endigitize.com

Apple invited us to its Cupertino, Calif. headquarters to “Loop Us In” on what’s next, and evidently, some of that was meant literally. New loops, or “bands” as one might say, were unveiled alongside a price drop for the Apple Watch.

Mind you, no new Apple Watch hardware was revealed, but those who love parting ways with disposable income in exchange for flashier bands should take note. A gaggle of bands were revealed today, including an ultra-soft woven nylon band, a black Milanese Loop band, and a variety of fresh colors for Sport and leather bands.

We had a chance to let most of the new ones grace our wrist for a bit during its hands-on event, and the woven nylon was an instant favorite — it’s supple, soft, and not nearly as coarse as it looks in photos. It’s also impossibly light, which ought to make fitness junkies who aren’t into the basic silicone band quite happy.

Note that the connecting lugs that securely hold the band to the Watch are colour-coded to match the strap, and the buckle on the nylon band is particularly comfortable.

Given today Apple announced a price drop of the Apple Watch, buying new bands might be an option for some, and the updates bring a bunch of new options. The Sport Band now includes understated pastel colours, for instance.

These colours make the straps look almost edible, though we wouldn’t advise this.

The Apple Watch range in Apple’s HQ all sported the incoming updated software, with extra complications and improved Maps app, though we haven’t tested these extensively yet.

Similarly, the classic leather buckle has added a delicate turquoise-y shade and a vibrant tomato colour – although there’s a soup-like feeling with the red hue.

The leather strap is attractive looking and feels smooth and luxurious. There are now enough leather straps for the Watch that all tastes, from sober to outlandish, should be catered for.

If you have an Apple Watch or Apple Watch Sport with the Space Black edging, arguably the best-looking case in the Watch range, your main excitement will be reserved for the new Space Black Milanese Loop, which takes the elegance up a notch.

Available in 38mm and 42mm sizes, naturally, the new Loop really is much darker, though photos don’t always do it justice.

It’s a keen match for the Space Black bracelet already available but feels completely different, of course. The magnetic strap is easily adjusted for comfort and it makes for an elegant-looking, great-fitting band.

There are now so many colours, materials, buckles and other fittings that the range of options can be a bit bewildering, but at least there’s no way you’re likely to have the same Watch as the next guy.

The whole batch is on sale now, with the woven nylon bands going for $49, the black Milanese Loop, Leather and Classic Buckle for $149, the Modern Buckle for $249, and the Link Bracelet for $449.

The Apple iPad Air 2 got discounted to $400 – that’s $100 off its original price.

But if that’s still too rich for your blood, the Daily Steals offer of a refurbished iPad Air 16GB (original) for $250 might be something you’re interested in. You can knock $10 off the price with the honest coupon code CHEAPSKATE10.

If you’re nervous about refurbished hardware, you can get one from Apple for $280. Apple’s refurb program offers more variety too, the Daily Steals offer is for the 16GB Wi-Fi model only, while Apple’s site has everything up to 128GB with AT&T LTE. Refurbished iPad Air 2 start at $340.

Source | Via

Well, that was quick. Apple has just announced the iPhone SE and the smartphone won’t be officially launching until next week. However, someone in China apparently already had the smartphone long enough to pass it through AnTuTu’s usual battery of diagnostics. Presuming this is the real deal, we are looking at a 4-inch monster that is almost really exactly like the iPhone 6s in specs. Here, that means exactly the same amount of RAM and almost the same 130,000-ish overall score.

Apple has never been one to focus on the geeky aspects of tech specs. Case in point, it never really details the battery size or amount of RAM inside its devices, preferring, instead, to dwell on how long the battery will last each day. Luckily, a few other parties, like iFixit and AnTuTu, are more than willing to spill the beans.

The iPhone SE is veritably the iPhone 6s in the 5s’ size and clothing. Pretty much all the specs, save things like Touch ID, 3D Touch, and resolution, are on par with the most recent, larger iPhone. It is no surprise then, to see AnTuTu confirm that 2 GB of RAM is indeed present inside as well. That definitely puts a lot of punch inside this small device.

That punch can also be seen in the iPhone SE’s overall score. AnTuTu gives it a mark of 134,358. It is actually slightly above AnTuTu’s score for the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, averaging at 132,620. Given how the iPhone SE has less pixels to push with its 4-inch retina display, that’s not exactly surprising. The smaller iPhone does outrank the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus’ 80,554. And just to stir up the hornet’s nest, the Samsung Galaxy S7 scores 125,288 or around 105,000, depending on which processor you are testing.

Apple definitely made an expected but still controversial move when it finally unveiled the iPhone SE, giving those who loved the design and size of the iPhone 5s something to hold on to for the future. And if benchmarks like these are any indicator, it will be a bright future for them.

VIA: Weibo

Apple iPad Pro is getting an offspring today with a smaller 9.7″ version, honoring the first iPad ever released. The new Apple iPad Pro runs on the same Apple A9X as the 12.9″ iPad Pro – a dual-core Twister processor with 4GB of RAM.

The new 9.7″ iPad Pro introduces a new True-Tone display with 2048 x 2732 pixel resolution. In addition to the added support for Night Shift, courtesy of iOS 9.3, the new display relies on a pair of new ambient sensors. Thanks to those new sensors the display can now match your ambient color temperature and adjust to it.

The new display is 500 nits bright, has a wide color gamut (DCI P3), and is arsenic free, as usual.

The new iPad Pro has an upgraded camera compared to the previous one – a rear 12MP camera, and a 5MP selfie camera with the option of Retina (screen) flash.

There are 4 speakers on the new iPad Pro, just like on the larger version generation.

It is made of the same aluminum material. You will be able to get it in Space Gray, Silver, Gold, and Rose Gold.

The new iPad Pro is compatible with Apple Pencil thanks to its pressure and tilt sensitive layer. Its display also features palm and finger rejection, when using the iPad Pro with the Pencil.

The new iPad Pro (Wi-Fi) comes in three storage options – 32GB for $599, 128GB starting at $749, and 256GB starting at $899. The new iPad Pro will become available on pre-order on March 24, while the actual sales begin on March 31.

Naturally, Apple will be offering compatible Smart Keyboards fitted for the new iPad Pro, while the Pencil is the same as last year.

Apple just announced the iPhone SE with a 4″ display. The phone features a body almost identical to the iPhone 5 and 5s, but features the latest gen Apple A9 chip with a dual-core 1.85 GHz Twister processor and PowerVR GT7600 six-core graphics.

The 4″ display rocks a resolution 1136×640 pixels, resulting in a pixel density of 326 ppi. The iPhone SE also features Retina Flash, which momentarily makes the screen three times brighter when you take a selfie. The 3D feature from the larger current gen iPhones hasn’t made its way to the SE though.

The Apple iPhone SE features the same 12MP iSight camera as its iPhone 6s and 6s Plus siblings. It comes complete with 4K video recording. The front-facing camera is 1.2MP and is complemented with the Retina Flash feature.

iPhone SE’s design is virtually the same as the iPhone 5s’, but the Home button has gotten smarter with Touch ID and Apple Pay support. As far as measurements go, they’re also the same as the iPhone 5s with a weight of 113 grams.

The best part about the iPhone SE is its price – it starts at $399 for 16GB of storage, while $499 nets you the 64GB version. The smartphone will be available for free with a two-year contract in the US as well as in $17 monthly installments.

Pre-orders commence on March 24, with sales starting on March 31. The phone will be available in four color versions, including the trendy Rose Gold.