Cameras, cars and Octavia Spencer – all things fun from Apple’s Wonderlust event

• Hidden Figures and The Help fame Octavia Spencer made a cameo at Apple’s Wonderlust event.
• Powerful cameras were the highlight of the event with 48 megapixels, ML-powered mode shifting, depth and cinematic modes on.
• Apple can now help with car emergencies in areas without phone connectivity – only in the US.

This year, the Apple event ended abruptly without the iconic ‘One More Thing’ but there is a surprise cameo by Miranda Priestly…err…Mother Nature. Playing the role is the mathematician from Hidden Figures and the pie-baking maid from The Help — with her eyes in a constant angry mode. The Apple team scrambled to assure her that there would be no more plastic or even leather in any Apple product. Most corporations talk about their sustainable practices but Tim Cook actually have Nature a place at the table while launching the new watch and iPhone series.

Mother Nature joked about the now discontinued iPod Shuffle, sneered at leather jackets worn by the Apple team and made the CEO Tim Cook nervously mutter — as they revealed their plans to become Green Apple by 2030 with net zero impact of its prices. Its latest Series 9 watches use recycled Aluminum, gold, tin and Cobalt even; as well as bands made of recycled yarn.

Their partners Hermes and Nike are helping create sophisticated bands that give a good feel, fashion-forward with rich colour — all from waste. They’re also shipping their products via ocean to reduce emissions and made their packaging from fibre to cut plastic — and by next year they intend to remove all plastic from all its packaging.

While we are unsure of what the real mother nature actually feels, Spencer seemed satisfied, almost!

Apple Wonderlust event highlights

Selfies, pet photos & 3D videos

Apple is not just going close to nature, but is able to take its users closely too. The best feature of the newly launched iPhone 15 series is its spectacular 48 megapixel camera — which brings the scene and the subject ‘close’ to the photographer — to offer fantastic light capture. A bright sunny day will look closer to what it is in reality.

With machine learning that helps switch to portrait mode automatically, shutter a dog’s pose before it’s gone and offer ‘depth’ into selfies — most of the narrative is around how good the cameras are. For the pro models, they also offer 3D spatial video recording to play out memories in ‘magical way’ on their Vision Pro VR glasses to be launched by the end of the year.

They also allow for cinematic slow motion and other spectacular options with an intention to replace professional cameras from settings. The visuals of the Wonderlust event had camera stands designed to hold iPhones in place recording video and taking high fashion-like photographs.

The iphone series seem to be like spectacular cameras that come with phones attached.

Dude, where’s my car?

The Apple event started with all the lives that iPhones and watches had saved by connecting people in treks, car crashes and health emergencies by sending SOS signals. In places that lack internet connectivity, it sends emergency SOS via satellites. Now, that’s extended to roadside assistance this year. The service will be free for two years.

If you’re stuck in a remote highway without phone connectivity, you need not seek lifts or be left to the elements — Apple allows you to connect to roadside assistance in the US — with an assistance provider. Seek help from Apple and it will come to you.

Also, Siri can speak two languages now — English and Mandarin. Case in point – India’s UPI can now respond in six languages and also an option to shift to Amitabh Bachchan’s voice.

iPhone 15 Series prices

Apple event reel

Specifications of the different iphone models