Tech giant Apple has just revealed its new range of iPhones, which will go on sale in the coming days.
Apple’s biggest event of the year is over, and the Cupertino, Calif., tech giant has, as expected, revealed its new range of smartphones.
It was Chief Executive Tim Cook himself who took to the stage Sept. 7 to unveil four new models: the iPhone 14 standard model; the Plus, the Pro and the Pro Max. The choice is big or bigger; there’s no Mini in this new line of iPhone.
You’ll find no revolutionary innovation here. But the phones come with a host of new features, including improved cameras.
The more expensive iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone Pro Max models look similar to previous editions but come with a smaller notch at the top of the screen that will house sensors and the front camera.
The new notch, which Apple has dubbed “dynamic island,” will be integrated with notifications and show information about apps running in the background.
Higher-end models also feature an upgraded 48-megapixel main camera and a watch-like always-on display that shows the time and other important information with no clicks necessary.
All iPhone models will be better at taking photos in low-light and dark environments, as well as able to shoot smoother video, Apple said.
The Big Surprise
The new iPhones will also come with a car-accident detection feature that can automatically notify police and emergency contacts.
Another new security feature enables the new iPhones to make emergency calls over a satellite connection even when they don’t have cell service. Satellite functionality will be free for two years with the new iPhones, Apple said.
If there were no surprises at the gadget level, Apple surprised everyone by not increasing the prices of its new phones.
Indeed, the iPhone 14 standard is priced at $799, which was the initial price of the iPhone 13. The iPhone 14 Pro is $999 and the Pro Max is $1,099; both are priced like their iPhone 13 predecessors. The iPhone 14 Plus, which had no 2013 equivalent, is $899.
Apple has also kept the price of its new high-end watch, the Apple Watch Ultra, unchanged. The base price of this watch, which has a bigger screen and more rugged titanium case, is $799. This is what Apple has been charging for recent models with titanium cases.
Apple’s decision not to raise prices will no doubt please consumers, who are faced with soaring prices for virtually everything else. Annual inflation was 8.5% in the U.S. in July.
Apple Raised Prices Elsewhere
Experts expected Apple to increase prices, but the iPhone maker seems to have chosen not to upset consumers, unlike other tech groups that have boosted prices.
“Netflix (NFLX) – Get Netflix Inc. Report raises prices, Amazon Prime (AMZN) – Get Amazon.com Inc. Report increase, Peloton (PTON) – Get Peloton Interactive Inc. Report, Disney, (DIS) – Get The Walt Disney Company Report [the] list goes on in inflationary world…and Apple keeps iPhone 14 Pro prices unchanged despite supply chain increases from components,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote. “Speaks to the power/unmatched supply chain of Cupertino and owning its chips/A16 key.”
Apple kept prices steady in the face of the continuing supply-chain disruptions. But the group also clearly based its decision on the bad consumer news. Research firm IDC expects global smartphone shipments to decline more than 6.5% to 1.27 billion units in 2022.
“The decline is due to record-breaking inflation, geopolitical tensions, and other macroeconomic challenges that have significantly dampened consumer demand,” IDC said.
Sharp inflation is also affecting consumers’ shopping habits for the holiday season, a new Bankrate survey shows. At least 40% of shoppers said they would change how they shop in this holiday season. The inflation rates have already hurt their budgets for energy, food and housing, TheStreet’s Ellen Chang wrote.
While Apple kept U.S. pricing stable, it has increased the prices of its new phones in other markets such as Europe. In France, the iPhone 14 is sold at €1,019 ($1,019), against €909 for the iPhone 13 (+12%). The iPhone 14 Pro is launched at €1,329, against €1,159 for the iPhone 13 Pro (+15%).
