Every year in the month of Techember (a term that denotes September, the month of tech fairs), I set my alarm faithfully to wake me up at 2 a.m., eager to witness the revelations of corporate giants like Apple, Google, and Samsung. This year, Apple unveiled its highly anticipated iPhone lineup, but the event left me dismayed. 

The hype around the event had centered around one expectation: the forceful rules given by the European Union (EU) to transition from their traditional Lightning ports (the iPhone charger) to the versatile USB-C (MacBook charger). As a techie, I dedicated a sleepless night to celebrate this massive change. But the otherwise lackluster event took my enthusiasm away, and disappointment grew in its place. 

Time after time, the corporate giant brought nothing but woeful results. Every year, Apple recycles its previous features and boasts about its “innovation.” As someone who always feels thrilled at the prospects of fresh releases, the minuscule changes, packaged as a revolution, disheartened me. 

The company devoted a substantial portion of the event to carbon neutrality and sustainability of the new Apple Watch. While commendable, I felt frustrated at the gadget’s lack of significant design changes. Apple kept the round-edged look for over five years; people cannot differentiate between the Series 7 and the newest model. 

In the latter half of the event, Apple introduced its newest iPhone lineup, which featured models such as the iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max. Some aspects of the latest models caught my eye — especially the gorgeous pastel-toned colors and the addition of the Dynamic Island, a pill-shaped notch that intuitively displayed both active and background tasks. They also embraced the USB-C standard, a move long-awaited by many. While the USB-C ports upped the game, Apple did not deliver on other upgrades such as an improved camera and display quality. 

But Apple did upgrade the sturdiness and speed of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. They swapped out the original stainless steel frame for a more durable titanium finish in the two models. To top it off, they incorporated the blazingly fast 3nm A17 Pro chip, which outpaces most Mac lineups. Despite these innovations, my disappointment resurfaced as I realized that the camera and display remained unchanged from its predecessors. 

Even before the death of Steve Jobs, Apple perpetuated its incremental updates. After this year’s introduction, netizens flooded the X homepage with memes of Spider-Men pointing at each other. This satirized the company’s tendency to nearly clone their design every release. 

I wonder what the standard iPhone 15 model would look like if the EU hadn’t forced the company to switch to the USB-C. Would Apple have cloned their older models, or would they have taken their design a step further? 

While Techember continues to be a month of high anticipation, this year’s event left me with a sense of déjà vu. Each year, Apple shifts toward sales more than its original purpose: innovation; it feels like another old, stale present for tech fans.