Innovation, Story, and Climate!
That is what Apple Event September 2023 was all about. Apple launched the long-awaited Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Ultra 2, the iPhone 15 Series, and more. This year’s Apple Event wasn’t all about innovation but how Apple has transformed its manufacturing process towards a greener and safer climate.
Let’s uncover everything we learned from the Apple Event Wonderlust 2023.
Table of Contents
Apple Watch Series 9
The first launch of the event was the Apple Watch Series 9. Fitted with the new S9 chip, it is the most powerful Apple Watch ever introduced. How?
Well, the CPU features 5.6B transistors which is 60 percent more than Series 8, and a four-core neutral engine. Similarly, the GPU is about 30% faster than the previous generations.
Although there haven’t been many changes in the design and interface, for the first time on Apple Watch, Siri requests can be processed on the device. So now you can ask questions related to your health or upcoming tasks or what was your heartbeat during the last workout. Another example can be where you are working out and don’t have an iPhone on but need to set a 1-minute timer, you can do it without internet or Wi-Fi.
Other than these, the device has 2000 nits brightness which is again more than double what you will find in Series 8. It should be much easier to see what’s happening on the screen on a sunny day now, even when you are wearing sunglasses.
Series 9 also features the second-gen ultra wideband chip, enabling precision finding for iPhones making it much easier to locate.
The highlight of this Apple Watch is the newly introduced double-tap feature. Simply use your index finger and thumb to make a double tap for gestures such as picking up a call or snoozing your alarm. Brilliant, right?
This reminds us of the Vision Pro which featured a similar gesture control. It is good to see that these features are now making their way to other Apple products.
The Apple Watch Series 9 will be available in Aluminum (pink, starlight, silver, midnight, red) and platinum (gold, silver, and graphite). It is available to order from 22nd September starting from $399.
Apple Watch Ultra 2
We have another Apple Watch introduced at the event. An upgrade to the earlier Ultra series powered by S9 SiP chip, as seen in the new Series 9.
With this new chip, you can use the new double-tap gesture anytime your hands are full. Additionally, Ultra 2 brings a massive 3000 nits brightness to the display. The display also comes with the new Watchface called Modular Ultra. It uses the outermost edge of the display to show altitude, depth, seconds, and more. People who are into performance sports and like going on adventure trips will find these updates useful in tough conditions. Ultra was always a niche product.
Furthermore, the Night mode uses an ambient light sensor that is activated automatically in the dark. But the major aspect that will be later available for upgrade from 18th September is the WatchOS 10.
WatchOS 10 brings some new features such as redesigned app icons, cycling options, new watch faces and widgets, and much more. With the Apple Watch Ultra 2, you get 36 hours of battery life and 72 hours in the power mode, which is exactly the same as the previous model. No change there.
You can preorder your Watch starting from $799 while the shipping begins on 22nd September for all.
iPhone 15 and 15 Plus
Just like last year, Apple launched four iPhones namely 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. So what changed, or not? Let’s take a look under the hood.
The two new models come with the much-awaited USB-C port. Everyone has been waiting for this transition for years now, and it’s finally here. If you are thinking too little too late, you won’t be wrong, and here’s something you don’t know. iPhone 15 and 15 Plus comes with USBC 2.0 while the Pro models come with 3.0 which means faster data transfer speeds. However, Apple will ship the same cable with all iPhones.
Side Note: AirPods Pro 2nd gen has been updated to support USBC too so you can charge all Apple devices using the same cable now.
Speaking of iPhone 15 and 15 Plus, it comes with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch, respectively. What has not changed is the same 60Hz display. Apple could have added at least a 90Hz display at this point.
Apple has now added Dynamic Island on all the models of the new iPhone 15 model. Furthermore, the iPhone 15 comes with an OLED Super Retina display and features 2000 nits of peak brightness, which is double what you have in the iPhone 14. Again, this should address any and all issues users had while using the iPhone outside.
Let’s talk about the camera which is why most of you are here. It comes with a 48MP main camera with 100 percent focus pixels and f1.6 aperture. While even the base models come with 48MP cameras, don’t confuse them with the Pro models that come with advanced features like ProRes.
Also, new improvements have been added to the Portrait mode. For example, it will automatically switch to portrait mode if it detects your dog or maybe your kitten.
Similar to the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2, the iPhone 15 features the 2nd-Gen ultra wideband chip to improve connectivity to other devices.
The new iPhone 15 model comes with an A16 Bionic chip, which we already have seen in the 14 Pro Max model. To add more to its list of features, the iPhone 15 will use advanced machine learning to filter out your voice while you are on a call using the Voice Isolation feature. That means background noise will be removed or suppressed leading to clearer calls when you are traveling or in noisy environments in general. But you have to select ‘voice isolation’ while on call to activate it.
iPhone 15 starts at $799 for 128GB, while iPhone 15 Plus starts at $899 for the 128GB version. You can also trade off older iPhones for up to $800 off.
iPhone Pro and Pro Max
The most pro-iPhone we’ve ever created – Tim Cook.
iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are the new ‘high-end smartphones’ Apple introduced at their event. iPhone 15 Pro models are made of titanium. To the uninitiated, that’s what the Apple logo in the prelude to the event was referring to.
Gamers can rejoice because, for the first time, you can play PC-level games like Resident Evil and Assassins Creed on iPhone models. We can’t wait to carry Assassins Creed with us everywhere in our pockets!
The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, respectively. It comes with the new A17 Pro chip.
The biggest and undoubtedly the best design change is the new Action Button. You can long press the button to customize it for a camera, flashlight, and more. We don’t know yet if it supports double and triple presses though because if it does, you can use it to do multiple things.
Note: The Action Button is only available on the Pro models so the base models still have the mute switch.
Another addition is the Super Retina XDR displays with ProMotion. Both the models come with always-on display and the brand new Stand-By mode.
Coming to Camera, both the Pro models come with a 48MP main camera with improved low-light performance. Apple gives you the option to change your default lens and select multiple focal lengths, such as 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. As an iPhone user, you will love the 5X Optical Zoom and can now take full-resolution HEIF photos.
Furthermore, you can capture 4K60 ProRes video on your iPhones and even shoot it directly to an external device using a USB-C cable. Another important part of these Pro models is that with the help of USB-C, you can now send photos and videos at a much faster transfer rate of 10Gbps. This is useful if you are a professional photographer or YouTuber.
The Pro and Pro Max models come in white, black, blue, and other natural colors. Pro starts at $999, while Pro Max starts at $1,199 for 256GB versions.
Apple’s Contribution Towards Carbon Neutrality
Apple plans to be carbon neutral by 2030 across all its businesses.
In the middle of the Apple Event Wanderlust, the tech giant rolled out a small skit where they spoke all about their Environmental goals and corporate responsibilities towards climate change. Storytelling took center stage here and everyone played their part. It was cool.
Apple is looking to eliminate all its plastic packaging at the end of this year, which is a big step towards environmental preservation.
Apple Watch Series 9 is made of recycled Aluminum, recycled gold, tin, and copper, along with recycled cobalt in their battery. Similarly, the sport band is also 80% recycled. To add more, all Apple Watch manufacturing is 100% clean electricity, where there will be a 78 percent decrease in the carbon footprint of Apple Watches, and the remaining will be covered by planting more trees.
As of today, Apple says they no longer use leather in their bands or any product. Instead, we now get a new FineWoven material made of 68 percent post-consumer recycled material.
Similarly, the Nike bands have colorful flakes of recycled material, while the Sport Loop has repurposed yarn.
Moving over to Ultra 2, when paired with Alpine Loop or Trail Loop, Apple says it makes them carbon neutral. Additionally, the Apple Watch SE paired with Sport Loop is also carbon neutral from hereon.
Apple Event 2023
So, that is all from the Apple Event this year with new iPhone 15 models, Apple Watch, and the most awaited USB-C connectivity. Apple has made some bold claims for their new models that are yet to be tested out and see if they fit the bill and hit the masses.
