SALTZMAN: Apple unveils iPhone 15 family, latest smartwatches

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Apple has officially ditched its proprietary Lightning port in favour of the more universal USB-C — allowing iPhones, iPads, Macs and non-Apple devices to share the same charger and cable.

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The world’s biggest tech company announced the switch on Tuesday at its hyped Wonderlust press event at Apple Park in Cupertino, Calif., making the switch due to regulatory changes imposed by the European Union that require consumer electronics to adopt a standardized charging port by next year.

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While expected, this is significant as it streamlines the charging process across various devices and brands, helping consumers save money by not requiring the purchase of additional (and exclusive) cables, which should also translate to less e-waste in landfills.

Apple has already introduced USB-C charging on Macbooks and iPads, but is adding USB-C charging to its just-unveiled iPhone 15 family of smartphones.

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Yours truly was in attendance at the Steve Jobs Theater and spent some hands-on time with the new iPhone 15 devices and new Apple Watch models.

For iPhone, there are four models: The standard iPhone 15 (from $1,129) and iPhone 15 Plus models (from $1,279) at 6.1 and 6.7 inches respectively, which are the same sizes as last year’s iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models; same goes for the premium iPhone 15 Pro (6.1 inches; from $1,449) and iPhone 15 Pro Max (6.7 inches; from $1,749).

They can be ordered on Friday with availability on Sept. 22.

Here are some of the highlights:

Dynamic Island, new colours

All four models now have a Dynamic Island, which replaces the notch at the top of the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus models.

First introduced last year with iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, the Dynamic Island not only frees up a bit more screen real estate, but cleverly shows information inside this space tied to the app you have open — such as counting down when your Uber driver is arriving, seeing your flight’s gate info at an airport or what song you’re listening to — before tapping it for a deeper dive into the content. There are hundreds of first- and third-party applications for Dynamic Island.

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Speaking of appearances, the new iPhone 15 is available in pink, blue, green, white, and black. iPhone 15 Pro colours include blue, white, black and “natural” (silver).

Titanium design on Pro models

A first for iPhone, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max boast a titanium design, which adds strength and durability while being considerably lighter. This is very noticeable when picking up the iPhone 15 Pro for the first time.

Apple said this premium alloy has the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any metal — the same material used in the Mars Rover, no less — and has a brushed texture to complement the new colours.

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Action button added to Pro models

Rather than a small mute switch on the left side of the iPhone, the new iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have a multipurpose action button — similar to what’s on the left side of the Apple Watch Ultra — which lets you quickly launch something on your iPhone, such as turning on the camera, activating voice memos or enabling the flashlight. You can choose what it does.

This is a smart and versatile button that should be a welcome addition to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Too bad it’s not included in the regular iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Ultra.

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Faster processor, better cameras

As you might expect, there are upgrades to its performance and photographic capabilities.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are powered by an A17 Pro chip, Apple’s own silicon, and billed as the industry’s first three-nanometre chip (for better speeds and more efficiency, which should translate to better battery life, too.)

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The new graphics processing unit means console-like gaming visuals on an iPhone, if the demos we saw at Steve Jobs Theater are any indication.

While iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus get iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 48-megapixel camera — a trickle-down from last year’s premium devices — the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max offer even better optics with a larger sensor, five-times telephoto zoom (iPhone 15 Pro Max) or three-times telephoto zoom (iPhone 15 Pro) and the ability to switch between three popular focal lengths: 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm.

A more advanced telephoto lens means you can take more detailed images from afar and/or crop a photo and zoom in without losing much image fidelity.

New Apple Watch devices

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While iPhone tends to get all the love, Apple also introduced two new Apple Watch models: Apple Watch Series 9 and Apple Watch Ultra 2.

Along with it being Apple’s first carbon-neutral product in its commitment to greater sustainability, Apple Watch Series 9 is powered by the new S9 system in package chip, faster on-device Siri, a brighter display (for reading in direct sunlight) and a new second-gen Ultra Wideband chip for greater precision (say, in finding a misplaced iPhone 15 or a friend at a busy outdoor concert.) There are new colours (like pink) and bands with recycled materials.

My favourite feature, however, is a new “double tap” gesture. Quickly tap your forefinger and your thumb together twice and it’ll answer or hang up a call, snap a photo (via a nearby iPhone), cycle through widgets and more.

Finally, Apple Watch Ultra 2, the much chunkier model meant for outdoor adventurers, also has the same features as Apple Watch Series 9, but with greater brightness, expanded altitude range, advanced capabilities for water sports and some custom watch-face options — yet maintaining the same 36-hour estimated battery life (and up to 72 hours in low-power mode.)

The new Apple Watch Series 9 (from $549) and Apple Watch Ultra 2 ($1,099) can be ordered now with availability starting Sept. 22.

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