10 Things That Surprised Me at Apple’s Wonderlust Event
Now that Apple's September event is over, we can take a look back and see all the new things that the company announced.
While there were a couple of things that felt a bit disappointing, overall, the Wonderlust keynote was a fantastic event for both Apple and its fans all over the world.
And while we already knew we were going to get some new iPhone models, as well as a new Apple Watch, there were a lot of things that we weren't expecting.
Even though there were a few things that felt underwhelming, Apple's Wonderlust event was a total success. Not only did we see a lot of things we already expected, like USB-C, but we also got a lot of new surprises we didn't even think were possible.
Read on for 10 things that really surprised me during the event.
Roadside Assistance
A brand new feature that I think no one expected was Roadside Assistance via Satellite.
Apple probably saw the positive feedback its Emergency SOS via Satellite feature received last year and decided to take it one step further.
Now, with Roadside Assistance, it doesn't matter where you are; you can get help to your car via satellite — at least in the US. That way, if your car breaks down in the middle of a trip, you can use your iPhone to call AAA and get someone to help you on the road.
As of right now, AAA is the only one that uses Roadside Assistance, so it's only available in the US (for now). It'll be a nice new perk if you're already a member of their service. For non-members, Apple said they'll also provide Roadside Assistance on a pay-per-use basis.
iCloud Is Getting Better
When it comes to iCloud storage, some people don't find 2TB to be enough, especially pro users.
Apple knows this, which is why it surprised everyone when it announced there will be two extra plans for iCloud+.
You'll now be able to choose a 6TB and a 12TB plan. While these plans go for $29.99 and $59.99 per month, they'll definitely be worth it for people who really need the extra storage.
Apple Is Done With Leather
Another huge surprise during Apple's event was that the company was officially done with leather.
During a very amusing video starring Mother Nature, Apple confirmed that it won't be manufacturing accessories with leather. This means that you won't find leather watch bands or cases coming from Apple anymore.
Instead, the company is going to start using FineWoven, which is made of different materials, including yarn and fluoroelastomer. This is all part of another one of Apple's big surprises during the event, which we'll talk about in a moment.
Apple 2030 Is Still Going Strong
A couple of years ago, Apple revealed Apple 2030, a plan to make the company more environmentally friendly and sustainable by the end of the year 2030.
And apparently, Apple is still going strong with this idea. During its Wonderlust event, the company confirmed that everything was going according to plan.
Apple now runs on 100% clean energy, and, to everyone's surprise, it revealed its first carbon-neutral products.
Both the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch SE models are 100% carbon neutral when you pair the aluminum models with one of Apple's new Sport Loop watch bands.
Not only that, but Apple plans to make all of its products carbon-neutral, which will hopefully also change the way tech companies manufacture their products.
It's a step in the right direction and a fantastic surprise overall.
You Can Reverse Charge Your AirPods Pro Now
Even though Apple didn't reveal any new AirPods model this time around, there was a nice surprise regarding its casing.
The AirPods Pro 2 now feature a USB-C charging case, which was added to comply with the new EU regulations.
Besides the new case, Apple also confirmed that you can reverse charge your AirPods with your iPhone 15. All you need to do is plug the AirPods into an iPhone 15 with a USB-C to USB-C cable, and the AirPods will begin charging.
It was definitely a surprise that Apple didn't decide to go for the wireless charging approach, but it's still great news for all AirPod users.
The Apple Watch's New Double Tap Feature
Neither the Apple Watch Series 9 nor the Apple Watch Ultra 2 got any really big upgrades this year. The biggest changes are in its chip and display.
However, a cool new feature that Apple focused on is called Double Tap. With Double Tap, you can use your index finger and your thumb to control your Apple Watch.
For instance, you can double-tap your finger and thumb to make your Apple Watch access your Widget Stack, answer calls, or start and stop timers.
While this isn't a huge reason to update your Apple Watch, it's definitely a welcome feature for those of us who are thinking of buying it.
You won't Lose Your Friends Ever Again
Apple also announced a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip with some nice improvements. For one, this new chip will let you locate your iPhone with your Apple Watch by giving exact directions to help you find it.
Moreover, you can also use it to locate other iPhones that are in the same area as you.
You can now use Precision Finding to locate your friends or family anywhere you are. As long as the other person shares their location with you, you can get directions directly on your iPhone to locate them in minutes.
This will be extremely helpful during trips or at music events, where you know there will be a lot of people, and it's hard to locate your friends.
Siri + Health
Alongside the many improvements to the Apple Watch, Apple also confirmed that you'll be able to ask Siri for specific health information without taking out your iPhone.
For instance, you can ask Siri what your average heart rate is or how long you slept last night. Thanks to the S9 chip on the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Ultra 2, Siri will handle all these requests with the Watch instead of sending them to your iPhone and waiting for a response.
The iPhone 15 Pro Gets Spatial Video
Apple took the iPhone 15 Pro's cameras to the next level this year. Not only did it add an improved 5x telephoto lens to the 15 Pro Max, but it also introduced Spatial Video recording.
Spatial video will make use of the iPhone 15 Pro's Main and Ultra Wide cameras to capture video in 3D that can be played on the Apple Vision Pro headset.
This feature is said to come near the end of the year, and it'll be perfect for relieving your best memories on Apple's headset once it finally arrives in 2024.
While there are still a lot of things we don't know about this new Spatial Video feature, it's great to see that you'll be able to capture more immersive videos with nothing but your iPhone.
The New A17 Pro Chip
The iPhone 15 Pro got a brand-new processor this year. Instead of continuing with the A17 Bionic, Apple introduced the A17 Pro chip, which is a first in the iPhone lineup.
Apple probably made this change to further differentiate the base iPhone 15 from the iPhone 15 Pro models, but it also comes with a lot of power.
For starters, thanks to this chip, the iPhone 15 Pro models support USB 3, which allows for up to 20 times faster transfer speeds.
Additionally, this chip is powerful enough that it uses hardware-based ray tracing. This will allow the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max to run more intensive games without compromising quality or frame rate.
In fact, we already know that Resident Evil 4 and Resident Evil Village will be available on the App Store for the iPhone Pro lineup. These aren't just mobile versions of these games; they're the real deal.
Additionally, we'll see games like Death Stranding and Assassins' Creed Mirage early next year. Hopefully, this will become more common in the future, so we can start playing more AAA games with nothing but our phones.