Apple Inc on Tuesday unveiled its new iPhone lineup, with its Lightning charger ports replaced on the newest models by a universal charger after a tussle with the EU.
The European bloc is insisting that all phones and other small devices must be compatible with USB-C charging cables from the end of next year, a move it says would reduce waste and save money for consumers.
“USB-C has become a universally accepted standard. So we’re bringing USB-C to iPhone 15,” Apple vice president of iPhone marketing Kaiann Drance said at a launch event.
Photo: AFP
The update to Apple’s line comes as the Silicon Valley tech giant faces declining sales of iPhones, with premium prices pushing customers to delay switching to newer models.
The firm is also caught up in diplomatic turbulence between the US and China, with reports saying Beijing is banning civil servants from using its phones.
In the most recently ended quarter, Apple reported a 2.4 percent drop in iPhone sales, which account for nearly half of total revenue.
The firm reported US$15.8 billion in revenue from China in the quarter, accounting for nearly 20 percent of total revenue.
Executives pointed to the uptick in China sales in a period when overall sales fell.
Along with improvements to iPhone cameras and chips, Apple said that the iPhone 15, of which there are four varieties, would have internal components that simplify repair and a new frame that allows the back glass to be easily replaced.
In a surprise move, Apple said the iPhone 15 Pro would cost US$999 which is unchanged from its predecessor, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max would start at US$1,199, an increase of US$100.
In Taiwan, preorders for Apple’s latest iPhones are to start tomorrow, Apple Taiwan’s Web site says.
The iPhone 15 series would be available from Friday next week at prices ranging from NT$29,900 to NT$58,900 (US$935 to US$1,842), it said.
Apple on Tuesday also unveiled new models of the Apple Watch that would respond to a tap of the index finger and thumb to start and stop calls or other key functions.
Separately, Apple yesterday said that its iPhone 12 model was certified by multiple international bodies as compliant with global radiation standards, after a French watchdog ordered it to stop selling the handset on the grounds that it breaches European exposure limits.
France’s radiation watchdog ANFR told Apple on Tuesday to halt sales of iPhone 12s in France after tests that it said showed the phone’s specific absorption rate (SAR) — a measure of the rate of radiofrequency energy absorbed by the body from a piece of equipment — was higher than legally allowed.
The ANFR said it would send agents to Apple stores and other distributors to check that the model was no longer being sold.
Apple said it had provided ANFR with multiple Apple and independent third-party lab results proving its compliance with all applicable SAR regulations and standards in the world.
The firm said it was contesting the results of AFNR’s review and would continue to engage with the agency to show it is compliant.
Additional reporting by Reuters and staff writer
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