iPhone 15 will have a better camera, new processor and USB-C – 09/12/2023 – Tech

Apple announced this Tuesday (12) the iPhone 15, the company’s new line of smartphones that goes on sale this Friday (15) in the United States. The cell phones received updates to the main camera, which is now 48 MP, the processor and the connector, now USB-C.

The company showcased the products at its Wonderlust event held in Cupertino, California, which included the launch of the new generation Apple Watch.

The iPhone 15 will maintain four versions, as in previous years — iPhone 15 ($799), 15 Plus ($899), 15 Pro ($999) and 15 Pro Max ($1,199).

Apple launches are not usually global, and in recent years iPhones arrived in Brazil about a month late. At the Brazilian Apple Store, cell phones cost respectively R$7,299, R$8,299, R$9,299 and R$10,999 — but they cannot yet be purchased.

In this launch, the company doubled its focus on luxury. Apple dedicated the increases to high-end devices —iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max—, like last year. But both have now received significant improvements in finishing, with titanium, and in graphic and computational performance.

As a result, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max reached a record high and rose to US$1,199, US$100 more than last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max. In the version with 1 TB of memory, the new version costs R$ 13,999 in Brazil.

The two most expensive devices innovate in their camera set, now with 5x optical zoom, compared to 3x on the previous generation and the iPhones 15 and 15 Plus. This reduces the need for computational intervention in the images. The so-called periscopic lenses equipped on the iPhone expand the focal length with a reflection camera, without the need to increase the thickness of the device.

The new set of cameras also work better in low light, according to Apple.

In the first format adaptation for Apple’s augmented reality glasses, the new iPhones Pro will also record “spatial videos”, which can be viewed with Vision Pro.

Apple also equips the iPhones 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max with the new A17 Pro processor, built with exclusive 3 nanometer precision in the market in search of performance and also battery savings. The smartphone maker signed an exclusive contract with Taiwanese chip maker TSMC for the technology this year to maintain a competitive edge.

The finish of the high-end models changes from stainless steel vulnerable to fingerprints to the most precious titanium, which also reduces the cell phone’s weight. The screen tapers towards the edges of the new cell phones and the frosted glass back remains, with a smoother connection to the metallic elements.

Still on the Pro and Pro Max devices, the company removed the “mute” button, launched with the first iPhone in 2007, and adopted a new customizable action button. The user can connect different functions to the command, such as silencing the device, turning on the flashlight or opening the camera.

Apple’s new line now adopts the USB-C standard, even available on the latest Android smartphones. The change aims to adapt to the guidelines of the European Union regulatory body, which sanctioned Apple for adopting different format standards from the competition, such as the lightning connector. It will be the first change in the company’s device input since 2012.

The iPhones 15 and 15 Plus, in turn, will be equipped with the A16 chips, already available in the iPhones 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max. They also have a set of two rear cameras — the wide-angle one now has 48 megapixels (compared to 12 megapixels from its predecessor) and the ultra-wide angle continues with 12 megapixels.

The devices also gain the Dynamic Island interface, which expands the screen interaction area around the front camera. The feature was only present on the iPhone 14 Pro.

The iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are available in pastel shades of blue, green, red, yellow and white. The Pro and Pro Max devices have the option of a titanium finish in black, white, gray and blue tones.

The success of the technology giant’s choices for the new line of iPhones could be decisive for the performance of the electronic device manufacturer, after a year with results below expectations.

Apple has weathered the slowdown in smartphone sales better than most manufacturers. Although its cellphone shipments fell by 2% last quarter, according to IDC, the result is better than the 15% decline suffered by Samsung Electronics. The performance helped Apple increase its market share slightly.

The entire smartphone sector is down, and Apple has not been immune. Slow iPhone sales have reduced its overall revenue, which this year is expected to fall for the first time since 2019.

Last week, Apple lost almost R$1 trillion in market value in just two days, after the Chinese government announced that it would restrict public servants’ access to iPhones.

This Tuesday, the company’s shares traded on the Nasdaq index, in New York, maintained their downward trend, falling 1.71% at closing.

The iPhone is Apple’s biggest source of revenue, generating about half of its sales. With wearables (such as the Apple Watch and AirPods), this proportion reaches close to 60%.

NEW SMARTWATCHES

Apple also announced the ninth generation of the Apple Watch, with 30% more processing. The Series 9 uses the S9 chip, which promises battery life of up to 18 hours.

Additionally, the Siri virtual assistant will now work directly on the wearable, and no longer in the cloud. According to the company, this allows for simpler commands without the need for an internet connection, with faster response times.

The new generation of watches will also receive a function to find the user’s iPhone using sensors. The watch’s screen will still be twice as bright as that of the Series 8.

Apple’s new smartwatches will also allow interaction by bringing the thumb and index finger together, in a feature called “Double Tap”. The device uses machine learning to detect movement, based on changes in the user’s pulse and bloodstream.

In the current Series 9, Apple also switched from leather straps to more sustainable materials, such as “FineWoven” fabric — made with recycled nylon and polyester. According to the company, this is its first carbon-neutral product. The same change will also be applied to the Apple Watch Ultra 2, aimed at intense activities.

In the United States, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 will cost $799 and the Apple Watch Series will cost $399.

See the list of products announced by Apple this Tuesday (12)

• iPhone 15 (from R$7,299)
• iPhone 15 Plus (from R$8,299)
• iPhone 15 Pro (from R$9,299)
• iPhone 15 Pro Max (from R$10,999)
• Apple Watch Series 9 (from R$4,999)
• Apple Watch Ultra 2 (from R$9,699)