First Impressions After Going Hands-On With New Apple Products
*By Hope King*
CUPERTINO, Calif. ーThe big takeaways for Apple's iPhone [event](https://cheddar.com/videos/apple-unveils-3-new-iphones-higher-prices) this year? Price and color matter, and the Apple Watch may finally be a must-have.
When Apple released the iPhone X last year, critics said it would be too expensive for customers, with a base price of $999.
Now, the priciest iPhone, the new XS Max, comes with a base price of $1,099 and will set you back $1,449 with the maximum available capacity of 512 gigs.
At its much-anticipated annual fall event, Apple announced three new iPhone X devices: an iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, all with the edge-to-edge display and Face ID that once differentiated the X model.
Overall, the phones look and feel quite similar ー but again, the biggest differences are price and color.
With the iPhone XS Max starting at $1,099, Apple is selling its largest iPhone ever with a 6.5-inch screen. Compare that to the iPhone XS at 5.8-inch screen for a $999 starting price, and the iPhone XR with a 6.1-inch screen for $749. That's more than the base price for the original iPhone 8 when it was released last year. Now a $749 price tag is the "bargain" option.
To make the iPhone XR even more appealing, Apple introduced several vibrant colors unique to the model. There is a coral, pink, yellow, and blue version in addition to the classic black, white, and PRODUCT(RED) iterations.
What Apple seems to be saying here is, "We've got a phone for everyone." And that's likely a welcome message for investors, who worry about a smartphone market that is slowing down.
In addition, Apple will continue to sell the iPhone 8, starting at $599 and the iPhone 7, starting at $449.
One quick thing about the Apple Watch Series 4: I think Apple finally may have built a smartwatch that I've been waiting for.
The new models sport a larger screen and haptic feedback in the digital crown, both of which make scrolling around on the small device somewhat easier. Apple also added an electrocardiogram feature, which earned FDA approval. It's a game-changer that transforms the watch from a mobile device into a medical one. Good luck, Fitbit.
Okay, the stuff of business settled. Onto the event itself.
From my vantage point covering the event from the "Spaceship," a.k.a. Apple's headquarters, many more journalists than last year were present.
All the mainstream U.S. networks ー ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Fox Business, Bloomberg, CNBC ー were with us on the risers; the press center was filled with digital outlets from all around the world, and the demo area was swarmed (as it always is) with familiar faces from the YouTube tech scene.
I spotted [Marques Brownlee](https://www.youtube.com/user/marquesbrownlee) and iJustine, just to name two.
I asked Brownlee what impressed him most (and least). Unsurprisingly ー at least to those who know and follow him ー Brownlee said he loved the iPhone XR in red and was a little mixed about the coral. Shrug.
I didn't get a chance to talk to iJustine but she, like many others, was glued to the gold Apple Watch and iPhone XS. There's just something about the color that resembles liquid gold.
All in all, compared to last year's event, Wednesday's announcement felt very different, mostly because this was an "S" year ー an in-between year for big model and design changes.
But if Apple can replicate the success of the iPhone X with more related devices, I think X marks the spot.
Stocks closed at session lows Thursday, mostly due to a larger tech selloff after Facebook parent company Meta reported weak earnings results one day before. The Nasdaq closed down nearly 4% for its worst day since September 2020. Erin Gibbs, Chief Investment Officer at Main Street Asset Management, joins Closing Bell to discuss today's close, Meta earnings, Amazon earnings, and more
Spotify beat fourth quarter earnings expectations, and also reported a jump in monthly active users and in paid subscribers. The report comes as the company grapples with a new question: is it simply a streaming platform, or is it a media company responsible for the content it posts, like Joe Rogan's controversial podcast? Greg Martin, Co-Founder of Rainmaker Securities, joins Closing Bell to discuss why the stock took a hit even though earnings results were positive, how the company can move forward through the Rogan controversy, and more.
Chen Arad, Chief Operating Officer for Solidus Labs, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he explains why Wormhole was particularly vulnerable to a $320+ million crypto hack and discusses what new investors need to do in order to protect their assets.
E-commerce platform for construction and building materials RenoRun has raised $142 million in a Series B round, which the company says is the fourth largest Series B round in Canadian history. RenoRun’s platform offers same-day delivery of construction materials to job sites in Canada and the United States. The company aims to revolutionize the construction industry by maximizing productivity and efficiency. RenoRun co-founder and CEO Eamonn O’Rourke joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
Facebook parent company Meta reported weaker-than-expected fourth quarter earnings, and also issued disappointing guidance for Q1 2022. The tech giant is also under pressure due to Apple's iOS privacy change, as well as continued multi-billion dollar losses for its metaverse focused business unit. Angelo Zino, Tech Analyst at CFRA Research, joins Closing Bell to discuss the earnings results, how Apple's iOS privacy change will impact revenue, whether the metaverse is an underrated investment opportunity, and more.
Rental prices are rising across the country, causing millions to relocate. Average rents rose 14 percent last year, and Americans expect rents will continue to rise by about 10 percent just this year. Daryl Fairweather, chief economist at Redfin, joins Cheddar News to discuss.
The video game industry has seen monumental growth the past few years - with an increasing amount of companies jumping head first into the space. In January alone, Microsoft announced its plan to acquire Activision Blizzard, game publisher Take-Two agreed to buy Zynga, and most recently, Sony announced it has agreed to buy game developer Bungie for $3.6 billion. Tobias Batton, CEO and founder of Ex Populus, joined Cheddar Movers to discuss the surge in M&A activity in the gaming space.
Facebook parent Meta reported disappointing results in its first quarterly earnings report since rebranding to focus on the metaverse. The tech giant delivered mixed results with quarterly profit falling well below Wall Street expectations. Shares plunged more than 20 percent in after hours trading as a result. Martin Garner, COO of CCS Insight, joined Cheddar Movers to break down the company's results.
