Octavia Spencer Steals Show as Apple Announces New iPhone 15
Yes, a new iPhone 15 and Apple Watch 9 are coming, but it was Octavia Spencer who stole the show on Tuesday’s Apple “Wonderlust” event.
Apple’s fall event, where upgrades and new products are introduced, had the usual suspect upgrades. However the focus on the company’s environmental impact was a bigger theme throughout.
Apple will be ditching leather on all products and has all sorts of company-wide changes to improve environmental impact. The emphasis was so key, that they even brought Mother Nature in for a company meeting to discuss it.
Actress Octavia Spencer took on the role of Mother Nature in a video presentation, barging in on an Apple staff meeting. She made jokes about how companies make all kinds of unrealistic promises about long-term environmental impacts. But Apple’s team came ready to impress Mother Nature, with actionable items about how the company is changing its ways to help our environment.
It’s worth the time to watch the video below, if for nothing other than one of the greatest actresses on the planet as Mother Nature. And you can check out all the things Apple is doing for the environment here.
Apple iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro
The new iPhone 15 will make good use of Apple’s new “Dynamic Island” at the top of the screen. We heard a lot about that earlier this year, but now we’re seeing how it can be used.
The phone will come in five colors, but they’ll look different than what we’re used to. The glass is colored and has some technical differences that help improve the visuals. All of which will be irrelevant once you put a case on it anyway. But it’ll feel good at first.
The camera will have a ridiculous 48-megapixel camera on it, so now all your drunken party photos will show your friends in extreme detail. The selfie cam is improved too, so get ready for even better selfies.
Portrait mode also got a major upgrade, so those of you who discovered the secret to amazing iPhone photos now get some cooler features. You’ll get focus-changing features, and even auto portrait mode. Oh, and you can finally use portrait mode in bad lighting situations.
All of that comes with – of course – a faster, more powerful system under the hood, as you’d expect now with every step up from Apple.
The iPhone 15 starts at $799, and iPhone 15 Plus at $899. That’s the same pricing structure as last year’s phones.
On the pro end, the biggest change is a titanium enclosure, the same alloy used on the Mars Rover. So, ya know, if you need to make phone calls during an Armageddon-type event, your phone is going to hold up well.
The Pro models of course take things to a ridiculous other level, and that comes with a price jump as well. They start at $999 and the Pro Max starts at $1,199. You can order them this Friday, and they’ll be available on September 22.
Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2
On the Apple Watch end of things, Apple introduced Apple Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2. Lots of performance improvements and a new finger gesture for certain actions feature were played up. Surely, nothing will ever go wrong for someone wearing an Apple Watch.
Oh, and the new Apple Watches are the first products from the company to be produced carbon-neutral – 7 years ahead of schedule. Take that Mother Nature!
Apple Watches will be available on September 22, but can be ordered now. They’ll start at $399, and the Apple Watch SE will start at $249.
