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Apple has had a busy year. The year started with the launch of the M2 Macs, and the company went on to launch the first set of iPhones with USB-C in September. The tech giant launched over 10 new products this year, including iPhones, Macs, HomePods, and more. Here is a detailed overview of every new product that Apple introduced in 2023:
Apple kicked off this year with the launch of the M2 Mac mini. Despite its similarity to its predecessor, the new Mac mini, which was launched in January, is powered by the more capable M2 or the M2 Pro chip, making it the most capable Mac mini ever. With a starting price of just Rs 59,900, this is clearly the go-to product for those seeking an affordable Mac computer.
Launched alongside the new Mac mini, the new 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pros from Apple are the most capable laptops the company has ever produced. With these devices, Apple pushed the performance envelope of Arm-based Macs to the next level, especially with the M2 Max chip featuring a 12-core CPU and a 38-core GPU that supports up to 96 GB of unified memory. The base 14-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Pro carries a price tag of Rs 199,900, and the 16-inch MacBook Pro with M2 Max (review) retails for Rs 349,900.
Apple also announced the upgraded HomePod (2nd Gen) on January , along with the new Macs. With incredible audio quality and an enhanced Siri experience, the new HomePod (review) also comes with an easy-to-detach power cord. Powered by the new S7 chip, the HomePod also introduced room-sensing technology, which automatically optimizes the audio by recognizing nearby surfaces. The HomePod (2nd Gen) is priced at Rs 32,900, similar to its predecessor.
Apple introduced the yellow colour variant of the iPhone 14 and the iPhone 14 Plus on March 7. The new colour further highlights the premium build quality of the product with a golden yellow-like finish. Just like the standard iPhone 14 series, the price of the yellow iPhone 14 starts at Rs 79,900 for the 128 GB storage variant.
On May 9, Apple introduced a special Apple Watch Pride Edition sports band for just Rs 4,500 for Apple Watch and also released brand new wallpapers that celebrate the LGBTQ+ community in their own way with the rainbow colour scheme, inspired by the pride flag.
Apple finally introduced the long-rumoured Vision Pro VR headset at its worldwide developer's conference, held on June 5. Although it is not coming to India anytime soon, this new product will be on sale in select markets like the US, starting in early 2024 for $3,499 or approximately Rs 290,000. It is powered by the M2 chip, which also powers MacBook Air, MacBook Pro (13-inch), Mac mini, and iPad Pros.
Apple also introduced the brand-new 15-inch MacBook Air (review) at WWDC 2023. Featuring a new form factor, similar to the 13-inch model, the 15-inch MacBook Air is a passively cooled computer, and according to Apple, it is the world's best 15-inch laptop, starting at Rs 134,900.
At WWDC 2023, Apple also introduced the two most powerful Macs, powered by the M2 Ultra, the most powerful Apple Silicon. While the Mac Studio looks like a compact mini PC, the Mac Pro flaunts a tower form factor, identical to the Intel-based Mac Pro, and the launch of this product completes Cupertino's transition from Intel-based Macs to Apple Silicon. The Mac Studio with M2 Max starts at Rs 209,900, while the M2 Ultra variant is priced at 419,900. Similarly, the Mac Pro with M2 Ultra starts at Rs 729,900 for the base configuration and goes up to Rs 909,900 for the fully equipped model, featuring a 24-core CPU, 76-core GPU, and 128 GB of unified memory.
The new AirPods Pro with USB-C (review) were launched on September 12 for Rs 24,900. Powered by the new H2 chip, these AirPods support lossless HD audio output when paired with the Vision Pro. On top of that, they are also IP54-rated for water and dust resistance, along with new features like Adaptive Audio, Conversation Awareness, personalized volume, and more.
Apple's latest Watch Series 9, powered by the S9 chip, was also launched alongside the new iPhone 15 series, which now comes with capabilities like a double-tap gesture, a brighter display, on-device Siri capability, and more. The Apple Watch Series 9 (review) starts at Rs 41,900.
Apple also launched the upgraded Watch Ultra 2 (review) for Rs 89,900, a premium smartwatch on September 12, which is also based on the new S9 chip and also gets capabilities like a double-tap gesture. Compared to the previous edition, the new Apple Watch Ultra 2 has an even brighter display with a peak-rated brightness of 3000 nits. Similarly, it has better protection against water and can be used for surfing and scuba diving.
The brand new baseline iPhones now feature a new display with Dynamic Island, and these are also the first set of iPhones to offer a USB-C charging port, although, unlike the pro models, the data transfer rate is limited to USB 2.0 standard. Powered by the A16 Bionic chip, these iPhones offer a 48 MP primary camera, which can take 24 MP images, along with support for 4K HDR video recording with up to 60fps in Dolby Vision format. Despite plenty of hardware upgrades, the iPhone 15 (review) still starts at Rs 79,900, just like the iPhone 14 series.
The iPhone 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max (review) are Apple's latest flagbearers, which are also the first set of mainstream smartphones to feature a titanium frame. Powered by the industry-first 3nm A17 Pro chip, these iPhones are capable of handling console-class AAA titles. For the first time since the original iPhone, these are also the first pair of iPhones to replace the mute switch with a programmable action button, which was first introduced on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Bonus
India gets two new Apple stores
Apple inaugurated its first official store, located in BKC Mumbai on April 18, and within the next few days, the second store came up in New Delhi on April 20. These new Apple stores allow users to browse through the entire catalog, and users can also access additional resources about Apple devices and services within these stores.
