Apple unveiled its new iPhone lineup on Tuesday, replacing its proprietary Lightning charger ports with a universal charger after a tussle with the European Union, and announcing that for the first time, it will start selling made-in-India iPhones alongside those manufactured at its main hub, China.
The company also announced its first carbon-neutral products, and said that by 2030, all devices will have a zero-carbon impact.
Apple began iPhone 15 production at supplier Foxconn Technology Group’s factory in Tamil Nadu last month.
The event at Apple’s Cupertino, California, headquarters comes amid a global smartphone slump and lingering economic uncertainty, especially in China, Apple’s third-largest market.
The focus on Tuesday, however, was on the new devices unveiled on Tuesday: Apple Watch and iPhone.
The company brought the USB-C connector to the phone and the pill-shaped dynamic island display cut-out seen in the iPhone 14 Pro to the base iPhone version, the iPhone 15. The phone also features a new camera system with a main 48-megapixel lens, a big upgrade from the 12-megapixel sensor used on the non-Pro iPhones last year. The company also introduced a new roadside assistance via satellite.
For its flagship Pro models, the company will now use titanium as the material for the build, in place of stainless steel and introduced a new chip.
The new Pro features an upgraded camera system that it said has better low-light, high-resolution performance, and a new 5x telephoto lens.
Together, the three camera lenses allow for seven different focal lengths, the company said.
The new version of its smartwatch, Watch 9, features a chip that includes a new neural engine – allowing new artificial intelligence-based functions — such as interacting more naturally with voice commands.
The Watch also adds a new, one-handed gesture: people can double tap their index finger and thumb together for activities such as hanging up or answering a call, allowing for people to use the device without having to use their other hand.
At the event, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that by 2030, all Apple devices will have a net zero impact, and the company said the new aluminium Apple Watch is the company’s first carbon-neutral product – a move that involves dumping leather straps for a new material it called “finewoven”.
It also launched a new version of its flagship Watch, the Ultra with a brighter display than the Watch 9, and said it too was a carbon-neutral product.htc
