Tech round-up for September 15: Apple's iPhone X, Apple Watch Series 3, and Apple TV 4K make a splash

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This week, everything you wanted to know about the 10th-anniversary edition iPhone, the iPhone X. Plus, a new Apple Watch is coming, and there’s a better Apple TV, too.

Apple’s announces three new iPhones, including iPhone X

The main features of iPhone X are the new screen (edge-to-edge, OLED), Face ID (facial recognition security and features), and wireless charging. It will cost $1,319 or $1,529 when it releases on November 3.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are updated versions of the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, adding wireless charging.

Read more about the new phones in my article at the Straight.

Apple Watch Series 3 goes cellular

I’m very excited about the new Apple Watch, because Series 3 is swimproof and also gets cellular functionality. You still need an iPhone to make the Apple Watch work, the watch uses the same number as your iPhone, but now you can use the Apple Watch more independently. Read more about the Series 3 in my article at the Straight.

The way this is expected to work is that you’ll pay a surcharge on your wireless plan to be able to use your data on your watch.

It’s $519 in Canada when it comes out next Friday (September 22), but the catch is that only Bell is supporting the Series 3 cellular, and not in Manitoba and Saskatchewan, where Bell doesn’t sell mobile devices. Telus support is “coming later this year,” and Rogers isn’t on Apple’s list of carriers at all.

I’m a Rogers customer, but if they can’t get on board to support the Apple Watch Series 3, I’m switching.

Apple TV ups the stakes on resolution and range

The new model is Apple TV 4K, and it not only delivers the higher-definition resolution, but also supports high-dynamic range (HDR) imagery. So if you’ve got a TV that can display the better picture, Apple TV 4K, with the same chip that is in the iPad Pro, will give you that picture.

The price of buying TV episodes and movies will not change despite the bump in visual quality. And if you bought an HD version of a film, you get the 4K version at no charge.

Canada is also getting the TV app, which means you can use your Apple TV as a tuner to access your local channels.

Live sports and live news are coming to the Apple TV app, too.

Apple TV 4K is available to preorder today, and will ship next Friday (September 22). It will cost $229 for a 32 GB hard drive, and $249 for a 64 GB hard drive.

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