This week was the annual round of Apple's fall announcements, where the s model iPhone is released and all the other goodies they have been developing in their secret compound for the past 12+ months.

But we don’t care.  We are tired of Apple and all their coolness… their 97% satisfaction rates and crazy stock price. We want something raw, different… from a technology provider that makes beautiful devices that aren’t so ridiculously mainstream.

Ok, ok, ok we do care. 

Here’s the low down on what is new from Apple:

iPhone updates: iPhone 6S, iPhone 6S Plus

While the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus have the same body as the normal 6's, these new versions sport both asthetic and functional improvements, for example a new rose gold aluminium finish and a stronger glass screen. They also have 3D Touch, where dfferent degrees of pressure perform different levels of operation, analogous to tap vs. tap-and-hold, using vibrational feedback. 

Other improvements of interest include:

• The new iSight camera has been increased to 12 megapixels with more focus pixels for (theoretically) faster, more accurate focus. There is also 4K video (best for editing or playing back on a large screen) and a boost to the FaceTime camera megapixels.

• Live Photos lets you press on a photo to animate it. It captures a couple seconds before and after the shutter press to capture extra data, a popular feature in standalone cameras.

• Wi-Fi is faster, as is the mobile networking. And there are new accessories, including a colour-matched charging dock.

Apple TV

Apple TV finally got its long awaited update with a redesigned box, faster processor, more storage and a Siri voice-control update. There is also an app store on Apple TV now.

The new Apple TV will support Netflix, HBO, Hulu, as well as games (Galaxy on Fire anyone?).  It also runs regular apps for group use as opposed to crowding around an iPad.  The remote has also been overhauled and now senses movement for Wii-like control (indeed pretty cool).  Yet the new Apple TV supports third party controllers if you aren’t interested in the fancy new remote.  Most importantly, the new TV has shopping!

New iPads: iPad Pro and iPad Mini 4

What's the "pro" in iPad Pro you ask? A high-resolution, 12.9-inch screen about the size of a Macbook Air's with a full-size virtual keyboard.

With twice the memory bandwidth of its predecessor, Apple claims "desktop class performance." It has 10-hour battery life and a four-speaker audio system (with 3x the audio output of the iPad Air 2).

It is thinner than the iPad Air and lighter than the original iPad, and has a Smart Keyboard accessory that attaches via new technology called the Smart Connector, which connects magnetically.

The coolest iPad development may be the Apple Pencil though. It emits signals from two locations to make shaded strokes, and the system scans twice as fast to capture them. It recharges off the Lightning connector, which plugs right into the tablet. Rather than pressure, it tracks tilt and pressure, which one-ups most iPad styluses, Apple claims it's more precise, and it's supported by many apps out of the box.

Apple Watch

The long and short of it is there are a bunch of new Watch apps, like the AirStrip app health app for physicians to communicate health data and monitor patients at home, and Facebook instant messenger.

There are also new bands, with designer partners, like the Hermes editions, which will be available in October, and new rose gold and aluminium Sport versions as well.   

While we may be a little tired of Apple-this, and Apple-that, the fact of the matter is:  Apple is not only the most valuable company in the world, it is a company with the largest market cap, largest sales, biggest profits, and most assets among all technology companies. It is a company that has reinvented itself, let alone its own technology, time and time again. And it is a company that has made cutting-edge products popular in a way that is bringing the world together more than ever before. 

And with that thought, maybe mainstream isn't so bad. 

About VTSL:

VTSL is a leading provider of VoIP business phone systems, office phone lines, and IP phones to businesses around the UK & Ireland.  The company has a couple product launches of its own this autumn so watch this space!  For more information on business phone systems, VoIP, or how you can use your iPhone on your office line get in touch or visit our website www.vtsl.net.