By Meleasie Goviro, EM TV News, Port Moresby
Apple retains its reputation as the world’s leading information technology company with the introduction of two new and innovative products; the iPhone SE and Liam, a robotic system designed to recycle iPhones.
Apple looks to improve its credibility and customer base with the introduction of affordable and greener technology.
The iPhone SE is much faster, has a four-inch screen with Apple’s vaunted A9 chip, which also runs Apple Pay and comes in the wildly popular rose gold colour.
The company aimed to reverse a decline in worldwide sales of previous iPhones, which were normally unaffordable to most selling at $649 US.
Apple otherwise expected a decline in sales this quarter.
“Well we’re going to start the price of the iPhone SE at only $399 which makes it our most affordable price we’ve ever introduced a new iPhone at. And we have a high capacity 64GB model for just $499 and if you are on a two year subsidized service contract you can get the iPhone SE for free,” said Apple CEO, Tim Cook.
Apple also introduced Liam, a robotic system capable of taking apart junked iPhones and recover valuable materials that can be recycled.
Liam was created to address criticism that Apple’s products are so tightly constructed that their components were difficult to disassemble, refurbish and reuse.
Some environmental activists have criticised Apple for not making its products ‘greener’.
The recycling system will focus on iPhone 6’s sold in the United States, where Apple gets about 40 per cent of its revenue.
A second Liam is being installed in Europe, Apple said.
Meanwhile, Chief Executive Tim Cook defended the company’s refusal to comply with a US court order to unlock an iPhone belonging to one of the shooters in a December attack in San Bernardino, California.
“We did not expect to be in this position at odds with our own government but we believe strongly that we have a responsibility to help you protect your data and protect your privacy.
“We owe it to our customers and we owe it to our country. This is an issue that impacts all of us and we will not shrink from this responsibility,” Cook said.
The tech company’s dispute with the US government has brought about a broader debate on data privacy in the United States.
