The day of the biggest Apple Event in years has arrived, and we’ll be following all along the way. Be sure to check back as we live blog today’s event to fill you in on everything Apple unveils.
Steve Jobs Theater
Tim Cook is the first person to grace the stage at the grand opening of Steve Jobs Theater. He begins the event with a monologue honoring Jobs and by addressing the victims of the recent hurricanes in Texas and Florida. Angela Ahrendts followed Cook with an update on Apple’s retail initiatives and Apple Stores “Town Squares” to engage customers.
Apple Watch
Getting to the actual hardware, Cook took stage again to introduce Apple Watch – now the number one watch in the world. Apple COO Jeff Williams follows Cook to the stage to talk about updates to watchOS, such as GymKit, heart rate app updates and Apple Heart Study, which uses data from Apple Watch and notifies users of potential trouble. watchOS 4 will be available on Sept. 19. Williams next turns to a video introducing the Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular capabilities built in and a new experience with Apple Music allowing you to stream 40 million songs from your wrist when paired with AirPods. Series 3 also has a 70% more powerful processor and a vocal Siri. In order to keep its form factor, the screen serves as the antenna in Series 3.
Apple Watch Series 3 also brings with it new bands and starts at $399 with cellular and $329 without. It will be available for order Sept. 15 and ship Sept. 22. Series 1 will still be available for $249.
Apple TV
Next, Cook turns his attention to the small screen by introducing Apple TV 4K. Eddie Cue takes over for Cook to go over new features including the aforementioned 4K resolution and HDR. The Apple TV 4K also has an A10X chip, the same as the current iPad Pro. The Apple TV 4K will be available starting at $179 and has the same release schedule as the new Apple Watch.
iPhone 8
Tim Cook returns to share a look back at the history of the iPhone before turning his attention to iPhone 8 and inviting Phil Schiller to the stage. The iPhone 8 is made with a durable glass back and aluminum body and is water resistant. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus is updated with a Retina HD display with adaptive True Tone technology. Inside, the iPhone 8 features an “A11 Bionic” chip that’s, of course, faster and more efficient than the A10 chip, and an Apple designed GPU. A11 Bionic also brings improvements to the iPhone’s camera technology. The camera itself also gets a sensor upgrade as well as a slew of new features including augmented reality.
And continuing with the wireless direction (and saving the most requested feature for last), iPhone 8’s glass back enables wireless charging. The iPhone 8 comes in 64GB and 256GB configurations starting at $699. iPhone 8 Plus has the same configurations starting at $799. Orders start Sept. 15, launch is Sept. 22. iOS 11 will be available Sept. 19.
One More Thing … iPhone X
Last but not least, the iPhone X – or “iPhone 10”. As rumors had indicated all along, the iPhone X features a full screen display that kills the home button (replaced with gestures) and a stainless steel body. The iPhone X comes in Space Gray and Silver and features a Super Retina Display with 458ppi.
How will you unlock your iPhone X? Meet “Face ID”, which is exactly what it sounds like. Users will now use the infrared camera on the front of their iPhone paired with other technologies to unlock the device, and it works even in the dark. Schiller assures the audience that Face ID will protect against mock faces (pictures, masks) and that the face data will be secure. He also points out that it will be much more secure than Touch ID.
The iPhone X also gets a huge upgrade in technology, including Dual Optical Image Stabilization and other features shared with the iPhone 8. The front camera even supports portrait mode, and the whole thing is powered by the same A11 Bionic chip as the iPhone 8. Even with all of this, the battery lasts two hours longer than the iPhone 7 and features wireless charging.
iPhone X will be available for order Oct. 22, and will ship Nov. 3. Pricing begins at $999 with 64GB and 256GB configurations.
Be sure to check back to the Rocket Yard on Wednesday to get an in-depth look at Apple’s biggest announcements!
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