Wow. Well that was pretty intense. In yesterday’s Keynote, Apple announced a pair of new iPhones, a brand new contactless payment system and possibly the best smart-watch to date. There’s little doubt as to whether the new products will sell — the only question is whether sales will be in the tens or hundreds of millions. But how did the world’s most influential Apple watchers see it? Here’s how it went…
The Great Keynote Shambles
Sadly for Apple, most observers outside the Flint center saw very little hardware in the first half an hour, thanks to the combination of technical errors, an errant test card and the random addition of Chinese translation. It left many Keynote regulars pretty bemused…
Yeah, don't think Apple is going to be competing with live television any time soon…
— M.G. Siegler (@mgsiegler) September 9, 2014
you guys, I paid the IAP to turn off the translation.
you’re welcome
— Dented Meat (@DentedMeat) September 9, 2014
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
As with most new iPhones nowadays, the general reaction to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus was something like quiet contentment. The new photographic upgrades got some folks fired up, though…
240 frames per second on the iPhone 6 camera! My god. With that degree of slo-mo, you could capture a teenager smiling at the camera.
— David Pogue (@Pogue) September 9, 2014
…and while the general consensus seemed to be in favor of the larger iPhone…
I'm going 6+, you guys/girls?
— Kevin Rose (@kevinrose) September 10, 2014
…some had already decided against the bulkier model.
So I printed and cut out those iPhone 6 drawings. If you want to simulate the 6 Plus, cram a professional-size football into your pocket.
— Josh Centers (@jcenters) September 10, 2014
I would like optical stabilization but i’m going for 4.7” 128GB iPhone 6.
— Arnold Kim (@arnoldkim) September 9, 2014
Apple Pay
While Apple’s hardware always picks up the most ooohs and aaahs, it was the company’s new payment system that really got those-in-the-know excited.
#ApplePay is the biggest thing out of the #AppleLive event. Expect to see this around a lot more: Pay pic.twitter.com/TYhcDD7VSn
— Chris Messina ✌︎ (@chrismessina) September 9, 2014
Apple pay is amazing. It’s the most comprehensive payment system I’ve ever seen at launch.
— Farhad Manjoo (@fmanjoo) September 9, 2014
Apple Watch
Undoubtedly the star of the show, however, was the Apple Watch. In spite of its remarkable price tag and reliance on the iPhone, its announcement surely marks a big moment in wearable technology. But many tech watchers were left disappointed by the much-hyped new product…
I expected iWatch to be skinnier, do less, less techie. It failed on all three fronts. Finally an Apple product I am not likely buying.
— Om Malik (@om) September 9, 2014
Others worried about the price.
We know at what price the Watch starts. I'd love to know at what price it ends.
— John Siracusa (@siracusa) September 9, 2014
However, Apple’s creation of the digital crown did find some favor…
The Digital Crown seems so obvious now, I feel stupid for not thinking about that.
— Federico Viticci (@viticci) September 10, 2014
…as did the other physical attributes of the Watch…
The Apple watch (larger size) feels good on. Pleasant action on dial, great screen. Not heavy. Will be adjustment for light watch wearers.
— Matthew Panzarino (@panzer) September 9, 2014
Seriously though, the Watch looks awesome. Not announcing battery life or pricing on the higher-end models is concerning though.
— Mark Gurman (@markgurman) September 9, 2014
…and some developers were already imagining the possibilities.
The Taptic engine will provide increasingly strong electric shocks throughout the day if you don’t move enough.
— Paul Haddad (@tapbot_paul) September 9, 2014
And a Few Other Notes
iNames, RIP.
— John Gruber (@gruber) September 9, 2014
No more iPod classic // cc: @marcoarment pic.twitter.com/sdO095wrqB
— Andrei Oprea (@oprea) September 9, 2014
Disappointments:
– The live stream
– Pay US-only
– No sleep tracking in Apple Watch?— Federico Viticci (@viticci) September 9, 2014
Bono fulfilling his boyhood dream of being an old man performing tame music at a corporate event
— Pinboard (@Pinboard) September 9, 2014
bono should really ask a question about Apple watch battery life.
— John Paczkowski (@JohnPaczkowski) September 9, 2014
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