a few features you might find interesting, but nothing you might feel compelled to camp out of an Apple store to be first in line to buy.

– Daniel Cooper

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The iPhone Mini is no more.

There are two iPhone 14s: the standard 6.1-inch model and its 6.7-inch Plus variant, which harkens back to the old regimen of a “regular” sized device and an oversized version. (Sadly, the iPhone Mini’s poor battery life meant the unit didn’t sell well, so Apple has moved the axe.) Cherlynn Low from Engadget got , which focuses on better camera updates. The rear camera has a larger 12-megapixel sensor (with larger 1.9-micron pixels), as well as autofocus on the front lens, for better selfies. Despite the phone’s size, the 14 Plus is lighter than its Pro siblings, a small mercy if you’ve ever dropped a phone on your face in bed.

The always-on display is a cool feature.

Apple saved most of the big updates for it as it tries to put more water between its flagship phone and those at the ultra-premium tier. There’s a new A16 Bionic chip and a Super Retina XDR display that can run at 1Hz, giving users an always-on display for the first time. Plus Dynamic Island, a punched-out hole that houses FaceID and the camera that can leak into the screen around it, making it look more like a notification window. The rear lens has also received an upgrade, with a 48-megapixel primary sensor backed by Apple’s promise that it will have drastically improved low-light performance.

This can affect travelers quite a bit.

The iPhones 14 will be the first of the range in . On paper, this is a smart move: another hole in the phone that you can remove for better waterproofing and security. But it’s also a bit of a hassle for travelers who prefer to switch SIM cards on the go to take advantage of cheaper local rates. Also, if you break your device, you can’t just put your SIM in an old phone lying around.

The Watch 8 gets a few sensor upgrades, but it looks a lot like its predecessor.

The one from Engadget, with its interesting design and an additional action button on the opposite side of the digital crown. The 49mm watch has a 2,000-nit display, ideal for harsh environments, an 86-decibel emergency siren, and more accurate GPS. Given that Apple products are always a little less rugged than we might expect, the promises the company made here will be worth testing. Can this device really replace Garmin for the extreme sport of your choice? Only time will tell.