Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and All Products Launched at September 2017 Apple Event

iPhone X

Apple has unveiled the iPhone X - pronounced iPhone 10 - its premium smartphone costing more than $999 that showcases the latest technology, including an edge-to-edge OLED display, wireless charging and facial recognition security.

iPhone X will come with the company’s new iOS 11 software featuring new on-screen buttons and gestures to replace the standard physical home button, which has been a mainstay of iPhones since the line’s launch in 2007, plus new animated emoji called Animoji.

The iPhone X will come in two colours, space grey and silver, and is available for pre-order on 27 October, and shipping by 3 November. A 256GB storage option will also be available for $1,149.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said: “This is the iPhone X. It’s the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone.”

No Home Button, instead of pressing a button, users swipe up from the bottom to get to the home screen and swipe and hold to go into multitasking. To wake the device users just tap the screen or lift the iPhone, while control centre is now accessed by swiping down from top right corner of the phone.

The front of the device features a cutout at the top of the new OLED Super Retina display housing a new True Depth camera system for the Face ID facial recognition system and for taking selfies with Apple’s Portrait Mode.

Similar systems have been used by Microsoft for its Windows Hello-capable Surface computer line, but no one has yet cracked the technology on a smartphone. Apple said the system was capable of operating even when the user was wearing glasses, and only unlocks the phone when the user is actively looking at it.

The iPhone X does not include Apple’s Touch ID fingerprint scanner, which was introduced in 2013 under the home button with the iPhone 5S. But Apple said that its Face ID was more secure than Touch ID by a factor of 20.

 Key features | iPhone X

• 3D tracking technology will be used to unlock the phone
• Edge-to-edge display screens that cover the whole front of the phone
• No home button
• Face ID unlocks the phone using facial recognition software. Works with Apple Pay.
• New Portrait Lighting feature Machine learning creates facial landmarks and enhances light effects on the face
• iOS 11 will feature, among other things, peer-to-peer Apple Pay and a redesigned Control Centre
•  
• Wireless charging already in use for the Apple Watch and will now be integrated into iPhones
• 5.8" 'Super Retina' display Supports HDR in Dolby Vision and HDR10 and True Tone
• 64GB and 256GB Costs from $999 for 64GB version and $1,149 for 256GB. Available for pre-order from October 27 and ships from November 3

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

 

Apple chief executive Tim Cook revealed two other phones that upgrade its current range, called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, at the event in the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's headquarters in California.

On the outside the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus has glass on the front and back, with a colour-matched aluminium band around the outside. Apple said that the glass on the back was the “most durable glass on any smartphone” attempting to assuage fears that the new iPhone would be less durable than the iPhone 7.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus both have Apple’s new A11 Bionic chip, faster entirely Apple-designed chipsets and updated video recording - it now reaches 4K@60fps and 1080p@240fps but without the Neural Engine of that fitted to the iPhone X, have improved screens with the company’s True Tone feature, improved speakers and keep its current form with a home button with Touch ID 2 fingerprint scanner, but lack facial recognition and an all-screen design.

Schiller said: “This is the first iPhone created for AR. The cameras are individually calibrated in the factory which makes a huge difference for AR plus AR benefits from the new A11 Bionic chip.”

Apple also added wireless Qi charging like the iPhone X and the latest Bluetooth 5.0 standard, which is expected to become widely used in the next year for headphones and other peripherals.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus will come in three colours and start at 64GB of storage, available for pre-order from 15 September and shipping by 22 September. A 256GB storage option will also available.

Wood said: “The iPhone X and iPhone 8 models are very strong additions to Apple’s portfolio that address increasing competition from Samsung and others. Rivals will be watching how quickly Apple can meet demand for the iPhone X and begin to build margins on a new design with new components.”

Key features | iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

The new gold finish Apple

• Silver, space grey, new gold finish
• Apple claims it's the most durable glass ever in a smartphone
• water and dust resistant
• 4.7" display in the 8 and 5.5" display in the Plus
• Stereo speakers. 25% louder than the speakers in the 7
• A11 bionic chip
• 12MP camera
• 4K 60fps video
• Cameras calibrated for augmented reality
• New Portrait Lighting feature: machine learning creates facial landmarks and enhances light effects on the face (8Plus)
• Wireless charging
• Pre order on September 15, available on September 22
• iOS 11 available on September 19
• 64GB and 256GB
• iPhone 8: $699 for 64GB, $799 for 256GB
• iPhone 8 Plus: $799 for 64GB, $899 for 256GB

The technology company's other new products include the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Apple Watch 4K TV.

Apple Watch 4K TV

Apple has incorporated 4K content from major studios as well as 4K streaming content from the likes of Netflix and others. Sports fans will see upcoming games at the top of their list and tvOS will even show live scores so that you can see if a game is close and decide to tune in.

Apple Watch Series 3

Apple Watch Series 3 alongside with WatchOS 4 will also debut on September 19 which features cellular connectivity via an eSIM, sharing your phone number with your iPhone. This means you can receive calls even if you left your phone at home. The display of the watch is the antenna for 4G LTE and 3G.The new watch is powered by a new dual core processor that is 70% faster than the one it replaces. It's now fast enough to allow Siri to talk!

But not all new models will have wireless connectivity. The Series 3 with cellular will cost you $399, without is $329. The Series 1 remains available at a lower cost at $249.

The new watch also features a barometer to count the flights of stairs you’ve climbed during your day. With all these new features, the Apple Watch Series 3 is the same size as the Series 2.

iOS 11

Apple detailed iOS 11 this past June and as expected it will release it a week and a half after showing off the new iPhone hardware - September 19. with some neat new health and fitness features. The Apple Watch will monitor your heart rate in what Apple calls Apple Heart Study and will signal for any irregularities. Apple hopes this feature will be able to help identify heart disease in the future.

iPhone and iPad users will get a redesigned look with a new customizable control center, better Siri, Live Photo modes, a one-handed mode for the keyboard and much more.