Apple’s CEO Tim Cook took to the stage Monday to announce the company’s new and more affordable products for the Spring. However, unlike most of Apple’s product showcases, the main topic was encryption—more specifically, Apple’s ongoing fight with the government over iPhone encryption.
The government put a pause on trying to force Apple’s hand on Monday, after they announced that they think they have a way to break into the San Bernardino iPhone. If this hack works, the fight will be over between Apple and the government. If not, the FBI could resume its case in April.
If the fight continues, Tim Cook promised that the company would not give in, according to the The New York Times. During a press conference at Apple headquarters, he said, “We need to decide as a nation how much power the government should have over our data and over our privacy…we will not shrink from this responsibility.”
Privacy advocates could rejoice, while Apple junkies settled in for the introduction of something almost as important: new iPhones and iPads!!
Apple’s new iPhone SE and 9.7 inch iPad Pro took center stage finally at the event. According to Fortune magazine, the rumored iPhone SE came mostly as expected—It is the same size as the iPhone 5S. Last year, Wired reported that Apple sold more than 30 million four-inch iPhones, so making a move back to small makes sense. However, the SE comes with some important updates from the iPhone 6S, including a faster A9 processor, Apple pay abilities and a higher resolution camera, according to Fortune. PLUS it’s way cheaper than the iPhone 6S, with a starting price of $399 (I only have $5 to my name, but hey, who doesn’t love something that’s a bargain?).
According to the Times, the new iPad Pro came at a lower price that its predecessor, too, starting at $599, while still keeping many of the features as the bigger iPad Pro, which was $799.
While encryption may have taken the cake for the most important issue of the day, Apple’s awesome new price points are sure to catch people’s eyes.