CUPERTINO, Calif. -- "One more thing." With that phrase, Apple paid homage to its late co-founder Steve Jobs for the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone on Tuesday when it unveiled its latest -- and, at US$999, its most expensive -- new version of the device, the iPhone X.
- Scroll down or click here to read a replay of the announcement
CEO Tim Cook called it "the biggest leap forward" since the first iPhone. ("X" is pronounced like the number 10, not the letter X.) It loses the home button, which revolutionized smartphones when it launched; offers an edge-to-edge screen; and will use facial recognition to unlock the phone.
Apple also unveiled a new iPhone 8 and a larger 8 Plus with upgrades to cameras, displays and speakers.
Those phones, Apple said, will shoot pictures with better colours and less distortion, particularly in low-light settings. The display will adapt to ambient lighting, similar to a feature in some iPad Pro models. Speakers will be louder and offer deeper bass.
Both iPhone 8 versions will allow wireless charging, a feature thought to be limited to the anniversary phone. Many Android phones, including Samsung's, already have this.
STEVE JOBS HOMAGE
This is the first product event for Apple at its new spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino, California. Before getting to the new iPhone, the company unveiled a new Apple Watch model with cellular service and an updated version of its Apple TV streaming device.
The event opened in a darkened auditorium, with only the audience's phones gleaming like stars, along with a message that said "Welcome to Steve Jobs Theater." A voiceover from Jobs, Apple's co-founder who died in 2011, opened the event before CEO Tim Cook took stage.
"Not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," Cook said. "Memories especially come rushing back as we prepared for today and this event. It's taken some time but we can now reflect on him with joy instead of sadness."
The iPhone X costs twice what the original iPhone did. It sets a new price threshold for any smartphone intended to appeal to a mass market.
NEW WATCH
Apple's latest Watch has built-in cellular service. The number on your phone will be the same as your iPhone. The Series 3 model will also have Apple Music available through cellular service.
"Now, you can go for a run with just your watch," said Jeff Williams, Apple's chief operating officer and in charge of Watch development.
Apple is also adding more fitness features to the Watch, and says it is now the most used heartrate monitor in the world. Now, Apple Watch will notify users when it detects an elevated heart rate when they don't appear to be active. It'll also detect abnormal heart rhythms.
The Series 3 will start at $399. One without cellular goes for $329, down from $369 for the comparable model now. The original Series 1, without GPS, sells for $249, down from $269. The new watch comes out Sept. 22.
APPLE TV GETS UPGRADE
A new version of the Apple TV streaming device will be able to show video with sharper "4K" resolution and a colour-improvement technology called high-dynamic range, or HDR.
Many rival devices already offer these features. But there's not a lot of video in 4K and HDR yet, nor are there many TVs that can display it. Apple TV doesn't have its own display and needs to be connected to a TV.
Apple said it's been working with movie studios to bring titles with 4K and HDR to its iTunes store. They will be sold at the same prices as high-definition video, which tends to be a few dollars more than standard-definition versions. Apple said it's working with Netflix and Amazon Prime to bring their 4K originals to Apple TV, too.
The new Apple TV device will cost $179 and ships on Sept. 22. A version without 4K will cost less.
Replay of Tuesday's Apple announcement below:
2:56 p.m.
Tim Cook thanks audience, and says Steve Jobs would be proud of the company today.
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2:46 p.m.
iPhone X battery life two hours longer then iPhone 7. New charging mat will work with iPhone X, iPhone 8, Air Pods, and new Apple watch. System dubbed 鈥淎irPower.鈥�
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2:41 p.m.
iPhone X features dual 12 MP cameras, larger and faster sensors, dual optical image stabilization, better low-light zoom, and improved video stabilization.
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2:29 p.m.
Face ID adapts if your face changes. It even works if you grow a beard, and it cannot be fooled by photos. Face ID will work to unlock third-party apps and Apple Pay.
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2:22 p.m.
iPhone X鈥檚 OLED Super Retina 5.8 inch display closely borders device鈥檚 edges. It has a 458 ppi resolution -- the highest ever in an iPhone. The home button is eliminated in favour of a 鈥渟wipe up鈥� feature for home access and multi-tasking. The side button activates Siri. A face-detecting Face ID feature is introduced to unlock iPhone X.
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2:20 p.m.
iPhone X announced. 鈥淭he biggest leap forward since the original iPhone,鈥� says Cook.
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2:13 p.m.
iPhone 8鈥檚 augmented reality capabilities will enhance gaming functionality. iPhone 8 will also feature Qi wireless charging.
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2:06 p.m.
The new iPhone 8 will use dual cameras to power a 鈥減ortrait lighting鈥� feature to give photos a more professional look. The iPhone will also have the 鈥渉ighest quality video capture ever in a smartphone.鈥�
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2:00 p.m.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is a 鈥渉uge step forward,鈥� said Cook. New device is glass, front and back. Glass is 鈥渕ost durable ever in a smartphone.鈥� New Retina HD displays, 5.5 inches for 8 Plus, 4.7 inches for 8. Will feature new six-core A11 Bionic chip.
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1:54 p.m.
Jenova Chen of thatgamecompany unveils Sky, a romantic adventure game for Apple TV, iPad, and iPhone. The game is played with one finger using Siri. iPhone up next!
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1:49 p.m.
Apple TV app to be released in Canada and Australia later this month.
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1:46 p.m.
Apple CEO Tim Cook claims Apple TV is the "next major inflection point" for television, as he says the A10X chip-powered device is getting 4K video quality. High dynamic range will provide 鈥渂etter pixels鈥� for crisper and sharper images.
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1:40 p.m.
Apple CEO Tim Cook says the company's new smartwatches can stream music to wireless Apple Ear Pods, calling it a "big moment for Apple Watch." The new line of Apple Watches will be available for U.S. customers on Sept. 22.
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1:30 p.m.
Apple Watch Series Three will have built-in cellular capability, eliminating the need for wearers to carry an iPhone in order to receive calls. Apple claims the next version of its smartwatch will deliver up to 70 per cent more performance, thanks to a new processor, which means Siri will be able to talk through the watch, and Apple Music will be available too.
The Apple Watch Series Three display will serve as its cellular antenna, and will be available in essentially the same sizes as the previous generation.
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1:29 p.m.
Apple's next generation operating system for its line of smartwatches, Watch OS4, will be available Sept. 19.
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1:26 p.m.
Watch OS4 will feature a redesigned app with high-intensity workout training capabilities, including features for swimmers. The wearer鈥檚 heart rate will display on the main screen of the Apple Watch, which will monitor for atrial fibrillation and send a notification when heart rate is elevated and the user does not appear to be active. Apple also announced the launch of an Apple Heart Study.
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1:21 p.m.
Apple CEO Tim Cook says Apple Watch saw 50 per cent year-over year growth, and is the number one watch in the world.
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1:17 p.m.
Apple store redesign unveiled. The new stores are to be called "town squares." The company鈥檚 new flagship store, called Apple Michigan Avenue, will open in Chicago on Oct. 20.
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1:15 p.m.
Cook is discussing the new Apple Park campus and the new Steve Jobs Theater, saying they both embody the company鈥檚 values. He said the buildings are powered with 100 per cent renewable energy, and that there are more than 9,000 trees planted over its 175 acres.
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1:05 p.m.
Apple CEO Tim Cook begins the presentation with a tribute to the company鈥檚 co-founder, Steve Jobs, saying "It is the honour of a lifetime to be the first to welcome you to the Steve Jobs Theater" and "his greatest expression would not be a singular product, but Apple itself."
