10TH ANNIVERSARY LAUNCH
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the tech giant’s latest gadgets — including its most important new iPhone in years — in Cupertino, Calif., on Tuesday. The iPhone X starts at $1,319 and is forecast to reignite sales. Other products include iPhone 8 and 8 Plu
Apple Inc.’s iPhone X needed to be spectacular, with competitors such as Samsung, Essential and Google doubling down on premium features such as facial recognition, bezelless screens and wireless charging.
While to some it may seem like the company’s latest offering is just playing catch-up, others are bound to be impressed by a slick and polished product that’s ready for mainstream adoption.
However, Tuesday’s event was memorable not just because of the iPhone’s 10th anniversary and a host of new products, including two additional iPhones, the Apple Watch and a new AppleTV — it was the first announcement held at the tech giant’s shiny new headquarters in Cupertino.
As the keynote began and the lights dimmed, journalists were asked to close their laptops and dim their phone screens so the auditorium could go completely dark and silent. Steve Jobs’s voice then filled the venue, speaking about Apple’s purpose of striving to be an innovator and making a difference in the world.
“It was only fitting that Steve should open his theatre,” Apple’s chief executive Tim Cook said after he took to the stage once the two-minute audio clip ended. “It is the honour of a lifetime to be the first to welcome you to the Steve Jobs Theater.”
Cook’s voice cracked as he spoke about what Steve meant to him and his colleagues. The auditorium felt unusually sombre. “We dedicate this theatre to Steve because we loved him and because he loved days like this where he could share our latest new products and ideas with the world,” said Cook.
The crowd applauded and then what followed was more than an hour-and-half of new product announcements at a dizzying pace. At the heart of the matter was the iPhone X — pronounced “ten” — which is available for pre-order on Oct. 27 and releases Nov. 3.
“It really is the future of the smartphone,” Cook said from the stage.
The future comes at a price though, as the iPhone X starts at a whopping $1,319, sending a clear signal to the industry that this is a premium device aimed at highend users.
The company said it has been working on the iPhone X for years, which confirms speculation that Apple has been holding back the rollout of major features for the big 10th anniversary model.
What we received was pretty much expected: a 5.8-inch “super retina display” screen that takes up the entire front of the device, facial recognition for security (called “Face ID”), wireless charging and bumped up specs.
For those who don’t want to drop the premium cash, Apple also introduced two other phones: the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. With a design similar to last year’s 7 and 7 Plus, the new models have wireless charging, glass backs instead of aluminum, boosted specs, better screens and more powerful cameras. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus start at $929 with pre-orders beginning on Sept. 15 and available Sept. 25.
Meanwhile, the Apple Watch Series 3 line has a faster processor and lets people use the device through a cellular network (the screen itself acts as the antenna, impressively enough).
In Canada, the cellular model will launch with Bell and come to Telus shortly after with a starting price of $519 (non-LTE starts at $429).
The company also introduced an Apple TV box with 4K, HDR 10 and Dolby Vision support for higher resolution, deeper blacks and better colours. Users who purchased iTunes content will get a free upgrade to 4K content, while video providers such as Netflix will support it soon. The Apple TV 4K will start at $229 and also releases on Sept. 22.
But all the new products sat in the shadow of the bigger narrative of Jobs’s final handiwork coming to fruition: the opening of Apple Park.
The building’s large panes of glass and spaceship-like design are breathtaking.
The products unveiled felt shiny and polished and will no doubt spark consumer demand. While investors were largely neutral to the announcements, with shares remaining flat at close, they — along with everyone else — will be watching what happens next, as Apple is poised to become the first US$1 trillion company if cash registers sing in stores.