New phones, watches and a whole bunch of cool tools took centre stage at Apple’s ‘Wonderlust’ event in Cupertino, California.
Here’s our breakdown of the top five announcements, in no particular order.
iPhone 15 lineup
The series includes four phones: the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max.
The base phones, the 15 and the 15 Plus, feature a ceramic shield on the front and back. Both also have the ability to stay in 6 metres of water for upwards of 30 minutes and use the A16 Bionic chipset.
The iPhone 15 has a 6.1-inch OLED display, and the Plus has a 6.7-inch OLED display.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature titanium frames and an ‘Action button,’ letting users reach their favourite feature with a click of a button.
Unlike the base models, Apple has used the A17 Pro chip to power the Pro and Pro Max. The industry’s first 3nm chip, it features 19 billion transistors.
One change that has made its way to the entire iPhone 15 lineup is Apple’s new USB-C port. As we’re going to discuss further, the new phones aren’t the only things to be impacted by the change.
In Canada, the iPhone 15 starts at $1,129, the 15 Plus starts at $1,279, the 15 Pro starts at $1,449, and the 15 Pro Max starts at $1,749, a price increase compared to the 2014 lineup.
Pre-orders begin on September 15th.
USB-C changes
As previously mentioned, the new iPhone lineup features USB-C, which Apple called the “universally accepted standard.”
USB-C allows users to charge all of their Apple devices with one cable. Additionally, iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max users will also be able to instantly take and transfer videos and photos to a Mac connected over USB-C.
A step away from the Lightning port, Apple presented the idea that the switch was of its own doing. But that’s not the case. In 2022, the European Union made a ruling that all phones in the region must utilize USB-C. Instead of creating a specific device that captured the requirement for the region, Apple made the change across its device lineup.
The change has even applied to the second-generation AirPods Pro.
Watch Series 9
Apple’s Watch Series 9 is one of two watches the tech giant revealed at the event.
The Series 9 features the updated S9 chip, which contributes to better performance and an 18-hour battery life. The watch will allow Siri to process requests on the device, granted the request doesn’t require information from the internet. This will allow users to ask Siri to retrieve health information, start a workout, and several other things.
The Apple Watch Series 9 also features the new double tap gesture, allowing users to activate the primary button of an app just by tapping together their index finger and thumb twice on their watch hand.
The device starts at $549 and will be available on September 22nd.
Watch Ultra 2
Moving onto the second smartwatch Apple announced at the event, the new generation of the Watch Ultra will include all of the features the Series 9 is getting.
But Apple has also added some specific updates to speak to the sports and outdoor enthusiasts this watch is geared towards. This includes a Modular Ultra watch face to present real-time data. Now, users will know the seconds, altitude, or depth associated with their experience.
The device will launch on September 22nd for $1,099.
FineWoven + environment
FineWoven is what Apple has named a new textile that it will use instead of leather in new products. The material will appear in phone cases, AirTag holders, and watch bands.
Made out of 68 percent post-consumer recycled content, the suede-like material will appear in Magnetic Link and Modern Buckle band options.
While the new textile is a small part of Apple 2030, the tech giant’s environmental guidelines, Apple’s environmental goals were specified throughout the Wonderlust event. A large focus was put on its Watch lineup, with the company announcing the Watch Series 9 as its first carbon-neutral product.
All of our Apple fall hardware event content can be found here.
Update 14/09/2023 at 1:51pm ET: Corrected a typo in the headline.
Image credit: Apple
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