Apple reveals its new iPhone will cost £999
APPLE has revealed its trio of new iPhone handsets, including the special edition iPhone X, which is the most expensive phone the tech giant has ever made.
Going on sale on November 3, the X will cost £999 and is the first iPhone to feature an edge-to-edge display and remove the home button from its face.
The new phones were introduced during the company’s first live event in its new Steve Jobs Theatre in California.
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, featuring glass rears and wireless charging for the first time were also announced, alongside a mobile signal enabled Apple Watch and a 4K resolution supporting Apple TV.
Apple boss Tim Cook paid tribute to the company’s late co-founder Steve Jobs as he opened the live event in the venue which bears his name.
Mr Cook also used Mr Jobs’s favoured “one more thing” line to announce the iPhone X.
The Apple boss called the new device the “future of the iPhone”, and announced it will feature new facial recognition technology called Face ID.
As well as being used to unlock the device, Face ID technology can also be used to create Animoji - animated emoji controlled by the user’s face.
The X, along with the new iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will all feature wireless charging capabilities for the first time.
The new 8 and 8 Plus start at £699 and £799 respectively. The 8 Plus also features new camera technology called Portrait Lighting.
This uses artificial intelligence to automatically improve the lighting effects of portrait photographs and better show off faces.
However, despite the wide range of announcements, industry analyst Ernest Doku from uSwitch.com said some consumers might not be convinced by Apple’s new line-up. “On the 10-year anniversary of the iPhone, Apple was always going to have to move mountains with the latest versions of its iconic handset,” he said.
“As we reach a smartphone singularity of rectangular slabs, increasingly more homogenous in terms of looks and specs, customers are further away than ever from blind loyalty to the latest device.
“The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus serve a suite of much-needed upgrades to the range boasting an improved dis- play, faster processor as well as a return to the glass rear - all the better to introduce wireless charging for the first time.
“The announcement of iPhone X to commemorate a decade of Apple innovation is definitely one for the fanatics, introducing an incredible high resolution screen, a dual lens camera with image stabilisation, and new ways to navigate with the loss of the iconic home button.
“While it’s satisfying to see the new iPhones pack a slew of new features, boasting everything from a depthsensing camera to the iPhone X’s Animoji animated emojis, Apple still faces a challenge in convincing both the uninitiated and long-term fans alike that these new devices are the true innovation the market has long needed.”
Away from smartphones, Apple also announced the Apple Watch Series 3, which includes its own mobile signal, enabling users to make calls, send messages and stream music without being connected to a smartphone.
An enhanced version of the Apple TV was also revealed, one that supports 4K resolution and high dynamic range (HDR) for better picture quality.
The Watch and TV will go on sale on September 22, alongside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.