Gizmo Guy: Apple hypes its new gadgets, improved apps

A bigger, bolder iPad, tweaked iPhones, a more versatile Apple TV streaming box, and user-friendlier apps for the Apple Watch were the big announcements rocking San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium on Wednesday.

Running longer than most movies, more hyped than a World Wrestling Entertainment pay-per-view event, the Apple Inc. main event was the kind of presentation that could drive a nonbeliever to repeated drink with the droning repetition of "amazing," "awesome," "incredible," "totally epic," and "phenomenal."

Clearly, there was evidence to support some of the excitement shared by company execs, worker bees, and invited guests.

But not all was rosy. CEO Tim Cook glossed over new installment plan pricing for iPhones that major carriers are adopting, which could increase monthly bills and push more folks to cheaper phones.

And in terms of delivering video content, the "new" Apple TV seems in no better shape today than earlier iterations, hardly ready to eat cable and satellite TV's lunch. Still, this far more robust version is ready if and when channels are, and its video games playing skill could inflict damage in the console arena.

Apple Watch. As a daily wearer, this writer's not buying Cook's assertion that customer satisfaction for the Apple Watch is "an incredible 97 percent." The reality will get closer, though, with the launch of the Watch OS2 operating system (available Sept. 16) that enables more compelling apps like Facebook Messenger, iTranslate, the health-tracking AirStrip, and a GoPro app using the watch screen as an action-cam monitor. New watch models include a Hermes Collection for high rollers and (fake) gold-toned aluminum cases ($349 and up) for the rest of us.

iPad Pro. Floating out of the skies in a Gravity-like video, the 12.9-inch iPad Pro boasts down-to-earth features that business users, multitaskers, graphic artists, and filmmakers will surely appreciate. Documents and art creations on the 5.6-million pixel screen should look razor sharp, mating well with custom versions of Microsoft Office and Adobe software and a finely tuned smart stylus - the Apple Pencil. Processing power is way up for multitasking. Filmmakers can edit in 4K and any movie buff will appreciate long overdue stereo speakers. Available November, iPad Pro prices range from $799 to $1,079, plus $99 for the Pencil and $169 for a smart keyboard activated with a cool magnetic/power/communications connector.

Apple TV. Siri-waking voice commands and a spiffy touch remote quickly summon content on a more powerful and pricey ($149-$199) Apple TV. But Apple's effort to sign up broadcast and cable channels has come to naught, leaving the device to juggle old reliables like Hulu, Netflix, HBO, and iTunes rentals. Split-screen game watching with the MLB.com app is cool, impulse couch shopping on GILT seems all too easy. And with 60-frames-a-second streaming, cute games from Harmonix ("Beat Sports") and Hipster Whale ("Crossy Road") looked sharp and support multiplayer action.

iPhone 6S/iPhone 6S Plus. The biggest innovation is "3D Touch" - a.k.a. Force Touch - which lets users quickly "take action on apps" with a subtle or deeper press/swipe on the screen. Processing power is improved, likewise camera resolution - 12 megapixels on the shooting side, 5 megapixels on the FaceTime camera now exploiting white-screen flashing to light up selfies. Stills can magically wiggle on playback, actually shot as 3-second videos. Don't like the new carrier terms? Unlocked iPhones will be available directly from Apple and upgradeable yearly, with paydowns "starting" at $32 a month.