Apple announced its new slate of devices at its Wonderlust event on Sept. 12. It didn't offer many hardware surprises; we still got the new iPhone 15 series, the Apple Watch Series 9, and the Apple Watch Ultra 2, along with mostly iterative updates when compared to the last generation devices. However, there was a boatload of feature announcements, along with a couple hardware changes that were able to make this a more exciting event.
1 USB Type-C for the iPhone 15 series and AirPods Pro 2nd Gen
The time has finally come. Apple has finally done away with its proprietary Lightning port. Every phone in the iPhone 15 series will come with a USB Type-C port that's USB 3.0 compatible, thereby promising a theoretical transfer speed of 10Gbps, which you can unlock only if you buy a separate USB 3.0 cable (otherwise, you'll get 2.0 speeds).
Apple is also bringing USB-C charging to the AirPods Pro 2 For those who still prefer wired earphones, the Apple EarPods will also come with a USB Type-C port. With this big change, Apple has now caught up to much of the tech industry with a more universal charging experience, ensuring you don't have to worry about extra cables.
2 Second-generation ultra-wideband chip
Apple Watch Series 9 and Watch Ultra 2 come with a new S9 processor, which also features a second-generation ultra-wideband chip. What this means for you is that it'll be easier to locate lost items when they are close to the iPhone. Specifically, Apple unveiled the all-new Precision Finding with the iPhone 15 series that now provides a visual, haptic, and audio way to find your lost items. It's like a game of "hot or cold" but with your Apple Watch.
Apart from providing help in finding the iPhone 15, which comes with the same ultra-wideband chip, it also allows the Series 9 and Ultra 2 to interact with devices such as the HomePod. When you are within four meters of a HomePod, and if it isn't playing anything, the Smart Stack on your watch will show media suggestions. If something is already playing on the HomePod, it'll launch Now Playing for controlling media.
3 Double tap gesture
The new feature that got the most cheer during the keynote was the double tap gesture for the Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Tapping twice using just the index finger and the thumb on the watch-wearing hand will now let you perform a lot of the common actions on the Apple Watch. It controls the primary button on the Apple Watch, which lets you play or pause music; answer, end, or silence calls; start or stop timers; and even take a photo with the Camera Remote app. You can even use it to navigate the Smart Stack.
According to Apple, this gesture feature has been made possible thanks to the faster Neural Engine on the S9 chip, which can process data from the various sensors using an improved machine learning algorithm to notice wrist movements and changes in blood flow. Unfortunately, the feature won't be available for launch, but Apple said it'll hit watches in October.
4 Roadside Assistance via satellite
Apple has partnered with the American Automobile Association (AAA) to provide a new feature on iPhone 15 and 14 phones running iOS 17 called Roadside Assistance via satellite. If you're lost in an area without any Wi-Fi or cellular reception, you can activate the roadside assistance interface to connect you to a satellite. Your location information will be shared with Apple and the nearest roadside assistance provider temporarily until help arrives. You'll get five prompts, including Locked Out and Flat Tire, to help specify what kind of assistance you need.
Do note that you need to have a clear view of the sky for the feature to work properly. Make sure you aren't under heavy foliage or surrounded by other obstructions. U.S.-based users who are already members of AAA will receive a two-year free membership to this service. This will only be available on a pay-per-use basis for non-AAA members.
5 Action button replaces the mute switch
The iPhone 15 series already has a new titanium finish and USB-C port, but there's another visual difference: a new Action button. Instead of the mute switch, which has been available on iPhones since its original launch, the Action button offers more customization.
By default, it'll work like a mute switch. But you can switch between multiple actions, including recording voice memos, activating the camera, turning on the flashlight, activating an accessibility feature, activating Shortcuts, and more. Press and hold the button to confirm the mode, and there’s even distinct haptic feedback for each state, so you can do this blindly. Expect third-party app integrations for the Action button soon, too.
6 Dynamic Island on the non-Pro iPhone models
One of the key differentiators in the iPhone 14 Pro series was the presence of the pill-shaped Dynamic Island in place of the notch. But this generation, all iPhone 15 buyers will get that full functionality. This provides users with an interesting way to keep updated with live sports scores, the status of ride-hailing services, the status of flights, directions, controlling music, recording Voice Memos, and many more third-party app integrations right on the display.
7 Apple is going in on gaming with the iPhone 15 Pros
Apple went all out to present the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max as the ultimate smartphones for gaming enthusiasts. While dissecting the new A17 Pro chip that powers the iPhone 15 Pro series, Apple announced features such as upscaling and hardware-accelerated ray tracing. Ray tracing is a graphics rendering technology that ensures more realistic lighting, which can make games look more realistic.
While showing a demo of software-based ray tracing alongside hardware-accelerated ray tracing, Apple promised a smooth 30FPS gaming experience with high-end games. Apple doubled down on its gaming promises even more by announcing that AAA titles such as Resident Evil Village, Resident Evil 4 Remake, Death Stranding, and Assassin’s Creed Mirage would soon be coming to the iPhone 15 Pro.
8 A tetraprism camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max
The only things separating the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max models were their sizes and battery. With the iPhone 15 Pro series, Apple has added another standout feature: a 5x optical zoom for the iPhone 15 Pro Max (120mm focal length equivalent) as compared to 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro (77mm focal length equivalent).
Apple was able to fit this larger lens in the compact body of the iPhone 15 Pro by using what's called a tetraprism camera, where the light path is reflected four times so that it can travel longer before hitting the sensor. Generally, the higher the optical zoom, the more space is needed to house the lenses, and using tetraprism to bend the light is Apple’s way of addressing the issue. Apple has also added a specially-designed image stabilization system since you need to be extra steady to shoot sharp photos at higher focal lengths. This makes the iPhone 15 Pro one of the most versatile camera systems Apple has made to date.
9 Spatial video shooting mode
The Apple Vision Pro was the standout announcement from Apple's last event, so to ensure it got more screen time at the Wonderlust event, the company announced a unique feature when discussing the cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro. You can use the 48MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide camera together to shoot three-dimensional spatial video that can be viewed on the Apple Vision Pro.
Apple didn’t go into too much detail about this mode, how it’s activated, or whether its output can only be viewed exclusively on the Vision Pro. This feature will be coming to the Phone 15 Pro models later this year, but you will only be able to see the outcome when the Vision Pro launches early next year.
10 Log profile and ACES support on iPhone 15 Pro/15 Pro Max
The iPhone Pro series offers the best mobile video camera experience, but Apple wants to make an even stronger case for professional videographers with its newest slate. For starters, thanks to the USB Type-C port, you can shoot log-encoded Apple ProRes videos at 4K60 and save the output directly to an external storage device. This could potentially be a huge relief since ProRes files can take up a lot of space. Then, professionals can color grade the log-encoded video in post-production to get the look they are trying to achieve.
Apple also announced support for the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), a first for a smartphone. ACES is an industry standard for managing color from capturing images, editing, mastering, VFX, and every other aspect of film or television production. For amateur filmmakers, these features are compelling.
Maybe we can expect more next year
As we stated earlier, Apple didn't have a lot of innovation to show this year, but the iPhone 15 series and its new Apple Watches still pack some interesting new features. Plus, its dedication to gaming and shooting video shows the company is working to make strides in previously forgotten areas. Here's hoping to more exciting features next year.