David Hernandez, a USC freshman and American studies major, considers himself an Apple connoisseur. Even with an “Apple Ecosystem” that he said consists of an iMac, iPad, MacBook and Apple Watch, he still conceded that the yearly product releases don’t add very much.
“Most of the updates have been very minimal,” said Hernandez, adding how what Apple added this year is not much different from previous years, a feeling shared with multiple USC students.
On Tuesday, Apple revealed its next generation of Apple devices for this year, including multiple variations of the iPhone 15 — like the titanium-finished iPhone 15 Pro Max. Other devices included a new set of AirPods with USB-C connectors, the Apple Watch Series 9, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 and more.
While Apple has recently experienced a drop in sales, USC students were still left wanting more after the announcement.
“I know they release one [iPhone] every year, but its changes are so small,” said USC junior and business administration major Delane Ly.
An online showcase of Apple’s newest products unveiled a number of facts and advertisements. They aim to be carbon neutral, recycle previous devices and lower their carbon dioxide emissions from here on out.
But what many were interested in was the improvement of the iPhone 15′s camera, arguably the biggest selling point along with its growth in performance. With developments to both, a new charging port is replacing the previous lightning cable charger with one that is USB-C.
“It’s nothing new,” said Val Sancen, another junior at USC. “I feel like there’s no drive to [updates] like other years. There would be things that would drive it: like the changes in color [and] the different amount of cameras they had. And so now, for example, the charger port is changing, but who wants that?”
To some, the charger port’s change to USB-C is not a purposeful thing, just a major change from the previous year’s iPhone that’s a pain.
“Now you have to have a different charger,” Sancen said. “If anything, it’s an inconvenience because now you have to find people who have that charger.”
Elijah Avery, an intern research student at USC’s biomedical engineering school, said he has a lot of devices that use USB-C but has to carry multiple different chargers on him at all times.
“I have an older version, like the micro USB, the USB-C, and now this lightning charger, which only works with iPhone stuff,” Avery said. “Even my MacBook has a different charger. It’s a big pain in the butt.”
Spending what he rounded to almost $700 dollars for his current phone, Avery believes there’s a better way than making a switch to the newest iPhone, known for its newest charging port.
“I’ll just buy a dongle for $14 rather than pay $600 for a brand-new phone,” he said.
Outside of the charging aspect, the design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max caught Sancen’s eye.
“The new titanium design for the [iPhone Pro Max] might be a cute aesthetic or trend people might try to follow. But at the same time, it’s very simplistic,” Sancen said. “It’s kind of backward. You would think it’d be something more innovative, but I feel like it’s so simple that it can kind of go either way.”
Apple’s lack of innovation when it comes to their phones could be the reason for Apple’s decline in sales, according to Ly.
“Samsung came up with the folding phone. I don’t see Apple doing that anytime soon,” Ly said. “It does the basics, but I don’t see them moving forward in being super innovative.”