iPhone 2018 first look: Apple's launch event scene by scene (pictures)
Apple's 2018 iPhone event: Today is the day
Apple will kick off its show at 10am PT (1pm ET) on Sept. 12, with what's expected to be a long list of product refreshes. Follow along for our live coverage.
Apple's 2018 iPhone event: What's in the case?
Apple started off the show with a Mission Impossible-themed video, showing a staffer running with a case that ultimately ends with CEO Tim Cook opening it.
What does the case contain? A slideshow clicker.
Apple's 2018 iPhone event: CEO Tim Cook takes the stage
Tim Cook is doing his usual introduction, talking about how the iPhone and iOS has changed our lives. He's giving a bit of a history run down, in comparison to now.
New Apple Watch: Introducing Apple's latest smartwatch
Apple COO Jeff Williams is next up. He's introducing the latest version of the Apple Watch: Apple Watch Series 4. "Everything about it has been redesigned and reengineered," he said. "It all starts with a stunning new display. We pushed the screen right to the edges, and curved the corners to perfectly match the shape of the Watch." The new screen is over 30 percent larger.
New Apple Watch: Loads of new hardware
Other features include a back made of black ceramic and sapphire crystal, allowing radio waves to pass through for better cell reception. The watch also has a new S4 chip inside that contains a dual-core 64-bit processor and a new GPU. This should deliver two-times faster performance.
The device's new accelerometer and gyroscope have two-times the dynamic range with eight-times faster sampling and up to 32 g-forces. There are a number of software tricks to complement these changes. For instance, the watch can now automatically detect falls and offer an Emergency SOS call. (It will start the call if you're immobile for a minute after the fall).
New Apple Watch: What's new?
The digital crown has been reengineered and includes haptic feedback. The speaker has also been redesigned so that it is much louder. "Ask Siri something, and she comes back with volume," Williams explained. The mic has been moved to the other side, too, to reduce echo.
New Apple Watch: Built-in ECG scanner
Apple invited the president of the American Heart Association, Dr. Ivor Benjamin, on stage to discuss the new watch that has a built-in ECG scanner that's FDA approved.
New Apple Watch: Pricing and release date
Apple Watch Series 4 has a starting price of $399 with GPS and $499 for cellular. Apple is keeping the Series 3 in the line, starting at $279. Apple Watch Series 4 GPS will be available in 26 markets at launch, cellular in 16 markets with 34 carriers. Orders open on Sept. 14, and shipping starts on Sept. 21. Finally, Apple's watchOS 5 will be available on Sept. 17.
New iPhone: Introducing the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
Phil Schiller, Apple's SVP of Marketing, is now on stage to announce two new iPhone models: a 5.8-inch iPhone XS smartphone, as well as a 6.5-inch version called iPhone XS Max.
New iPhone: Is bigger better?
The new iPhones models feature edge-to-edge OLED displays, reduced bezels, and a "notch" that holds the front-facing TrueDepth Camera system. Honestly, these look nearly identical to the iPhone X. But they're both available in a new gold color -- and the XS Max version is huge.
Apple said its the biggest iPhone ever, and the biggest smartphone you can buy. The iPhone 8 Plus from last year is only 5.5 inches large.
New iPhone: Inside the A12
Both phones feature the A12 Bionic chip, which Apple called the industry's first 7-nanometer chip.
It has a six-core CPU, four-core GPU (up to 50-percent faster than A11), and an updated version of the Neural Engine, meant to handle AI tasks. While Apple's old Neural Engine could handle 600 billion operations per second, this new one crunches 5 trillion operations per second.
New iPhone: Face ID only
Notice there is no Touch ID home button on these beauties? That's because Apple wants to go with Face ID instead. You can use this feature, which has been improved, to unlock your phone, verify payments, login to apps, and create Animoji or Memoji in Messages. It relies on the TrueDepth Camera system, housed in the notch on the front, to work.
New iPhone: AR support included, of course
Apple spent a chunk of its keynote demoing new AR experiences on the latest iPhone models, including a demo of Blades, the new Bethesda mobile game and HomeCourt a basketball training app that was shown off by one of its investors, NBA Hall of Famer Steve Nash.
New iPhone: Introducing ARKit 2
Apple further introduced ARKit 2, the latest version of Apple's augmented reality platform, and said it has enhanced surface and object detection, a new Measure app, and has been improved to work with the new iPhone model's calibrated cameras and A12 Bionic chip.
New iPhone: New cameras
The new iPhone models come with new front and back cameras.
Here's a quick rundown:
- Rear: Dual cameras (12-megapixel wide and telephoto lenses)
- Front: 7-megapixel camera (will bring depth to portrait mode photos_
New iPhone: Introducing iPhone XR
Apple has just announced yet another iPhone model, called iPhone XR.
It features a notched 6.1-inch LCD display, which Apple is calling a "Liquid Retina" display. It offers a 1792 x 828 resolution at 326 PPI. The screen is obviously not OLED. There's also no 3D Touch -- but it does have a new Haptic touch system.
The XR looks like a larger iPhone XS, but it has an aluminum frame, rather than stainless steel, and there's IP67 water and dust protection instead of IP68.
New iPhone: iPhone XR has Face ID
Other iPhone XR features include Apple's latest A12 Bionic processor, a single 12-megapixel wide-angle camera on the rear, and a 7-megapixel sensor on the front that allows for Face ID.
New iPhone: iPhone XS and XS pricing and release date
Going back to the first two models announced, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, Apple said they will both come in three capacities: 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB.
The 64GB configuration of the iPhone XS will cost $999, while the 64GB iPhone XS Max will sell for $1,099. Pre-orders start Sept. 14, with the phones shipping from Sept. 21.
New iPhone: iPhone XR pricing and release date
The iPhone XR, which seems like a less flashy iPhone XS, will come in several colors, like black, white, blue, coral, yellow, and red. It starts at $749 for a 64GB model, with 128GB and 256GB models also available. Pre-orders begin Oct. 19, and it will ship a week later on Oct. 26.
iOS 12: Release date
Lastly, in terms of the iPhone, Apple announced the release date for its upcoming iOS 12 update: Sept. 17. It features improved notifications, Memoji, Screen Time, Siri Shortcuts, and more. It's also supposed to improve performance and responsiveness on old and new iPhone models.
HomePod: New features
Tim Cook briefly touched upon the HomePod, Apple's Siri speaker. In an upcoming update, it will let you search for songs via Siri by asking about lyrics. You'll also be able to make and receive phone calls from the device, ping your iPhone when you've misplaced, and set multiple timers on the HomePod. There's no exact date for when these features will arrive, though.
tvOS 12: Release date
Apple revealed it will roll out tvOS 12 on Sept. 17.
Apple previously confirmed it was bringing Dolby Atmos support to the Apple TV, as well as a new zero sign on feature that only requires you to be connected to your provider's Wi-Fi network in your home to automatically be logged into apps that require cable logins. The only provider supporting this feature right now is Charter Spectrum, but Apple said more providers are coming.
The tvOS 12 update will bring password autofill, new screensavers, and more.
macOS Mojave: Release date
Finally, Apple is releasing macOS Mojave for Macs on Sept. 24. It features a dark mode, more options for organizing your files (such as in "stacks"), and new iOS ports. It was first announced in June, and a public beta became available at the end of June.