Expectations are high for Apple Inc.'s Sept. 12 event, when the company is expected to announce a special iPhone generation alongside updates to other product lines. This year marks a decade since Steve Jobs first unveiled Apple's iconic smartphone. Follow S&P Global Market Intelligence's live coverage of key announcements here during the event.
 Apple's new iPhone X with edge-to-edge display Source: Apple |
"We have one more thing," Apple CEO Tim Cook said after the iPhone 8 introduction, echoing a famous statement by the late Steve Jobs. "We have great respect for those words, and we don't use them lightly," Cook added.
With that, Cook introduced the iPhone X, calling it the biggest leap forward for the smartphone since the original iPhone was introduced by Jobs in 2007.
The new iPhone X, with prices starting at $999, includes a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge display and is made of a new glass compound on the front and back of the phone that executives said increases durability. Many of its upgraded performance and durability features, including the stronger display, are also included in the iPhone 8. The iPhone X will be available in silver and space gray in 64 GB and 256 GB models.
With no "home" button, users unlock the phone with a Face ID facial recognition feature, powered by an array of cameras, sensors and microphones. The phone detects a users' face when they look at the phone, creating a virtual image of the facial landscape, then checks the virtual model against the image of the face stored in the security settings of the phone. All processing is done in-device. The chance a random person could unlock an iPhone X with their unregistered face is 1 in 1 million, Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing Philip Schiller said.
Face ID will also integrate with non-Apple applications.
The company leveraged its Face ID technology to create Animojis, animated emojis that can match your facial movements and expressions. "If you were wondering what humanity would do when given access to the most advanced facial recognition software, now you have your answer," Senior Vice President of Software Engineering Craig Federighi quipped, showing a talking poop emoji.
The technology also synergizes with selfie apps like Snapchat.
When Federighi tried to open a phone using Face ID during a demonstration it did not work for a first attempt, but once it worked it was noticeably more convenient than using a password or a thumbprint. He was able to demonstrate the capability several times during the presentation.
The camera also includes rear-facing camera upgrades. The front-facing camera allows landscape and portrait lighting for selfies.
The iPhone X also includes two hours more battery life than the iPhone 7. Like the iPhone 8, it also includes Qi wireless charging capabilities. Schiller added that the company will release a universal charging pad for Apple devices called AirPower.
The iPhone X will be available for pre-order in 55 countries beginning Oct. 27 and in stores Nov. 3.
iPhone 8 improves speed, camera, AI capabilities
 The iPhone 8 will launch in three finishes: space gray, silver and gold. Source: Apple |
Schiller detailed improved display, speaker and durability features for the iPhone 8 and its slightly larger sibling, the iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone 8 will be powered by a new A11 Bionic chip, which includes a performance core 25% faster than the old A10 chip, he said. The iPhone 8 features a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, while the Plus display measures 5.5 inches.
Turning to the camera, the device includes a new image processing design that allows faster low-light autofocus and performance. The 12 megapixel camera will feature two models, at apertures of f/1.4 and f/2.8, each with improved color saturation, natural contrast and image stabilization.
The dual cameras on the high-end model also employ machine learning to optimize portraits by examining different facial features, the light on the face and the background light. Users can control these features in edit after a photo is taken as well.
Schiller claimed that the new camera includes the highest quality video capture ever in a smartphone, driven by a new video encoder designed by Apple. It handles 4K at 60 frames per second. The encoder optimizes videos by analyzing individual components of each frame across.
Eddy Cue, senior vice president of internet software and services, turned to augmented reality, calling it a new focus for the company's devices.
"This is the first phone really created for augmented reality," he said, explaining that the proprietary accelerometer is integrated with the dual cameras as well as the company's recently launched augmented reality software AR Kit.
Representatives demonstrated an augmented reality gaming experience "Metal 2" on stage utilizing the iPhone 8, integrating a virtual environment with live user movements, centered over a physical tabletop.
The iPhone 8 will include wireless charging, powered by the Qi open wireless charging standard. Schiller said the company hopes to support Qi with its iPhone 8 and drive new use cases for Qi technology. It will be available for pre-order Sept. 15 and in stores on Sept. 22. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus will come in three finishes: space gray, silver and gold.
4K, HDR Apple TV to include in-app live sport
Cook introduced Apple TV 4K, including two "key technologies." Cue took the stage to explain 4K resolution and high dynamic range pixels, both of which are included in the new TV. Cue said the company has also been working with Hollywood studios to get 4K films available on the iTunes Store and with streamers like Netflix Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. to offer 4K content.
The Apple TV application will feature live news and sports availability, with upcoming and ongoing games searchable and cataloged.
Cue and an associate highlighted Apple TV's gaming potential as well, featuring "Sky," a game custom made for Apple TV, where the user controls the game with nothing but the one-button Apple remote. "Sky" can be played remotely with up to eight players.
New Apple Watch includes cellular, voice call capability
 The Apple Watch Series 3 with built-in cellular service. Source: Apple |
Apple COO Jeff Williams introduced a new generation of Apple Watch, opening with a video of a surfer wearing one in the water. The Apple Watch Series 3 has cellular capacity built in, allowing users to go anywhere with only the Watch.
"This has been our vision from the very beginning," he said.
Cellular integration will allow new apps and app features. For example, with Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple Music, users can stream 40 million songs through the cellular feature, Williams said.
The addition of cellular required significant advancements in engineering, including a multi-frequency antennae integrated into the display itself, and a much smaller SIM card. The company fit the new components to support cellular into the Watch without increasing the size of the device from Series 2. Orders for the new Apple Watch begin Sept. 15, and it will be available in stores on Sept. 22.
"It is really magical to make a stand-alone call on a device this small," Williams said, and demonstrated a call.
He explained updated features to the Apple Watch heart monitor, including notifications for elevated heart rate when the user is inactive and arrhythmia warnings, targeted to prevent cardiac events like stroke. A data initiative called the Apple Heart Study compiles and analyzes cardiac data from Watch users to make such warnings possible.
The Apple Watch Series 3 is priced starting at $399 with both GPS and cellular features and at $329 with just GPS. It is available in a number of finishes and wristband styles, including a new gold aluminum.
Angela Ahrendts, senior vice president of retail, earlier took the stage to provide an update on the company's bricks-and-mortar retail growth. The company is launching Today at Apple, educational sessions held at individual Apple stores, including sessions for digital photography and art, app development and gaming.
Apple also used the event to open the Steve Jobs Theater, an auditorium at the company's new Apple Park headquarters, where Cook took the stage after some recorded quotes from Jobs himself. Cook noted that the Apple Park campus was Jobs' brainchild, and he took some time to introduce the park, its sustainability features and the integrated technologies, including an augmented reality experience in the visitor's center.
"It's taken some time but we can now reflect on him with joy instead of sadness," Cook said. "His greatest gift to humanity ... would not be a single product, but Apple itself."