A live Apple event brings to mind scenes similar to when Charlie Bucket visited the storied chocolate factory in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. The event was flawlessly and expertly put together, but without the Oompa Loompas, there were no earth-shattering announcements.
Even so, Apple made every effort to keep the iPhone and Watch interesting and compelling, which was difficult given the weak smartphone market.
New models of the 15 and 15 Pro iPhones
Apple unveiled the new iPhone 15 lineup as well as other noteworthy changes during its “Wonderlust” September keynote speech on Tuesday.
The company’s decision to switch from its Lightning charging connector to USB-C with the iPhone 15 confirmed industry rumors. The redesigned Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 smartwatches, which have new colors and features, were also unveiled.
Although the annual iPhone event has become somewhat mechanical over the years, frequently with minor updates to battery life, camera systems, and screens, this year’s USB-C announcement is the most significant change to the iPhone’s design in eleven years. This long-awaited improvement streamlines the charging process for a variety of manufacturers and devices that were standardized on USB-C years ago.
That announcement received a lackluster round of applause inside the Steve Jobs Theater, probably because business travelers in attendance were aware that this would ultimately make their accessory bag much lighter and easier in terms of cable management.
Apple faces a difficult revenue environment, much like the majority of the technology sector. For the third consecutive fiscal quarter, which ended in July, Apple’s sales decreased. Fewer device updates caused iPhone revenue for the quarter to drop by 2% year over year to $39.7 billion.
People should upgrade even more now that Apple has declared it won’t raise prices for the iPhone 15 series. The business should be commended for resisting the urge to raise prices given the ongoing inflationary environment in which we still live.
Apple frequently upgrades its entry-level smartphones with new features when it introduces new high-end smartphone models. The organization unveiled the next-generation entry-level iPhone 15, which eliminates the notch in favor of an extended “Dynamic Island” utility that provides alerts, notifications, and other useful features.
Apple Increases Investment in Computer-Aided Photography
Up until recently, the entry-level iPhone 15 phones only had the iPhone 14 Pro’s improved image stabilization for taking pictures and videos, 2x telephoto support, and enhanced portraits with richer color and better low-light performance.
The Pro models come with even more advanced camera upgrades, like a 48MP primary camera with a sensor bigger than the iPhone 15’s.
The iPhone 15 is said to have the same A16 Bionic processor as the iPhone 14 Pro, which has a neural engine for handling more difficult tasks, such as on-device live voicemail transcriptions, a feature that will be made available with the release of iOS 17.
The iPhone 15 has an upgraded ultra-wideband (UWB) chip that connects with nearby gadgets and makes it simpler to locate people (more precisely) who broadcast their location in crowded areas.
Starting prices for the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are $799 and $999, respectively. Pre-orders for the various iPhone 15 models open on Friday, and the devices will be available for purchase in stores on September. 22.
Finally, USB-C is available for the iPhone!
Undoubtedly, the biggest change is Apple’s decision to stop using its exclusive Lightning charging connector after 11 years and switch to the USB-C standard for its new iPhone 15 models.
Apple has been under pressure from the European Union to make this change for the past few years, but now that they can power their Mac computers, iPhones, and iPads with the same USB-C chargers, it will significantly reduce the difficulty of finding the right charger for each device.
Millions of outdated Lightning cables will likely end up in landfills within the next year or so, one can only speculate.
Importantly, the iPhone 15 Pro’s dedicated USB-C controller will enable up to 20 times faster transfer rates than USB-2 technology. That’s a bigger deal than Apple made it sound during the announcement, as moving large files—especially videos—via a Lightning cable can seem to take an eternity.
Release of the Iterative Apple Watch Series 9
The company’s upgraded silicon chip and improved ultrawideband connectivity are both features of the brand-new Apple Watch Series 9 that was unveiled at the event.
With the most recent Apple Watch, users can speak health data into the device, share contact information by touching another Apple Watch, and automatically brighten the display by raising their wrist. The Series 9 comes in a variety of hues, including pink, navy, red, gold, silver, and graphite.
The second generation of Apple’s “rugged” Ultra smartwatch line also features the updated S9 dual-core processor and a new UWB chip. It also has more information on the display for more thorough tracking.
Both the Series 9 and Ultra models of the Apple Watch will go on sale in September for $399 and $799, respectively. 22.
Apple claims that by double-tapping their index and thumb on the Watch Series 9’s new “double tap” gesture control, users can answer or end phone calls, play and pause music, and snooze alarms. The hand gesture can browse through widgets just like rotating the digital crown does.
The business claims that double tap is made possible by a better neural engine that analyzes sensor data and uses machine learning. Starting the following month, the feature will be available.
A similar hand tap will be used to operate the Vision Pro mixed reality headset, which is scheduled to launch in early 2024.
Apple’s fixation on sustainability
According to Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment, policy, and social initiatives, Apple’s Watch Series 9 will be the company’s “first-ever carbon-neutral product,” citing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint and offset emissions through carbon buybacks verified by a third party.
Jackson announced that Apple will stop using leather in future accessories, including watch bands, as part of the company’s ongoing sustainability initiatives. Apple will switch to a new fabric called FineWoven, which has a significantly lower carbon footprint than leather and is made up of 68 percent post-consumer recycled material.
Last Words
No new models of the iPad, Mac, or MacBook were released, disappointing those who had been waiting for them. Apple was rumored to be releasing a new “M3” processor, but it’s likely that the company will postpone those announcements until later this year.
Furthermore, contrary to what some had predicted, Apple did not introduce new AirPods or an update to the outdated AirPods Max. Apple did however reveal that an earlier version of the AirPods Pro second generation with a USB-C charging connector would be available.
The Action Button and Double Tap, two of the new announcements’ features, caught my eye. In this event video, which shows how to use Double Tap to take a group photo, answer a call, or end one, it is shown how it adds convenience by requiring only a single motion when an iPhone and Watch are used together.
In terms of being a feature that will draw attention, the new Action Button also has some real potential. As is customary for Apple, the company did a fantastic job with discoverability and usability, enabling users to quickly use this button for a variety of different functions, such as taking pictures, turning on the iPhone’s light, recording a voice memo, or creating shortcuts for other tasks.
When taken as a whole, Apple’s update will probably reinforce the company’s position as the market leader in the high-end smartphone segments.
The upgraded camera features in the Pro models, especially the 5X zoom capability, will advance computational photography on modern smartphones even further. In order for users to immediately view 3D user-generated content when Vision Pro is released, Apple also added spatial video capture to its Pro models.
Give Apple credit for continuing to create several eye-catching strategies to keep the iPhone lineup compelling and persuasive in a very competitive smartphone market. The majority of Apple users who might otherwise be drawn to “bright, shiny new objects” like foldable phones will, at the very least, be kept in the ecosystem by these recent announcements.
It will be interesting to see how customers react to these new Apple products in these hard economic times.