TECH BREAK: Apple unveils its first dual-SIM iPhone
An Apple iPhone XS Max (right) and iPhone XS rest on a table during a launch event on September 12, 2018, in Cupertino, California. PHOTO | NOAH BERGER | AFP
What you need to know:
- The new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will have dual-SIM and dual standby technology.
- In China, the new iPhones will feature two physical SIM cards, while the rest of the world will get a software-based SIM standard using the eSIMs with support from telecom carriers.
- Apple also introduced a fourth generation of the Apple Watch with a major redesign and a series of features designed to improve its performance as a medical and health device.
- According to the company, Apple Watch Series 4 can detect falls and it will call emergency contacts if it doesn’t detect movement after a minute.
California tech giant Apple on Wednesday unveiled its first dual-SIM card gadget at an event held at the company's new headquarters, Steve Jobs Theater, in Cupertino, California.
It introduced the iPhone XS, 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.
The company, in a bid to bolster its spot in the premium smartphone market, also unveiled an upgraded smartwatch that takes electrocardiograms and detects falls.
Can your Fitbit or Apple Watch detect a coronavirus infection before the onset of symptoms? PHOTO | NOAH BERGER | AFP
The company said the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will have dual-SIM and dual standby technology.
Both models come in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB options.
In China, the new iPhones will feature two physical SIM cards, while the rest of the world will get a software-based SIM standard using the eSIMs with support from telecom carriers.
The phones are updates to last year's iPhone X (10), which was released to mark the 10th anniversary of the smartphone. The iPhone X model has a larger screen than other iPhones, covering almost the entire face of the handset while retaining the overall handset size at or near that of previous models.
Apple also introduced a fourth generation of the Apple Watch with a major redesign and a series of features designed to improve its performance as a medical and health device.
According to the company, Apple Watch Series 4 can detect falls and it will call emergency contacts if it doesn’t detect movement after a minute.
All the three new iPhones share most of the same core features. The XS has the smallest physical footprint of the three, while the XS Max comes with an enormous screen of 6.5-inches.
Apple iPhone XR models rest on a table during a launch event on September 12, 2018, in Cupertino, California. PHOTO | NOAH BERGER | AFP
The XR uses the LCD screens of Apple's past, and lacks the pressure-sensing 3D Touch feature that debuted on the iPhone 6S. Instead, it uses haptic feedback like a trackpad when you long-press an icon on the display.
The camera features have at least one 12-megapixel rear camera and a 7-megapixel front-facing camera that supports Face ID unlocking and Animojis, while the XR lacks a second rear camera and uses a software to take artistic portrait-style shots with background blur (called Bokeh).
The phones are powered by A12 engine with an 8-core design with a smart compute system. The A12 Bionic can process 5 trillion operations per second.
The company announced that it will start shipping the gadgets at the end of September with XR expected to be shipped in mid-October. In Kenya a date is yet to be announced.
In the Unites States, the XR will be going for $749 (Sh74,900) making it the cheapest gadget that they unveiled while XS will cost $999 (Sh100,000), and XS Max will be among the most expensive with the price set at $1,099 (Sh110,000). In Kenya the prices are expected to be slightly higher than in the United States.
