Apple has long presented its products as tools for creativity, productivity and a positive, if aspirational, lifestyle filled with friends and family, healthy habits and outdoor activities. Some of that was still on display at this year’s event, but there was a new messaging, too. The company positioned many of its products and features as safety nets in a shaky world.
Apple announced new car-crash detection technology on both the Apple Watch and iPhone which it says can determine the “precise moment of impact” using the device’s barometer, GPS and microphone. “We truly hope you never need it, but feel a little bit safer every time you get into a car,” said Ron Huang, Apple’s vice president of sensing and connectivity, during the announcement.
It also unveiled a groundbreaking Emergency SOS tool for iPhones that relies on satellites if, for example, you’re lost in the wilderness and cellular service isn’t working. And it introduced a new temperature monitoring tool on the Apple Watch that can be used to track illnesses, at a time when many may still be wrestling with pandemic health anxieties.
The shift in tone comes as Apple confronts a new economic landscape that could make it harder to convince customers to pay three- and four-figure amounts to upgrade their devices – especially when some of those products are not substantially different from the prior year.
I – Word Understanding
Aspirational – showing a desire to achieve high level of success or social status
Barometer – measures air pressure
Shift in tone – change in focus
Confronts – to face a challenge
II – Have Your Say
1, Are you looking forward to the release of Apple’s latest products?
What are you most interested in?
2, Share your thoughts on the following features of Apple’s newest products:
a, Car crash detection technology
b, Emergency SOS / satellite connectivity
c, Body temperature monitoring
d, Hello eSim, goodbye sim card
3, Which smartphone features and apps do you consider most important and most useful for you?
904 Apple’s latest products and features take aim at our greatest fears
