The iPhone 15 launch shows the Cult of Apple is alive and well
A new iPhone still inspires exhilaration among Apple customers. That brand connection will be handy when its ambitious Vision Pro headset lands next year.
After a lifetime of using an Android, Badsha Bulbul decided it was time for a change. But if he was going to buy his first iPhone, he was going to do it in style. When the iPhone 15 launched in Australia on Friday, he was first in line at Sydney's Apple Store after lining up from 11pm.
"It's a very exciting moment for me, this is my first iPhone in my life," the 23 year old said. "iPhone is kind of a dream for young kids."
Bulbul wasn't the only one caught up in the hype. A line of around 120 people snaked around the block as the Apple Store's 8am open drew near — 17 had been there since 5am and eight had even waited overnight. Online ordering and next-day delivery has evidently not killed the Cult of Apple's central ritual.
The dedication is particularly impressive because of the incremental nature of the iPhone 15's improvements. In years past new iPhones have often offered salient improvements. The iPhone 5 could stream video online, the iPhone 6 dramatically increased screen size and the iPhone X removed the familiar home button to stretch the display even further. There's nothing as wild in the iPhone 15 lineup. The phones are faster and have better cameras, but last year's models were plenty fast and have terrific shooters.
