The base model, the iPhone 15, will come onto the market starting at $800, the same price as the iPhone 14 introduced a year ago. (Photo: Getty Images)
San Francisco – Apple has finally given in: the Californian giant has integrated the “USB-C” universal charging port in its new iPhone range presented on Tuesday, a year before it was obliged to do so by a European law that it is challenging for a long time.
“USB-C has become the widely accepted standard,” acknowledged Kaiann Drance, vice president of the California group, during the annual marketing event organized three months before the year-end holidays.
The universal connector isn’t the kind of technological innovation Apple likes to encourage, but Brussels has required electronics makers to equip all new smartphones, tablets and cameras with a USB-C port by the end of 2024.
“Now that same cable can charge your Mac [ordinateur]Your iPad [tablette], your iPhone and even your second generation AirPods Pro (wireless earbuds),” Kaiann Drance added. “If the battery on your AirPods or Apple Watch is too low [montre]you can charge them directly from your iPhone.
Apple brand executives introduced four new iPhones on Tuesday, which, like every year, have brighter screens, more sophisticated lenses and more advanced computer chips.
The base model, the iPhone 15, will be sold starting at $800, the same price as the iPhone 14 introduced a year ago. The most expensive professional model, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, will cost at least $1,200, or $100. dollars more than its counterpart in the previous series.
“Common sense”
The wider integration of the USB-C port represents a small revolution for Apple’s product and service ecosystem, which is difficult to integrate with other systems. Even if some of the brand’s computers already had this socket.
Two years ago, when the European text was being debated, the American company tried to fight back, arguing that its “Lightning” technology already equipped more than a billion devices around the world and that the new regulation would “stifle innovation.” , or even “harm consumers.”
For the European Union, on the other hand, it is about making their lives easier and reducing the amount of electronic waste generated by outdated chargers.
“The common charger is common sense and it is within reach,” welcomed EU Commissioner Thierry Breton in a statement sent to AFP on Tuesday. The measure is expected to save European consumers €250 million each year.
During this year’s “Wonderlust” presentation, a portmanteau that combines “wanting to travel” and “wondering,” Apple executives focused on reviewing the new tech features of their devices, following a disappointing quarter in iPhone sales.
The iPhone 15, for example, has “a ceramic shell that is water and dust repellent,” praised Kaiann Drance. “It retains its value longer than any other smartphone,” she said.
“Magical”
From April to June, Apple reported its third consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue decline (-1.4%) to $81.8 billion.
The reason for this is a 2.4% decline in sales for the flagship iPhone product.
The new phone “will give Apple new momentum as the holiday season approaches,” Wedbush’s Dan Ives responded Tuesday.
According to the analyst, the brand can count on a base of loyal users willing to purchase a newer model. “We estimate that about 25% of the 1.2 billion people who own an iPhone have not updated their phone in four years,” he noted.
He further believes that the price increase of the Professional series is justified by “the more advanced technology, the new A17 chip and the better battery”.
The first half of the presentation was dedicated to new watches, including the Apple Watch Series 9, the group’s “first carbon-neutral product,” said Lisa Jackson, vice president of environment at the company.
Starting at $400 later this month, it completes tasks faster than previous models, allowing users to answer calls or play music by simply double-tapping their index finger on their thumb.
“It’s going to be one of those magical everyday experiences,” promised Jeff Williams, the Cupertino company’s chief operating officer.