Apple announces next-gen product lineup

The day every Apple enthusiast raves about is here, again. Apple revealed their range of new products for the 2023 season this morning in Cupertino, California, including the brand new iPhone 15 models.

The most groundbreaking change with these new products is the switch in charging ports, from the lighting cable to the now more universal USB-C cable.

This feature marks the biggest change to the iPhone’s design in 11 years, the last time Apple switched to lightning cables in 2012 with the iPhone 5.

The introduction of the USB-C port in new iPhones comes after the European Union voted to require smartphones, tablets and other devices to support USB-C charging by 2024. If Apple did not comply with this law, they would not be able to sell in Europe, which would contribute to a major loss in sales.

The EU’s decision is part of a greater effort to tackle e-waste and reduce technology companies’ carbon footprint, but it could generate more waste overall as people throw out their Lightning cables when they upgrade devices

Other prominent upgrades that Apple mentioned with the new iPhone includes a better camera, brand new emergency SOS features, and a tougher titanium material that will wrap the two iPhone 15 Pro models substituting the aluminum that is currently used,

The base iPhone 15 will cost $799 and the larger iPhone 15 Plus will cost $899. The iPhone 15 Pro will start at its same price as last year, $999. And the iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost $1,199, which is a price increase, but users will get a storage bump of 256 gigabytes.

Users can preorder the new phones this Friday and they will be available Sept. 22.

For Annenberg Media, I’m Grayson Salomon