Apple Wonderlust event; iPhone 15, Watch series Ultra 2

Apple unveils its most awaited gadgets of the year with two iPhone 15 lineups and Watch series

This year's Apple event has brought in the most awaited gadgets of the year, notably the iPhone 15 series. While Apple did announce different new additions and features, the upgrade to the new gadgets may compel users to deliberate for a minute, due to its minor tweaks and changes, with an exorbitant price.

This year, Tim Cook, excitedly revealed the iPhone 15 series, Apple Watch Ultra 2, and Apple Watch Series 9, while adhering to their 2030 low carbon emission goal.

The iPhone 15 Pro has been unveiled as the 'most beautifully designed' phone up to date by Apple, with its premium camera and titanium casing. Most importantly, however, all Apple devices will now get a change of charging ports, with a switch to USB-C which will apply to iPhones, Airpods, iPads and Macbooks as well.

iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus

This 6.10-inch phone boasts a 48Mp+12MP rear camera and an A16 Bionic chip for smooth performance. The phone features a 12MP front camera and 128GB storage, along with 8GB RAM. iPhone 15 is based on iOS17 with a dual sim feature.

The phone is expected to launch in black, blue, green, pink, and yellow colors. In comparison, the iPhone 15 Plus is slightly bigger with a screen of 6.7 inches, but phones come with a USB-C charging port.

The phone has a dynamic island at the top of the phone for easy accessibility to phone functions, live updates and navigation. Apple has also introduced new connectivity and SOS features that will offer roadside assistance when in need. Though only available in the US yet, the feature if expanded to other regions can hail roadside assistance from companies and locate them to the user's exact location.

The iPhone 15 has been priced at $799 and $899.

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max; the show stealer

The most expensive phone yet, the iPhone 15 Pro features the unique Grade 5 Titanium, bonded to an aluminum internal structure. The phone is not only lighter but also much thinner, with smaller bezels from the previous series. With 6.1 and 6.7 inches, Apple provides a faster USB-C charging port with the Pro models. The phone is featured in blue, black, white and natural titanium.

The most notable feature of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max is the action button, replacing the mute toggle. The action button can be used to achieve any desired action users wish, while just pressing the button triggers haptic response and animation in Dynamic Island.

The Pro models also have the A17 processor which will increase efficiency and transistor count to 19 billion. Paired with a 6-core GPU, it offers 20% faster peak performance and better energy efficiency. Apple has also included new graphics features like mesh shading, and hardware ray tracing acceleration. The new 48MP main camera is larger than the one on the iPhone 15 and has an f/1.78 aperture. The phone has three different zoom options 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm lenses, with a telephoto camera on the iPhone 15 Pro is an improved 12MP camera.

The iPhone 15 Pro costs $999 while the Pro Max is at $1199.

Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2

Apple announced two Watch Series this year, saving the Ultra 2 with more advanced features, for professionals in extreme sports. Featuring an S9 Processor, the gadget has better speed and power efficiency. The watch series will now have a new 'double tap' gesture performed between the thumb and index finger. The double tap gesture will activate an action button for primary functions like answering a call.

Apple has also included a 2nd-generation UWB chip that precisely tracks an object's location within close proximity. It can even be used to track your iPhone from another room. The Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 have brighter displays, with the Series 9 supporting a maximum of 2,000 nits, while the Ultra 2 going up to 3,000 nits. The device will have Siri available at all times even without a cellular or WiFi network.

The Watch Series Ultra 2 has an additional modular ultra watch face to display as much information as possible, with Bluetooth connectivity and a log featuring depth and height for divers and hikers. Both devices have been replaced from leather with a more environmentally friendly band that is stylishly designed while achieving sustainability.

Apple Series 9 is available for $399 while Ultra 2 starts at $799.

Apple's event showcased a range of different devices, especially with the created hype on the internet that the new iPhone 15 may feature. While the prices of the devices have been set exorbitantly high, the iPhone lineup doesn't seem to feature as many changes and features as users would have liked to see.

The Watch Series Ultra 2 has, however, wowed many Apple enthusiasts with its advanced features for professional sports and high performance. Apple has this year made it all about achieving its sustainability goals and improving its bionic chip for better and more efficient performance.

It remains to be seen what its rival, Samsung may bring to the stage this year.