Apple Event 2023 Live Updates: iPhone 15 Price In India Starts At Rs 79,900

The Apple Event 2023, dubbed Wonderlust, is underway at the Steve Jobs Theater in the Apple campus in Cupertino. A new iPhone 15, Watch and AirPods are slated for launch. Watch live and track live updates here:

Apple Inc.’s biggest day of the year has arrived, and the company is set to unveil updated versions of its iPhone, smartwatch, and AirPods.

The new iPhone 15 will be a significant upgrade, especially at the high end of the lineup. The iPhone 15 Pro versions will feature a revamped design bound by titanium rails instead of stainless steel. The camera array on the top-of-the-line model—the iPhone 15 Pro Max—will also get a periscope lens for enhanced optical zoom.

A bigger change could be Apple switching the charging port of the iPhone to USB-C from its proprietary Lightning. The European Union, or EU, has mandated the shift.

The iPhone launch is always a critical moment for Apple. The flagship device accounts for roughly 50% of its sales, or more than $205 billion last year. But this year is particularly crucial because the company is trying to reverse a sales slump and stave off concerns about a backlash in China, even as India takes to the device in a big way.

In the quarter ended June, iPhone sales in India grew at a double-digit rate to a new high, Apple said without revealing exact numbers. Production of the iPhone 15 commenced at Foxconn Group Corp.’s plant near Chennai in tandem with China, as compared with a six- to nine-month lag earlier. Apple has increased the proportion of iPhones it assembles in India to reach 7% at the end of March.

Against that backdrop, here are the live updates and latest developments from the Apple Event 2023, dubbed as ‘Wonderlust.’

Here's a look at the top five changes that can be expected on the iPhone 15 lineup that's set to be unveiled at the Apple Event 2023:

1. The Change to Titanium

The titanium on the Pro phones will have a brushed look, replacing the fingerprint-prone steel that has characterised the device since the iPhone X line. People with knowledge of the matter say the switch to titanium makes the phone more durable and about 10% lighter. The devices will retain the frosted glass back of current models, but the edges connecting the side and front are now less sharp than before.

2. Faster Chips

The iPhone 15 Pro range will have a performance edge over the standard models. They will get a faster A17 chip built on the new 3-nm production process and additional memory. That will make the smartphones more responsive, but the biggest enhancements are the battery-life savings.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will get the slower A16 chip from iPhone 14 Pro.

The Apple Watch line also will get more powerful processors—marking its first performance bump since 2020. The company is planning to tout major gains in the watch’s processing speed.

3. Embracing USB-C

The four new iPhone models will switch from Lightning to USB-C for wired charging and data transfers. That will bring increased transfer speeds, but only for the Pro models—another way Apple is coaxing consumers to spend a bit more. All of the phones will gain faster wireless charging.

Apple also is expected to unveil a version of its AirPods Pro that uses USB-C, matching the phones.

4. A Better Camera

The Pro Max’s updated telephoto system, known as a periscope lens, will enhance hardware zoom capabilities. The approach doubles the iPhone’s ability to zoom into images—via the physical lens itself, rather than software—from 3X magnification to around 6X.

5. No More Ring-Mute Switch

The Pro phones will replace the ring-mute switch for the first time since the feature launched with the original iPhone in 2007. The switch is becoming an “Action Button” that can be customised to handle a variety of functions, including silencing the phone, opening the flashlight or launching the camera.

Apple Inc.’s annual iPhone unveiling is always its most momentous time of the year—a chance to impress consumers with the company’s latest model and set up the holiday selling season.

But Apple has more than usual riding on the new iPhone 15 lineup, which will be introduced at 10:30 pm tonight. The tech titan is looking to snap several quarters of sluggish sales—its longest slump in two decades—and get consumers excited about upgrading again with new features.

Apple is contending with an industrywide slowdown in smartphone demand and fears of a backlash against US-branded technology in China, its largest international market. And the latest iPhone will switch to the USB-C charging standard, potentially irking consumers who have drawers full of Lightning accessories. Apple also just renewed a contract to get modem chips from Qualcomm Inc., a sign that an effort to build its own components is taking longer than expected.

But the company has several things going in its favour. (read more) 

For the first time, the new iPhone model you buy on the launch day could be made in India.

Apple Inc. plans to make the India-built iPhone 15 available in the South Asian country and some other regions on the global sales debut day, people familiar with the matter said.

While the vast majority of iPhone 15s will come from China, that would be the first time a latest generation, India-assembled device is available on the first day of sale, they said, asking not to be identified as the matter is private. (read more)

The iPhone 15, due to be unveiled at the Apple Event 2023 in Cupertino later today, is expected to be the first Apple smartphone to make use of the already widely adopted USB-C. Finally.

This isn’t because Apple has chosen to, as the company might frame it during Tuesday’s presentation, but because it has to: New European Union legislation set an end-of-2024 deadline for all new smartphones to use USB-C for wired charging. Apple is complying by rolling it out everywhere.

We can be glad that we’ve reached an end result that is better for consumers and the environment, writes Bloomberg Opinion's Dave Lee.

"It's almost time! See ya soon," Apple CEO Tim Cook posted on X, formerly Twitter, ahead of the Apple Event 2023 dubbed Wonderlust. Today's presentation will be his twelfth straight event since he took over as the chief executive officer in 2011.

Shares of Apple Inc., the world's most valuable company, were trading lower ahead of the Apple Event 2023, dubbed 'Wonderlust', declining as much as 1.75% from previous day's close of $179.36 apiece. The stock has been on a downward spiral since China reportedly blocked government officials from using the smartphone.

While the non-Pro phones will look mostly like the current models, they will get one major visual change: the Dynamic Island, an interface that was first added to the iPhone 14 Pro models last year. It lets users see alerts in an area at the top of the display.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will continue to use 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays, but the screens on the Pro models will appear slightly larger, according to Apple soothsayer and Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman.

Apple Inc.’s iPhone debuts have historically been a sell-the-news event for the stock, but the weeks following often provide an even better opportunity to buy the dip. 

Over the past five years, September has been the worst month of the year for Apple, with the shares averaging a decline of 4.5%, compared with a drop of 3.2% for the S&P 500. At the same time, October has been among the best, with an average gain for Apple of 3.8% over the same period.

“If you’re a long-time holder and you see this as becoming a consumer staple company, these pullbacks are opportunities,” said Gene Munster, managing partner and co-founder of Deepwater Asset Management. (read more)

Elon Musk's X, formerly Twitter, has introduced an animated 'Like' button for posts with the hashtag #AppleEvent.

The Apple iPhone is known for its brutal minimalism, a design language first introduced by the legendary John Ive in 2007. Will the new iPhone 15 look different?

Apple CEO Tim Cook has taken the stage at the Steve Jobs Theater for the Apple Event 2023. A video is now playing showing Apple devices being used in people's lives. The video is citing examples of how Apple products helped individuals with emergency and health crisis situations.

Apple shares are trading down about 1.3% as the event gets underway.

Apple COO has unveiled the Apple Watch Series 9 powered by the new S9 chip, an Apple Silicon chip.

• The battery life hasn't changed at 18 hours.

• The device looks exactly the same as the previous generation.

• The Series 9 has double the brightness as 2,000 nits.

• The Watch 9 also gets new gesture controls.

• The Watch 9 gets a new colour in pink aluminium.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is saying that by 2030 all Apple devices will have a net zero impact.

• The Apple Watch 9 has recycled aluminium, cobalt.

• The Apple Watch 9 has recycled yarn for the band.

All Apple Watch manufacturing is powered by renewable electricity from this year, Apple's Lisa Jackson says.

The Apple Watch is the company's first carbon-neutral product.

Apple is introducing a carbon neutral label for products.

The Apple Watch Ultra also gets the S9 chip, same as the Watch Series 9, allowing the one-handed use.

The Watch Ultra 2 gets double-tap gesture, health integraton for Siri and improved dictation. It also gets a brighter display for use in harsh sunlight, as well as a new watch face.

The battery life is rated at 36 hours, and 72 hours in low-power mode.

Apple unveils pricing for new Apple Watch devices:

• Apple Watch Series 9: $399 onwards

• Apple Watch SE: $249 onwards

• Apple Watch Ultra 2: $799 onwards

The Apple iPhone 15 has been unveiled with new design, and two lens bumps. The entry-level smartphone, in 6.1 and 6.7 inches, gets the dynamic island from the iPhone 14 Pro.

• The iPhone 15 gets a new 48 MP primary camera.

• Gets five new pastel colours: black, white, green, yellow, pink.

• The telephoto lens gets 2X optical zoom with continuous zoom.

• The screens to have a maximum brightness of 1,600 nits.

The video will now get continuous zoom to allow shooters to frame their creations better. Portraits will also get an upgrade. Richer colour and better low-light performance.

The A16 bionic chip from iPhone 14 Pro comes to iPhone 15.

The iPhone 15 is also getting new wireless features, inlcuding the Ultra Wideband for close-range communications. The phones have a new way to more precisely find friends in crowded areas with the new chip.

Emergency SOS and FindMy via satellite are coming to more locations. There's a new roadside assistance via satellite too.

The iPhone 15 gets the USB-C connectivity, finally. The company has also introduced a Type-C wired earphones, and improved MagSafe capabilities.

The USB-C connector is coming to the AirPods Pro and EarPods.

Apple unveils pricing for iPhone 15 series:

• Apple iPhone 15: $799 onwards

• Apple iPhone 15 Plus: $899 onwards

Apple unveils iPhone 15 Pro with titanium design. The device gets thinner bezels, toughest ceramic glass front, and a solid-state action button that is customisable for shortcuts. This is similar to the action button on the Apple Watch Ultra.

• The iPhone 15 Pro gets ProMotion display of 120 Hertz.

• The iPhone 15 Pro gets four metallic shades.

• The iPhone 15 Pro is gets more repairability.

The new iPhone 15 Pro gets the 3-nanometre A17 bionic chip.

• The processor gets the biggest GPU on an iPhone yet.

• The USB-C on iPhone 15 Pro allows data transfer of 10 GB/sec.

• The new chip provides machine learning on the device faster.

• It has a dedicated decoder for video streaming.

• The A17 chipo is 20 times faster than earlier versions.

The triple-camera array on the iPhone 15 Pro is in fact seven camera lenses. The phone will have a 48 MP main sensor that's more advanced than before but the resolution hasn't gone up.

• The iPhone 15 Pro camera has 2X better night-time performance.

• The iPhone 15 Pro keeps the 3X optical zoom.

• The iPhone 15 Pro Max gets 5X optical zoom with 120 mm focal length.

• The sensor on the telephoto lens is now 25% larger.

Video recording is getting a boost on the iPhone 15 Pro as well, with ProRes moving to 4K at 60 fps. Apple argues photographers and video creators can use the iPhone 15 as their main camera in studio settings.

Apple also adds spacial video to iPhone 15 Pro for Vision Pro.

Apple raises price of iPhone 15 Pro Max by $100 to $1199.

• iPhone 15 Pro starts at 256 GB instead of 128 GB

• iPhone 15 Pro continues to start at $999

• New models go on sale on September 22.

Apple iPhone 15 prices start at Rs 79,900 in India.

• iPhone 15: From Rs 79,900

• iPhone 15 Plus: From Rs 89,900

• iPhone 15 Pro: From Rs 1,34,900

• iPhone 15 Pro Max: From Rs 1,59,900

The devices are available for pre-order from 5:30 pm on Sept. 15. Available in stores from Sept. 22.

Apple Watch prices start at Rs 41,900 in India.

• Apple Watch Series 9: From Rs 41,900

• Apple Watch Ultra 2: From Rs 89,900

• Apple Watch SE: From Rs 29,900

The devices are available for pre-order from 5:30 pm on Sept. 15. Available in stores from Sept. 22.

Shares of Apple Inc. hit intraday lows as the event neared its end, as the device upgrades were seen incremental at best.