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| the iPhone 14 |
CUPERTINO, Calif. — The latest models of Apple's iPhone will feature better cameras, faster processors and longer battery life, all for the same prices as last year's versions, despite inflationary pressure that has raised the cost of many other everyday products.
The decision to keep the prices the same, revealed Wednesday at Apple's first in-person product launch event in three years, came as little surprise. Many analysts predicted that Apple would ask its devoted fans to pay up to 15% more to help offset rising costs for many components.
The fanfare surrounding the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone 14s is part of a post-Labor Day ritual the company has held every year for more than a decade. Wednesday's event was held at a theater on the company's Cupertino, California, campus named after co-founder Steve Jobs. After Apple CEO Tim Cook walked out on stage, much of the event consisted of a pre-recorded video presentation that the company perfected during previous events held during the coronavirus pandemic.
For several years, new Apple iPhone models have seen incremental improvements in cameras and battery life, and this year's models were no exception. The base price for the standard iPhone 14 will be $799 and for the luxury version iPhone 14 Pro Max it will be $1,099.
Among the latest improvements is a 48-megapixel camera on the Pro and Pro Max models that the company says will take razor-sharp images. The iPhone 13 versions of the Pro and Pro Max have 12-megapixel cameras. This year's high-end models will also feature always-on displays that stay lit even when the device is locked, a feature that has long been available on many phones running Google's Android software.
Starting in November, all iPhone 14 models will be able to send distress messages via a new satellite feature, a security measure intended to allow users to call for help when in remote areas without a wireless connection.
All iPhone 14 models will also include a motion sensor capable of detecting serious traffic accidents and automatically connecting to emergency services.
Due to inflation, consumers have curbed spending on many discretionary items. That likely contributed to a recent decline in phone sales, although the iPhone has fared much better than Android devices.
By maintaining iPhone prices, Apple risks undermining its profits if inflation drives up its own costs. It's a hit the company could easily afford, given that it made $44 billion in profit in the first half of this year.
Meanwhile, the company's new watch model, the Apple Watch Series 8, will include a new temperature sensor that will help women retrospectively track their ovulation cycles, in addition to the shock detection feature that will also debuts on the iPhone 14. The price of the latest Apple Watch, which hits stores on September 16, will start at $399, the same as last year's model.
Apple also introduced its next generation of wireless headphones, the AirPods Pro 2, which will also keep its starting price of $249.
