The iPhone 15 Pro Max, however, represents the exception, with a purchase price starting at $1,749, or $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max when it was launched last year. In our photo, Tim Cook, CEO of Apple. (Photo: Getty Images Archive)
From the new iPhones to a first carbon-neutral product, several new products stood out Tuesday during Apple’s back-to-school event. Here they are.
The new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a titanium case. (Photo: Apple)
1. A first carbon neutral product
Thanks to a series of improvements in materials, energy used during their production and transport, the new Apple Watch Series 9, SE and Ultra 2 will be carbon neutral, Apple announced Tuesday during a conference press broadcast online.
For example, the Apple Watch Series 9 will use several recycled materials, including aluminum, gold, tin, copper and tungsten. Its battery, like that of the new iPhones, will also be made of 100% recycled cobalt.
Apple’s carbon-neutral products will now be accompanied by a new logo. (Photo: Apple)
“Our efforts to reduce emissions result in a 78% reduction in carbon footprint. The small amount of emissions that remain are offset by carbon credits,” explains Lisa Jackson, vice president of the company’s environmental efforts.
This is only the beginning for Apple, which plans that all of its products will be carbon neutral by 2030.
2. A new gesture for the Apple Watch
It will now be easier to use the Apple Watch with one hand, thanks to the Double Touch functionality, where tapping your thumb and index finger twice allows you to perform an action on the Apple Watch.
The Apple Watch Series 9 smartwatch (Photo: Apple)
The feature, which will be reserved for new watches, will not require additional work for developers. Note that the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2 and Apple Watch SE will be launched on September 22, but that the Double Touch functionality will only be activated in October.
3. Titanium arrives in iPhone Pros
Apple unveiled four new phones on Tuesday, the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. For the first time, the two Pro models will feature a titanium case. Not only will the new iPhones be lighter than their steel predecessors, but they will also be a little smaller, while maintaining the same screen size.
“This is the same alloy that is used on the Mars Rover,” said materials science engineer Isabel Yang during the presentation.
The new iPhones will be launched in Canada on September 22.
4. The Lightning port bows out
The Lightning port has been replaced by a USB-C port on the new iPhones and AirPods Pro 2 headphones. (Photo: Apple)
More than ten years after its launch, the Lightning port is bowing out. The company’s new iPhones will in fact be equipped with a USB-C port, which already equips Macs, certain iPad models and all Android phones.
The new port will offer certain advantages, such as greater transfer speed (provided you have a USB 3.0 cable, sold separately) and charging of accessories (an iPhone with USB-C will be able to charge AirPods headphones, for example) . Remember that Europe had somewhat forced Apple’s hand here, by requiring the adoption of the USB-C port for all phones before the end of 2024.
5. iPhone 15 Pro will have a customizable button
The button on the side of the iPhone that activates the phone’s silent mode has been replaced by a customizable button on the iPhone 15 Pro. This can, for example, start a new voice note, open the camera or activate the flashlight.
6. A first 3 nanometer chip
The A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro is the first in the industry to use 3 nanometer engraving, according to Apple. Its 19 billion transistors are as large as just 12 silicon atoms.
The new process allows Apple to improve the efficiency and power of its system-on-chip, most of which has been upgraded.
The biggest changes are linked to the graphics core, up to 20% more powerful than last year. The graphics core is also now compatible with ray tracing, a technology used in particular in video games to improve the realism of lighting in 3D scenes.
7. Video games for console, on the iPhone
The new power of the iPhone 15 Pro has also allowed Apple to announce the arrival of several video games previously reserved for consoles or powerful computers, such as Assassin’s Creed Mirage from Ubisoft, Resident Evil Village from Capcom and Death Stranding from Kojima Productions.
Such announcements could notably be a precursor to what Apple is preparing for the launch of its Apple Vision Pro virtual reality headset next year. If a title can be adapted for the iPhone, it can probably be adapted for the Apple Vision Pro, which would make the headset a good platform for video games.
8. Improved portrait mode
The four new iPhones will be entitled to an improved portrait mode, which Apple promises to be more effective in the dark. The iPhone camera will also automatically detect the presence of a subject – human or animal – and will record by default information related to the depth of the shot. A portrait can therefore be created after taking the photo, even if the mode had not been activated.
9. A more professional camera for the iPhone 15 Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro will be easier to use than its predecessors in a professional studio. (Photo: Apple)
The numerous improvements made to the iPhone 15 Pro camera (including better lenses and better sensors), certain new features of the A17 Pro chip and the arrival of the USB-C port will allow professional photographers and videographers to use the iPhone 15 Pro like a traditional camera.
The heaviest video streams (such as a film shot in ProRes 4K at 60 frames per second) can, for example, be recorded in real time on a computer or an external hard drive, which will allow you to film long scenes without filling your phone with ‘one shot.
10. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost more
Most iPhones received a modest price increase from last year’s launch price of just $30 to $50. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, however, represents the exception, with a purchase price starting at $1,749, or $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max when it was launched last year. The cheapest 2023 model, however, now has 256 GB of space, compared to 128 GB for the 2022 model.
It remains to be seen whether other iPhones will follow the trend next year.
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