On September 12, 2023, Apple held its annual event, where they released new products, including the new iPhone and Apple Watch for that year. This year, the products were not huge updates to their lineup, but they still offered many new updates for users to enjoy. 

Starting with the new Apple Watches. Apple released the new Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. The Apple Watch Series 9 brought very few updates to the lineup, but one of the most notable changes is that it is Apple’s first carbon-neutral product to ship, meaning that Apple does not release any carbon making that product. This is truly a breakthrough because it is much better for the planet now that it is carbon-neutral. They also released a series of carbon-neutral watch bands to go with it, making the entire watch better for the environment. One of the new features that was released is called Double Tap. This feature allows the user to just use one hand to control their watch, in case the user has their other hand preoccupied. Another feature that was released comes with a new ultrawideband in the watch, allowing users to precisely find their iPhone using their watch. Another device that was released was the Apple Watch Ultra 2. This brought hardly any new features that weren’t on the previous watch but still included the new features introduced in the Series 9. Both watches, however, were upgraded with a new chip, which was 30 percent faster than the previous version, allowing both watches to increase their max brightness to 2000 nits on the Series 9, and 3000 nits on the Ultra. The Series 9 will start at $399 and the Ultra 2 will start at $799, the same prices from last year. 

Unlike the Apple Watch, the iPhone brought a few more features to the lineup. The standard iPhone 15 and 15 Plus were upgraded to the same A16 chip from last year’s iPhone 14 Pro, so a very powerful chip. It also was given Dynamic Island, a feature that was exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro and was very liked among users from last year, so this is a refreshing upgrade and will probably be enjoyed among the users of the entry-level iPhone. Next were the pro phones, which offered a little bit more to people who need the most from their phones. This phone brought a new camera to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, resulting in a lens that replicates a telescoping lens, so users can take super zoom pictures. A new action button was also added to both Pro phones. This feature is in the place of the mute switch and can be mapped to many different functions, including opening the camera app. Also, all four of the iPhones were upgraded to USB-C instead of the old lightning port from all the previous phones. This will lead to increased charging speed and increased data transfer. The iPhone 15 will cost $799, the 15 Plus will be $899, the 15 Pro will be $999, and the 15 Pro Max will be $1199.

All of the new products that Apple released, while they weren’t very major updates, still provided some new features for people who are looking for a new device this year!