Apple event - as it happened: iPhone 15 brings new charging ports and ‘carbon neutral Apple Watch

Apple launches new Series 9 watch

Apple has launched brand new iPhones and two new Watches at its biggest event of the year.

The new iPhone 15 range has brought extra controversy this year, given the switch to a new charging port at the bottom of the phone.

Alongside those updates, Apple unveiled faster chips, better battery life and design tweaks for the higher-end, Pro versions of the phone.

In addition to the new products, Apple updated both the normal and Ultra version of the Apple Watch, both featuring new chip technology.

The AirPods also received an update to swap the Lightning charging port in the bottom for USB-C – beginning the process of getting rid of a charging technology that has been used for more than a decade in Apple’s most popular products.

The event was live streamed from Apple’s California headquarters, beginning at 10am local pacific time, 1pm eastern, or 6pm in the UK. You can catch up with all the news and announcements here.

Key Points

• Apple switches to USB-C charging for iPhone 15
• Price and release dates for the new iPhone 15 range and Apple Watches
• Watch the full event

[12 September 2023 21:30 · Anthony Cuthbertson]

Apple iPhone 15 event: Everything announced at today’s launch

At Apple’s biggest event of the year, we said hello to four new iPhones and two new Apple Watches, while also saying goodbye to leather and Lightning charging ports.

The Independent’s tech editor Andrew Griffin has a full round-up of all the biggest announcements from today’s ‘Wonderlust’ event:

[12 September 2023 10:28 · Andrew Griffin]

Hello and welcome...

... to The Independent’s live coverage of today’s Apple event, which is expected to include four new iPhones, a couple of new Watches and an AirPods update.

[12 September 2023 10:35 · Andrew Griffin]

Twitter/X launches ‘Hashflags’ for Apple event

Twitter (or X) has launched a new “hashflag” or “hashmoji” in celebration of the Apple Event. If you like a tweet that includes the #AppleEvent hashtag, then you’ll see this custom animation.

It’s not clear whether Apple has paid for this. Usually, those animations have to be commissioned from Twitter.

The two companies have long had an unusual relationship: Apple has a Twitter account, but doesn’t really post. That has become even more unusual since Elon Musk took over, with the two companies publicly fighting and former marketing boss Phil Schiller even quitting Twitter.

Some things seemingly carry on, though. Apple has had animations in the past, and still does under Elon Musk.

[12 September 2023 15:08 · Andrew Griffin]

‘See ya soon!'

Tim Cook, who usually tweets in the early morning of an Apple event, has now done so.

What does it mean? “USB-C ya soon”? Why is “Time” capitalised – for the Apple Watch? Who knows.

[12 September 2023 15:29 · Andrew Griffin]

Why this year’s iPhone could be very controversial, part 1: Ports

This year could bring controversy in a number of ways. First among them is in the ports.

Apple has been using Lightning to charge its iPhones for more than 10 years, after it was introduced with the iPhone 5 in 2012. It took over from the 30-pin dock connector, which was much larger and less smart.

Now Apple is widely rumoured to be moving to USB-C in the iPhone 15 line-up. It probably doesn’t want to – the decision has been forced in part by the European Union, which has a new rule requiring all consumer devices to have the same ports. It probably wanted to wait a couple of years and then get rid of ports altogether, instead using wireless chargers.

Last time Apple changed its charging port, it caused a huge stir, with customers complaining that all of their accessories had become defunct overnight. Some suggested it was a cynical move by Apple, looking to profit with the purchase of new cables and hardware – though that is less compelling now.

Will it cause a similar stir this time around? Probably not. Many people will already have USB-C chargers (from the iPad and MacBook, if not from elsewhere). Apple will be able to point to faster charging and data transfers.

But it doesn’t control the narrative; the world does. So we (and Apple) will have to wait and see how it is received.

[12 September 2023 15:35 · Andrew Griffin]

Why this year’s iPhone could be very controversial, part 2: Price

... the other big possible controversy is the price. iPhones often go up in price – but it could be even more dramatic this year.

Apple has recently been rumoured to be looking to push into higher-priced, even more premium devices. The first of them was the Apple Watch Ultra, last year. This year might bring the iPhone 14 Ultra, too, which if nothing else might just be a renamed iPhone Pro Max.

The plan seems to be to increase revenues by giving people even more options for spending money. It seems to have worked with the Apple Watch – which, anecdotally, I’ve seen on a lot more people’s wrists than I’d expected.

Previously, it had tried the opposite: cheaper versions of its devices, such as the iPhone Mini and Apple Watch SE. It might keep going with those, too. But it’s pushing at the other end of the price spectrum, as well.

[12 September 2023 15:40 · Andrew Griffin]

Why this year’s iPhone could be lacking excitement

Maybe it won’t be so controversial. This year’s iPhone could also be fairly lacking in excitement. (Or, of course, it could be both dull and controversial; many things are...)

Rumours suggest that there will be no major redesign; it will look mostly like the existing phone. There will be no big changes on the inside, it seems, too.

Apple has a knack for making seemingly normal things look exciting. Will it manage it this year – and how?

[12 September 2023 15:52 · Andrew Griffin]

No iPads to come today or any other time this year, report says

There’ll be no iPads at this event. That much was known. But there’ll be no new iPads this year, probably, either.

That’s according to usually reliable Apple analyst Ming-chi Kuo, on Twitter.

[12 September 2023 16:28 · Andrew Griffin]

How much will the iPhone cost – and what deals can you expect?

Here, from our colleagues over on Indy Best, is a rundown of how much the iPhone 15 might cost – and what deals might be to come.

Full article here.

[12 September 2023 16:29 · Andrew Griffin]

What’s rumoured for the iPhone?

New cameras, new processors, a sort of new design and a new port. Here’s everything that’s rumoured for the iPhone 15 (all four of them).

Full article here.