Although much of what we saw on stage today at Apple’s keynote was widely expected, Apple also unveiled previously unseen accessories for iPhone and Apple Watch. From style to protection to charging, Apple’s newest cases, bands, and power products add much more to the products revealed onstage today.
iPhone 8 and iPhone X
The big story of the day was the reveal of the three iPhones, and despite varying release dates, Apple has already introduced us to its case options for day one.
Present are the usual silicone and leather options, each coming in nine different colors. Starting at $39 and $49 respectively, the silicone and leather cases look to be great first-party choices for all three phones – and, for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, existing iPhone 7 cases should also fit.
Apple also unveiled the new $99 Leather Folio case for the iPhone X, which works similarly to the iPad’s Smart Cover. With protection on both sides, the Leather Folio will wake the iPhone when removed from the screen and put it to sleep when draped back over.
Apple claims that all three of these cases can be used while charging your iPhone wirelessly, meaning you won’t have to remove the case when putting the iPhone on a charging pad.
Also added was a gold version of the iPhone Lightning dock to match the new hue of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.
Apple Watch
Along with the release of the Apple Watch Series 3, we saw a plethora of new Apple Watch bands, including a new style: the Sport Loop.
Featuring a Milanese Loop-style design, the Sport Loop comes in eight colors and is made from a woven nylon material that Apple says can “provide soft cushioning while allowing moisture to escape”. Like bands of similar quality and purpose, the Sport Loop retails at $49.
Apple’s other Watch bands, including the Sport, Classic Buckle, Woven Nylon, Nike Sport, Leather Loop, and Hermès, all received updated color options for the new season. New colors include Aubergine, Dark Olive, and Rose Red.
Wireless Charging
With wireless charging coming to the three new iPhones, Apple gave us a taste of the future: its AirPower charging pad. Shown charging the iPhone X, Apple Watch, and an updated AirPods case, the AirPower pad was teased as an all-in-one charging solution coming next year – however, at the time of writing, we haven’t seen an official launch date or price.
For those looking for wireless charging products at launch, Apple has featured two in its online store from mophie and Belkin at $59.95 each. Using Qi technology, each can deliver 7.5W of power to your device by simply placing an iPhone on the pad.
As for the AirPods case mentioned above, we haven’t seen anything more than what was mentioned in the keynote. For now, all we know is that a future version of the AirPods case will be updated to support wireless charging.
Beats, iPad, and iPhone SE
Carrying on the color refresh, the BeatsX, Solo3, Powerbeats3, and Pill+ were all updated in various colors, including Matte Gold, Matte Silver, and four new options in the “Neighborhood Collection”, which features vibrant shades of blue, green, and red.
It’s also looking like the urBeats have been updated to a third generation that, by all indications, are now like wired versions of the BeatsX. The new urBeats3 come with either a 3.5mm headphone jack or a Lightning connector and can be purchased for $99.95.
For the iPad, there are now new colors of the Smart Cover, Leather Smart Cover, Leather Sleeve, and Apple Pencil Case, including (PRODUCT)RED variations. And the iPhone SE also saw a (PRODUCT)RED leather case refresh, which is a sign of hope for SE fans.
—
You can also follow all of our Apple event coverage through our September 12 hub, or subscribe to the dedicated September 12 RSS feed.