On September 12th, 2023, Apple,the biggest tech company in the world, showcased their event titled “Wonderlust”. In this hour-long presentation came four new iPhones: the 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max.
With new phones come new and long-awaited features, starting with a 6.1 inch display for the iPhone 15. While the new and old iPhone’s have small differences, a closer look reveals a new step for the phone series. The dynamic island that was previously only available on the 14 pro phones, the back camera now on the same level as the pros, and the new exciting pastel colors.
Though the biggest difference to the new iPhone would arguably be the switch from a lightning to a USB-c charging cable. The previous lightning connector was created for Apple products in 2012, but the USB-c has now become a universal charging cable for products like PC, phones, tablets and other contemporary objects like speakers, cameras, and tvs. This makes it an easier and more sustainable technological lifestyle. In favor of reducing e-waste, California, where the iPhone is produced, has decided to follow Europe’s lead and has passed a bill requiring all electronic devices to use USB-c charging by 2026
As of April 2023, 87% of teenagers in America own iPhones. Part of this statistic, Aminatu Barry, a junior at Oakdale, and Samantha Makwara, a freshman at Oakdale, both have a lot to say about the news.
Barry, who currently has the iPhone 11, watched the Wonderlust event and says, “It’s cool, I like seeing the new updates to the phones.”
She feels optimistic about the iPhone 15/iPhone 15 Pro. “Yes of course, new updates, longer battery life, new and improved.”
Barry also updated to iOS 17 as soon as she could, eager to see the new features. “I like the new contacts update, messages update, and facetime voicemails.”
She also listed some negatives: “My phone is older, so it’s slow and dying faster.” She still feels she would get a new phone every year if she could. Barry, who buys her Apple products directly from the Apple store, says her current iPhone 11 is “slow, but fits my hand.”
She currently wants the iPhone 15. In her own words, “I like the back camera design and it has good quality with longer battery life.” She thinks that the next iOS update should have new emojis.
Makwara currently has the iPhone 14. She has not seen the Apple event, but is aware of the new phones and other hardware that Apple is releasing. She feels there’s no need to update to the 15. “I’m happy with my phone.”
She also thinks that Apple could make some improvements. “I think that they could improve the glitches and occasional lagging.”
Makwara buys her iPhone from her family’s mobile carrier and usually gets deals. When asked to infer Apple’s possible future products, Makwara stated, “I expect for Apple to make more products that go with the iPhone.”
Even though a phone upgrade is out of the question, there is one Apple product Makwara would invest in: “I would consider buying the Apple Watch because of it’s convenient, with easy-to-access features”
Even though the Wanderlust event had an average peak of 3.6 million viewers, most students have no knowledge of what’s to be presented. While some students are satisfied with the updates and new features of both the iPhone 15’s and the iOS 17 update, most students agree that Apple needs bigger and better updates in the future.
