Appleviews – 17th March 2023
Another day, another dollar
So, the will-we-won’t we get a spring event discussion continues, with no solid conclusion.
Luckily, though, there is still plenty of Apple news that has been floating about over the past seven days – so let’s get straight in to it, and catch up on iPhone 15 news.
Ouch
The one device we can be certain that we’ll get this year, is a new iPhone – at a cost, though!
iPhone 15 is set to be packed with new features such as a periscope lens, a titanium chassis, and the blazing fast A17 Bionic chip. But, all this goodness, will come at a cost.
Apple’s next gen iPhone looks set to be hit with hefty price increases, that is, according to tech analyst, Haitong International Securities Jeff Pu. This is not the first time that rumours have circulated that Apple will be upping the price for the 15 this year. The fact Pu has got behind the story, though, lends it more credence.
The price of the Pro phones, in the U.S. at least, has been $999 since 2017, and the iPhone X. Equally, the Pro Max has started at $1099 since the release of the iPhone XS, in 2018. Countries outside the States have seen increases, though, due mainly to currency fluctuations.
If we assume the base storage configs remain unchanged, then Pu suggests the prices may look like this;
- iPhone 15 Pro: $1,199 (128GB), $1,299 (256GB), $1,499 (512GB), $1,699 (1TB)
- iPhone 15 Ultra: $1,299 (128GB), $1,399 (256GB), $1,599 (512GB), $1,799 (1TB)
Best start saving those pennies, then!
The good news
But, if you do decide to buy an iPhone 15 later this year, then that A17 Bionic chip I mentioned looks as if it’s going to be pretty serious.
This week benchmarks leaked, revealing scores for this new chip, and the performance improvements look to be HUGE!
The latest iPhone chip was put through a Geekbench 6 test, and scored 3019 points in the single-core test. In the multicore test it scored 7860 points. If these numbers are true, then that would work out to a massive 20.6% single core bump, and a 24% increase for the multicore, when compared to the A16 Bionic chip in iPhone 14.
So, if the price is going up, at least Apple is trying to give you something back in return.
A sensitive subject
Lastly this week, on news about iPhone 15, is that the camera is to get a brand new Sony sensor, which looks set to be revolutionary.
According to Nikkei Asia, new sensors are coming, and they’ll be able to capture better portraits, even with strong backlighting. It seems they will have double the saturation signal in each pixel compared to the existing sensor. That should allow for more light to get through, and to cut down on the underexposure and overexposure issues.
The sensors, from Sony, will use a semiconductor architecture, which will separate out the photodiodes and transistors, putting them on individual layers. This will mostly benefit the most widely used ‘wide-camera’.
Worth a moment of your time
Apple, this week, has put out a couple of very cool ads.
On their YouTube channel, they’ve put up an ad for both AirPods Pro, and the yellow iPhone 14. Really creative, and fun, they show what Apple’s creatives are capable of. They are only short – go check them out…
Lasso rides again
I’m sure there is no way you could have possibly missed this story…but just in case…
This week, the third, and possibly, final season of the Apple TV+ hit, Ted Lasso, aired.
The series, is centred around an American football coach who moves to the UK to oversee the AFC Richmond football club. Lead actor, Jason Sudeikis, has won a Golden Globe for his role, in the series, which has proved a runaway success for Apple.
The majority of Apples new content, streams first on a Friday, but for Lasso, they decided to put it out on Wednesday. This third season has twelve episodes, and Sudeikis told Deadline in early March, that this was to be “the end of the story”.
Unsurprisingly, this series is being heavily promo’d, and also sees Apple partnering with Nike in a brand relationship deal.
So massive has the series become, that a complete set of merch is available to go along with the show. You can now buy AFC Richmond jerseys, hoodies, t-shirts, and sweatshirts. You can even buy a Ted Lasso labelled Monopoly, and a ‘Biscuits with the Boss’ flavoured ice cream – seriously!
Hot Air
In line with Apple’s desire to diversify production away from China, Foxconn is set to build a new facility in India – purely as an AirPods production plant.
Reports surfaced, stating that Foxconn will invest more than $200 million in a new AirPods assembly plant in the southern Indian state of Telangana. The plant will start to be built this year, with production of AirPods slated to begin in late 2024.
Although the margins in making the earbuds is low, Foxconn decided to proceed with the plans to further “reinforce engagement” with Apple.
Time to change
At the end of this month, Apple has another new retail store opening. Apple’s fifth South Korean store will open at 5pm local time, Friday 31st March, in the bustling Gangnam district of Seoul, South Korea’s capital city.
To mark the opening, Apple has created some lovely, bespoke wallpapers for iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
I have the wallpaper on my iPhone 14 Pro, and it looks gorgeous. It’s black, with a colourful, creative, spin on the company’s logo. You can find them on their website, or, you can download the iPhone one here.
This Gangnam store, will be the first one to open since the opening of Apple American Dream in New Jersey back in December.
All the normal services you’d expect from an Apple store will be on offer there, including a Genius Bar, along with ‘Today at Apple’, sessions, which are aimed at helping new Apple users to get the most from their devices.
Credit Crunch
Is the global recession taking a hold, even in the rarified world of Apple memorabilia auctions?
Earlier this month, an unopened, original 8GB iPhone managed to reach a record of $63,000 at auction. But, a virtually identical item this week managed to fetch only $43,923.
This item, is part of a lot that includes a working Apple-1 computer signed by Steve Wozniak, a Steve Jobs signed ROM chip, a Steve Jobs typed and signed letter.
Shop with a specialist
Last up for this week, is the news that customers in the U.S. can now buy their shiny new iPhone online, direct with an Apple specialist.
Via a link on Apple’s website, customers can now browse the latest models, explore new features, and learn about Apple Trade In offers, carrier deals, switching to iOS, and the various financing options.
Clearly with an eye to new, post COVID shopping trends, Karen Rasmussen, Apple’s head of Retail Online said;
“We’re constantly innovating to deliver an even more personalised experience for our customers, meeting them where they are to deliver the best of Apple. With Shop with a Specialist over Video, our team members are excited to connect with customers and provide exceptional service as they learn about which iPhone best suits them.”
With the potential to eventually roll out to other countries, this move makes great sense. You’ll still be receiving the normal level of Apple’s retail experience, but without the hassle of leaving home.
And with the Apple week neatly all packed up for you, here, in a bite-sized morsel, I’m off to edit, and schedule this week’s Minus Sixteen podcast with Alex. After that, it’ll be back to editing this week’s video on why I am staying loyal to iPhone…and after that, eventually, feet up, and watch this week’s Shrinking.
Whatever you are up to, have a fantastic weekend, and I’ll catch you back here Monday.
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