 "Apple's 'Wonderlust' Sept 12 event has set the rumour mill buzzing")
It is tempting to dismiss ‘Wonderlust’, a play on the German-origin word, wanderlust, meaning a strong desire to travel, as an attempt to sound clever. Except, you cannot dismiss things that come from Apple Inc, the first company listed on stock exchanges to close a trading day with a market value above $3 trillion.
So, when Apple sent an invitation to its annual September event and called it Wonderlust, the legions of Apple devotees went into a tizzy trying to glean what could come on the twelfth of this month.
Apple event titles usually carry a meaning, but may or may not be directly related to the launches. It is still not clear why last year’s September event, which launched the iPhone 14 line-up, was named ‘Far Out’ and the one in 2021 (iPhone 13 Pro), was called ‘California Streaming’. It is easier to understand why the one in 2020, which launched the Watch Series 6, was named ‘Time Flies’.
There is a strong buzz that Wonderlust is so named because it is going to present a new camera system for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The 6x optical zoom camera system will allow users to zoom on distant objects, about twice what the iPhone 14 Pro can, and capture the frame with clarity. It is likely to click with those making travel plans.
The wonder does not stop there.
The iPhone X, pronounced ‘iPhone Ten,’ which came in 2017, was a significant milestone in Apple’s smartphone history. It featured a nearly bezel-less display, marking a departure from the traditional iPhone design with a physical home button that needed larger bezels.
The removal of the home button allowed for a larger screen in a device that was physically smaller than the iPhone 8 Plus. Besides, the iPhone X replaced the Touch ID fingerprint sensor with Face ID. These innovations had a profound impact on the smartphone industry and how Apple approached its product design and development.
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To date, Apple has been building on the foundations of the iPhone X, with minor changes in design, such as the redesigned camera island on the iPhone 11 series, the flat frame in the iPhone 12 series, and a redesigned notch cut-out called Dynamic Island in the iPhone 14 Pro line. The upgrades have been incremental, largely in the camera and through newer iOS versions.
Wonderlust could change that (see: RUMOUR MILL).
“The September event is mostly about the iPhone. I am expecting the same this year. This year’s launch comes at a time when foldables are gaining popularity in the segment iPhone operates,” says Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst, Techarc.
International Data Corporation expects worldwide shipments of foldable phones, including flip and fold form factors, to reach 21.4 million units in 2023 — an increase of more than 50 per cent over 2022.
An updated IDC forecast projects foldable phone shipments to reach 48.1 million units in 2027 — a 3.5 per cent share of the market.
The market share figure may not sound too big, but, since foldable phones are expensive, it matters to Apple, given
the iPhone’s play at the top end.
“It will be interesting to see how Apple satisfies the inquisitive consumers about not going for foldables yet, as it does not have one.
This also means there must be something more in the iPhone this year than the normal upgrade, which has been the case for the past few years,” says Kawoosa.
What can that “something more” be?
Apple is expected to release four models in the iPhone 15 series: the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. All of them could have a substantial upgrade over the current versions.
Most notably, though, they are expected to incorporate the USB Type-C port for charging and data transfers.
Apple has used its proprietary Lightning connector in iPhones since 2012. The transition follows the European Union’s announcement last year mandating the USB-C as the standard for all electronic devices, in a bid to cut down on environmental waste and to save consumers from buying different chargers for different devices.
All mobile phones, tablets, and cameras sold in the EU must have a USB-C port by December 28, 2024. Laptops are part of the list, but the deadline for them is spring 2026.
Following the EU’s move, India, too, announced the USB-C as the standard charging port for electronic products, setting March 2025 for the rule to kick in. The government is of the view that India should move to two types of standard charging devices, USB-C for smartphones and other portable devices, such as laptops and tablets, and another for feature phones, which have a bigger market share in the country.
Analysts believe the shift to USB-C will add to convenience for users since Apple already has the same port available on many of its products. “A potential shift to USB-C will lead to enhanced user convenience, allowing iPhone enthusiasts to leverage a unified charging ecosystem across diverse devices, spanning from MacBooks to iPads,” says Prabhu Ram, head, Industry Intelligence Group, CyberMedia Research.
The buzz is that the USB-C will be incorporated across the entire iPhone 15 line-up, but Apple may adopt varying standards for different models. Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo posted on X (formerly Twitter) that the Pro models in the line-up will support at least USB 3.2 or Thunderbolt 3, and the standard models will support USB 2.0. This means the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature an enhanced version of USB-C with faster data transfer speeds compared to the USB-C port on the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus models.
Among other enhancements, Apple is expected to replace the current alert button with a versatile action button. Additionally, the Dynamic Island display is likely to become a standard feature across all models.
In terms of design, the Pro models in the iPhone 15 series could adopt a titanium frame instead of stainless steel. There is a possibility that the highest-tier model in the series would be named the iPhone 15 Ultra, rather than the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple could extend the integration of the USB-C ports to AirPods.
As for the Watch Series, the 2023 iterations are reported to bring incremental improvements, featuring a new S9 processor for enhanced performance and power efficiency.
According to media reports, the Watch Series 9 might offer a band option with a magnetic buckle.
However, as anticipation builds up for the new launches at Wonderlust, it is the sales of the older iPhone models that are driving Apple’s growth in India.
Data from CMR shows the iPhone 14 series constituted 46 per cent to its annual shipments in India since its launch in September 2022, with the older models claiming the remaining 54 per cent.
“All said, the growth momentum for Apple in India has historically been predominantly steered by the sales of older generation iPhones,” says Prabhu Ram of CyberMedia Research.
Wander why. Sorry, wonder why.