Sometime between Monday night and Tuesday morning the Apple Store went offline for some “routine maintenance” as they call it. Everyone else refers to it as “New Products”. We are all used to the big live stream events for the major releases, but for the slight product tweaks, we just get an updated store!
Today we see Apple make iPad accessible for all and a great looking new iPhone.
iPhone 7 & 7plus (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition
For 10 years, Apple have been working with (RED) to become the largest corporate donor to the charity, fighting to bring the world closer to an AIDS-free generation. This partnership has so far raised in excess of $130million mostly through special edition products such as iPods or cases for select iPad models. There was even a one-off Mac Pro which reached $977,00 at auction!
To save you the time, if you are looking for an upgraded handset, this is not it. These are your normal 7 & 7plus models but in a great looking red aluminium finish. Both models will be available to order online worldwide and in stores beginning Friday, March 24.
I do hope they sell well, as it is for a great cause, but with the expected big release of the next iPhone just months away, how many people will be looking for a new handset that is soon to be upgraded?
“Since we began working with (RED) 10 years ago, our customers have made a significant impact in fighting the spread of AIDS through the purchase of our products, from the original iPod nano (PRODUCT)RED Special Edition all the way to today’s lineup of Beats products and accessories for iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The introduction of this special edition iPhone in a gorgeous red finish is our biggest (PRODUCT)RED offering to date in celebration of our partnership with (RED), and we can’t wait to get it into customers’ hands.”
If you are upgrading a contract handset with a small upfront fee and going for iPhone, then give these a look first.
iPad to iPad Air and back to iPad….. again.
The only really new device is the more affordable and renamed iPad Air range, which is once again known simply as, iPad.
Dropping the Air name, which was previously used to highlight how thin and light it’s predecessor was, the iPad keeps the same 9.7 inch form factor but has gained a little weight and added an extra amount of depth.
The features Apple have removed to make this an entry-level device will not be missed by many. Lack of support for Apple Pencil, smart keyboards, no Smart Connector or True Tone Display are things most can go without in return for a more aggressively priced Apple Tablet.
What does matter is more power thanks to the A9 chip, the Retina Display, Touch ID with Apple Pay and a strong 8mp rear camera.
The base 32GB model, Wifi only, starts at £339 and the 128GB Wifi+ cellular model is £559. Both will be available to order on Friday 24th March, with deliveries and store stocks expected the following week.