KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 13 — Apple kept things simple this time for its September 12 event, announcing a redesigned Apple Watch series 4 as well as three new iPhones.

The company introduced the successor to last year’s iPhone X — the iPhone XS as well as a larger version, dubbed the iPhone XS Max.

Both phones feature an updated dual camera set-up — with a 12MP wide angle lens as well as a 12MP telephoto with 2X zoom.

A cheaper (but not cheap) iPhone X was also announced in the iPhone XR. While sharing the same A12 Bionic processor, the phone is around US$200 (RM828) cheaper thanks to its using an LCD screen instead of a more expensive OLED display.

The iPhone XS range boasts longer battery life, an upgraded display, processing power that brings more speed to the table as well as an update to the already impressive iPhone X camera.

As good as the specs are for the new iPhone XS and XR, the true star of the show is not the iPhones: they’re nice to have but not necessary if you already have an iPhone X.

The latest Apple Watch, however, is worth the ticket price to upgrade even if you own last year’s model. Why? Besides the new processor, the wearable now includes health features that are gamechangers as far as health devices are concerned.

An indispensable wearable

The new Apple Watch now comes in larger sizes: 40mm and 44mm, up from the previous 38mm and 42mm sizes.

Despite the larger displays, which provide 30 per cent more screen size and yet still support the watch bands of the previous models, the new watch does not add bulk .

Form factor aside, what makes the devices special is the extra attention Apple has given to health features. For the first time, Apple has included sensors that will allow the watch to function as an electrocardiogram (ECG) as well as detect low heart rates as well as irregular heart rhythm.

The heart data can be seen on Apple’s Health app and saved in PDF format to make sharing the data with doctors easier.

Apple has also scored a first by getting FDA approval for its ECG and heart rhythm readings, with the features set to be rolled out on the watch later in the year.

For the moment, both of the features are US-only but hopefully will eventually make their way to other countries.

Why do these features matter?

By making recording data as easy as strapping on a watch, it makes it simpler for the average person to keep an eye on their heart health without expensive external machines.

The Apple Watch being able to record such data also makes the device incredibly useful for physicians, giving them more data to work with to assist in diagnosis and treatment.

One other interesting feature is the Apple Watch’s fall detection. Apple has managed to create algorithims that can detect if and when a user has fallen down.

An alert will then be generated on the watch, which the user can decide to either ignore or use to initiate a call to emergency services.

If, after 60 seconds from when a fall is detected, the wearer has either not moved or responded, a call will immediately be made to emergency services and an alert as well as location data sent to the wearer’s emergency contacts.

This feature, besides being unique to Apple Watch, could potentially be a lifesaver and especially useful for people vulnerable to falls such as the elderly.

Pricing and availability for the Apple Watch and new iPhones have not been released as yet. However, US pricing is as follows: the Apple Watch series 4 pricing starts at US$399 while the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will start at US$999 and US$1,099 respectively, with the iPhone XR starting from US$749.

If standard practice is followed, expect the new iPhones and Watch to be available in Malaysia in about a month from US availability.