Technology

There’s one reason I’d upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro after trying it, even though I already have last year’s

Published

1 year ago

September 12, 2023

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Where media and analysts could hold and try out the iPhone 15 on Tuesday after it was announced.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

Apple announced its new iPhones for 2023 on Tuesday at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

This year’s models are called the iPhone 15. There are four new models, ranging from the entry-level iPhone 15 at $799 to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which costs at least $1199.

I was able to hold and test out the new devices on Tuesday, and although most of this year’s improvements aren’t immediately noticeable to the untrained eye, there was one aspect of the new devices that made me go “wow.”

The new Pro devices are significantly lighter, thanks to their new bodies, which replaced steel with titanium. The moment I picked one up, I could immediately can tell that it’s way easier to hold and won’t weigh down my pockets as much.

It feels a lot lighter.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

In fact, I think the reduced weight is so significant that people with last year’s Pro phones — like me — should consider updating. After all, people hold their phones for hours a day. Even shaving off a little bit of weight makes it a much more pleasant experience.

Apple says that the 6-inch iPhone 15 Pro is 187 grams, or 9% lighter than last year’s model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, with a bigger 6.7-inch screen, weighs 8% less.

Apple’s titanium is clearly titanium, but most people will put it in a case, and it is a fingerprint magnet.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

In the 2001 comedy “Zoolander,” one memorable gag spoofed cell phones by implying that they would get smaller and smaller until they were a tiny speck.

The iPhone and the rise of smartphones changed that, as people wanted bigger, brighter screens and longer battery life, and were willing to trade size and weight for a more useful device.

In fact, Apple’s “pro”-level iPhone with a 6-inch screen has been getting heavier every year since 2019, despite no major changes in the phone’s general shape. The light-and-small “mini” iPhones, introduced in 2020, haven’t been a success in terms of sales, and haven’t gotten an update in two years.

But the trend towards brick-like smartphones has firmly shifted this year with the iPhone 15. I don’t care for the very biggest Pro Max phones, even though they have bigger screens and more battery life, simply because they are so large and heavy. But this year’s model, with the lighter titanium body, was much more manageable from a heft perspective, and some people who had previously written off the most expensive devices may find themselves taking another look.

The weight is such a big deal that I think that some people will upgrade simply for the lighter weight. I’m considering it, even though $999 (or more, if you need more than 128GB of storage) for an iPhone 15 Pro is a lot of money, especially if you have a phone that works just fine — but at the very least, my pinky finger, which holds up my phone when I’m using it, will appreciate it.

Other notes from the iPhone 15 hands-on

The new Apple iPhone 15, with EU ordered USB-C charger, is displayed amongst other new products during a launch event at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, on September 12, 2023.

Nic Coury | AFP | Getty Images

This year’s colors don’t really pop. In particular, the titanium colors on the iPhone 15 Pros aren’t very bright and appear at a distance to look like shades of gunmetal.

Apple isn’t making leather and silicone cases anymore. They’ve been replaced by a new woven material case, which doesn’t really stand out. From a distance, it looks a lot like last year’s silicone.

The mainstream iPhone 15, which comes in two sizes, hasn’t changed that much on the outside from last year’s model. However, the bezels around the front have been smoothed, which is a nice touch.

The iPhone 15 gets the Dynamic Island, a feature that can show updating information at the top of the phone, where the front-facing camera is hidden.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

The entry-level iPhone 15 models also have the “Dynamic Island,” a software feature that hides the phone’s front-facing camera under the screen.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max did get a $100 price increase, now starting at $1,199 in the U.S., although you get more storage at the entry level.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

The button that has replaced the mute switch on the Pro phones has a very fun animation when you hold it down. I suspect most people will customize it to pull up the camera app quickly.

CNBC/Kif Leswing

USB-C is the default port on all the devices this year, and it’s glorious. Finally, someone with a Mac, iPhone, and wireless headphones will be able to charge them all with the same charger. People with Android phones will be able to borrow chargers from iPhone users and vice versa, and finding a way to juice up will just get a little bit easier for iPhone users.

Technology

Tesla launches refreshed Model Y in China to fend off domestic rivals

Published

8 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Tesla launched a revamped version of its Model Y in China.

Tesla

Tesla on Friday announced a revamped version of its popular Model Y in China, as the U.S. electric car giant looks to fend off challenges from domestic rivals.

The Model Y will start at 263,500 Chinese yuan ($35,935), with deliveries set to begin in March. That is 5.4% more expensive than the starting price of the previous Model Y.

A spokesperson for Tesla China said that the new Model Y is only open for pre-sale in the Chinese market, rather than being launched globally.

Tesla’s Model Y refresh comes after the auto giant this month reported its first ever annual decline in overall deliveries for 2024.

Elon Musk’s electric vehicle firm is facing heightened competition around the world, from startups and traditional carmakers in Europe. In China, the company continues to face an onslaught of rivals from BYD to newer players like Xpeng and Nio.

Jason Low, principal analyst at Canalys, notes that the Tesla Model Y was the best-selling EV in China in 2024 and that the popularity of the car “remains high.” However, he noted that the competition in the sports utility vehicle (SUV) segment with vehicles priced between 250,000 yuan and 350,000 yuan “has been fierce.”

“Tesla must showcase compelling smart features, particularly a unique but well localized cockpit and services ecosystem,” as well as “effective” semi-autonomous driver assistance features “to ensure its competitiveness in the market,” Low added.

Tesla is offering a number of incentives for customers to buy the Model Y including a five-year 0% interest financing plan.

The new Model Y can accelerate from 0 kilometers per hour to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.3 seconds, Tesla said, exceeding the speed capabilities of the previous vehicle. The Model Y Long Range has a further driving range on a single charge versus its predecessor.

Tesla has not introduced a new model since it began delivering the Cybertruck in late 2023, which starts at nearly $80,000.

Investors have been yearning for a new mass-market model to reinvigorate sales. Tesla has previously hinted that that a new affordable model could be launched in the first half of 2025.

Despite Tesla’s headwinds, the company’s stock is up nearly 70% over the last 12 months, partly due to CEO Musk’s close relationship with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.

Technology

World’s biggest chipmaker TSMC posts record 2024 revenue as AI boost continues

Published

11 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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World's biggest chipmaker TSMC posts record 2024 revenue as AI boost continues

The logo for Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company is displayed on a screen on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on Sept. 26, 2023.

Brendan Mcdermid | Reuters

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. posted December quarter revenue that topped analyst estimates, as the company continues to get a boost from the AI boom.

The world’s largest chip manufacturer reported fourth-quarter revenue of 868.5 billion New Taiwan dollars ($26.3 billion), according to CNBC calculations, up 38.8% year-on-year.

That beat Refinitiv consensus estimates of 850.1 billion New Taiwan dollars.

For 2024, TSMC’s revenue totaled 2.9 trillion New Taiwan Dollars, its highest annual sales since going public in 1994.

TSMC manufacturers semiconductors for some of the world’s biggest companies, including Apple and Nvidia.

TSMC is seen as the most advanced chipmaker in the world, given its ability to manufacture leading-edge semiconductors. The company has been helped along by the strong demand for AI chips, particularly from Nvidia, as well as ever-improving smartphone semiconductors.

“TSMC has benefited significantly from the strong demand for AI,” Brady Wang, associate director at Counterpoint Research told CNBC.

Wang said “capacity utilization” for TSMC’s 3 nanometer and 5 nanometer processes — the most advanced chips — “has consistently exceeded 100%.”

AI graphics processing units (GPUs), such as those designed by Nvidia, and other artificial intelligence chips are driving this demand, Wang said.

Taiwan-listed shares of TSMC have risen 88% over the last 12 months.

TSMC’s latest sales figures may also give hope to investors that the the demand for artificial intelligence chips and services may continue into 2025.

Foxconn, which assembles Apple’s iPhones, reported its highest-ever fourth quarter revenue this week, as it notched strong demand for AI servers.

Meanwhile, Microsoft this month said that it plans to spend $80 billion in its fiscal year to June on the construction of data centers that can handle artificial intelligence workloads.

CNBC’s Jordan Novet contributed to this report.

Technology

Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments on challenge to TikTok ban

Published

18 hours ago

January 10, 2025

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Supreme Court set to hear oral arguments on challenge to TikTok ban

Tik Tok creators gather before a press conference to voice their opposition to the “Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act,” pending crackdown legislation on TikTok in the House of Representatives, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 12, 2024.

Craig Hudson | Reuters

The Supreme Court on Friday will hear oral arguments in the case involving the future of TikTok in the U.S., which could ban the popular app as soon as next week.

The justices will consider whether the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, the law that targets TikTok’s ban and imposes harsh civil penalties for app “entities” that continue to carry the service after Jan.19, violates the U.S. Constitution’s free speech protections.

It’s unclear when the court will hand down a decision, and if China’s ByteDance continues to refuse to divest TikTok to an American company, it faces a complete ban nationwide.

What will change about the user experience?

The roughly 115 million U.S. TikTok monthly active users could face a range of scenarios depending on when the Supreme Court hands down a decision.

If no word comes before the law takes effect on Jan. 19 and the ban goes through, it’s possible that users would still be able to post or engage with the app if they already have it downloaded. However, those users would likely be unable to update or redownload the app after that date, multiple legal experts said.

Thousands of short-form video creators who generate income from TikTok through ad revenue, paid partnerships, merchandise and more will likely need to transition their businesses to other platforms, like YouTube or Instagram.

“Shutting down TikTok, even for a single day, would be a big deal, not just for people who create content on TikTok, but everyone who shares or views content,” said George Wang, a staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute who helped write the institute’s amicus briefs on the case.

“It sets a really dangerous precedent for how we regulate speech online,” Wang said.

Who supports and opposes the ban?

Dozens of high-profile amicus briefs from organizations, members of Congress and President-elect Donald Trump were filed supporting both the government and ByteDance.

The government, led by Attorney General Merrick Garland, alleges that until ByteDance divests TikTok, the app remains a “powerful tool for espionage” and a “potent weapon for covert influence operations.”

Trump’s brief did not voice support for either side, but it did ask the court to oppose banning the platform and allow him to find a political resolution that allows the service to continue while addressing national security concerns.

The short-form video app played a notable role in both Trump and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris’ presidential campaigns in 2024, and it’s one of the most common news sources for younger voters.

In a September Truth Social post, Trump wrote in all caps Americans who want to save TikTok should vote for him. The post was quoted in his amicus brief.

What comes next?

It’s unclear when the Supreme Court will issue its ruling, but the case’s expedited hearing has some predicting that the court could issue a quick ruling.

The case will have “enormous implications” since TikTok’s user base in the U.S. is so large, said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of Berkeley Law.

“It’s unprecedented for the government to prohibit platforms for speech, especially one so many people use,” Chemerinsky said. “Ultimately, this is a tension between free speech issues on the one hand and claims of national security on the other.”