One exception, however, is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, whose purchase price starts at $1,749, $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max when it 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 at Apple’s back-to-school event on Tuesday. Here you are.
The new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a titanium body. (Photo: Apple)
1. A first climate-neutral product
Thanks to a series of improvements in materials, energy consumption during manufacturing and transportation, the new Apple Watch Series 9, SE and Ultra 2 will be carbon neutral, Apple announced Tuesday during a press conference broadcast online.
For example, the Apple Watch Series 9 will use several recycled materials, including aluminum, gold, tin, copper and tungsten. Like that of the new iPhones, its battery will also be made from 100% recycled cobalt.
Apple’s carbon-neutral products are now accompanied by a new logo. (Photo: Apple)
“Our emissions reduction efforts result in a 78% reduction in carbon footprint. The small remaining emissions are offset by carbon credits,” explains Lisa Jackson, the company’s vice president of environmental efforts.
This is just the beginning for Apple, which plans to make all of its products carbon neutral by 2030.
2. A new gesture for Apple Watch
It’s now easier to use Apple Watch with one hand thanks to the Double Touch feature, which allows you to perform an action on Apple Watch by double-tapping your thumb and index finger.
The Apple Watch Series 9 Smartwatch (Photo: Apple)
The function, which is reserved for new watches, does not require any additional effort from the developers. Note that the Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch SE will launch on September 22nd, but Double Touch functionality won’t be enabled until October.
3. Titanium comes in iPhone Pros
Apple introduced four new phones on Tuesday: the iPhone 15, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max. For the first time, the two Pro models will have a titanium housing. The new iPhones will not only be lighter than their steel predecessors, but also slightly smaller, while maintaining the same screen size.
“This is the same alloy used in the Mars Rover,” materials scientist Isabel Yang said during the presentation.
The new iPhones will launch in Canada on September 22nd.
4. The Lightning connector is bent out
The Lightning port has been replaced with a USB-C port on the new iPhones and AirPods Pro 2 headphones. (Photo: Apple)
More than ten years after its introduction, the Lightning port is saying goodbye. In fact, the company’s new iPhones will come with a USB-C port, which Macs, certain iPad models and all Android phones already come with.
The new connection offers certain advantages, such as: B. faster transfer speeds (assuming you have a separately sold USB 3.0 cable) and charging accessories (an iPhone with USB-C can charge AirPods headphones, for example). Remember that Europe has somewhat forced Apple to act here by requiring the introduction of the USB-C port on all phones before the end of 2024.
5. iPhone 15 Pro has a customizable button
The button on the side of the iPhone that activates the phone’s silent mode has been replaced with a customizable button on the iPhone 15 Pro. This could be, for example, starting a new voice memo, opening the camera or activating the flashlight.
6. A first 3-nanometer chip
According to Apple, the A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro is the first in the industry to use 3-nanometer engraving. Its 19 billion transistors are the size of just 12 silicon atoms.
The new process allows Apple to improve the efficiency and performance of its system-on-chip, which has largely been updated.
The biggest changes relate to the graphics core, which is up to 20% more powerful than last year. The graphics core is now also compatible with ray tracing, a technology used particularly in video games to make lighting in 3D scenes more realistic.
7. Video games for console, on iPhone
The new power of the iPhone 15 Pro has also allowed Apple to announce the launch 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.
In particular, such announcements could be a harbinger of 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 also be adapted for the Apple Vision Pro, which would make the headset a good platform for video gaming.
8. Improved portrait mode
The four new iPhones will be eligible for an improved Portrait mode, which Apple promises will be more effective in the dark. The iPhone camera also automatically detects the presence of a subject – human or animal – and records recording depth information by default. This means that a portrait can be created after taking the photo, even if the mode has not been activated.
9. A more professional camera for the iPhone 15 Pro
The iPhone 15 Pro will be easier to use in a professional studio than its predecessors. (Photo: Apple)
The numerous improvements to the iPhone 15 Pro camera (including better lenses and better sensors), certain new features of the A17 Pro chip and the introduction of the USB-C port will allow professional photographers and videographers to use the iPhone 15 Pro like one to use traditional camera.
For example, the largest video streams (such as a movie shot in ProRes 4K at 60 frames per second) can be recorded in real time to a computer or external hard drive, allowing 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 small price increase over last year’s launch price of just $30 to $50. One exception, however, is the iPhone 15 Pro Max, whose purchase price starts at $1,749, $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max when it was introduced last year. However, the cheapest 2023 model now has 256 GB of storage, compared to 128 GB for the 2022 model.
It remains to be seen whether more iPhones will follow the trend next year.
Read Maxime Johnson and his blind spot-free techno column here every week:
