After the dust cleared at Apple’s Far Out event, we pretty much got what we expected with only a few exceptions: the iPhone 14 Pro’s hole+pill cutout is actually called Dynamic Island, the AirPods Pro still have stems, the Apple Watch Pro is actually the Apple Watch Ultra. But if you had kept up with the rumors, the products Apple released were basically right on.
But there were still some big misses. Here are the top five rumors that we expected to see Wednesday that didn’t make the presentation:
After learning of the iPhone 14 Pro’s new camera system and Action Mode for shooting video, Apple seemed to be leading up to the launch of 8K video recording. Instead we only got 4K Cinematic mode and will have to wait at least one more year for the extra Ks.
Apple
While we had all but given up on the once-rumored redesign for the AirPods Pro, we were still holding out hope for a new proprietary audio codec to bring lossless audio through Apple Music. We did get Personalized Spatial Audio and Adaptive Transparency mode, though, so we can’t complain too much.
For more than a year, we heard reports that Apple was working on a completely new look for the AirPods Pro, with no stems and a fit that sits flush in the ear. Not only did we not get that—we got the same design as before. Nothing about the AirPods design has changed other than the addition of touch controls. Considering how often Apple updates its AirPods, it’ll probably be years before we get the design we really want.
Apple
We’re not really sure why the second-generation SE exists. It has a newer S8 processor and crash detection (thanks to an improved accelerometer and gyroscope) and … that’s it? Otherwise it has the same screen, sensors, battery life, and features as the original SE. And the one thing we really wanted, an always-on display, didn’t make the cut. Sure it’s cheaper, but you’ll be much better off trying to find an Apple Watch Series 7 for $100 off.
This one was pretty shocking. After sending out an invitation with a sea of stars and the tagline “Far Out,” we thought for sure that a new photography mode for shooting the night sky was coming to the iPhone 14. Tim Cook even called the event “stellar” in a tweet Wednesday morning. But nothing about astrophotography emerged during the keynote. Sure we got Emergency SOS via satellite, but otherwise pointing our iPhones at the sky won’t do much good.
