Apple introduced its much-awaited tenth anniversary handset, the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone Ten) at its launch event at the Steve Jobs Theater in San Jose on Tuesday. It has a new 5.8-inch display, called the Super Retina Display, and as predicted, the phone will only unlock once it recognises its owner’s face.
Some more iPhone X specifications – it has no home button, comes with a glass back, dual camera, and a small ridge cutting into the top of its 5.8-inch screen. This is the three times faster than the “fastest phone ever”, according to WIRED. Its battery life is two hours longer than the iPhone 7’s.
The tenth anniversary iPhone X is probably the most leaked of Apple’s products in recent history and while the basic 64 GB model is $999 (almost Rs 64,000), it will come in a more expensive 256 GB variant too. It can be ordered from October 27.
iPhone 8 and 8 Plus
Apple also announced two other new phones, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The 8 will have a 4.7-inch Retina Display, while the iPhone 8 Plus will have a 5.5-inch one. Both will have glass on the front and back and come with wireless charging, called qi (pronounced chi). They will run on a new chip, the A11 Bionic.
The iPhone 8 Plus will cost $799 (around Rs 51,100) and the iPhone 8, $699 (around Rs 44,700).
The company also put out its Watch Series 3, the first official product announcement it made. Apple’s watch is now the world’s largest selling one, having beaten Rolex, Chief Operating Officer Jeff Williams said. The watch will come with AirPods and Apple Music, among other things. It also has a faster processor. The cellular version will cost $399 (around Rs 25,500).
The company also introduced its Apple TV 4K.
Products aside, the venue itself has been much talked about, since this was Apple’s first event there. The theatre, which looks like a spaceship from afar, is considered by many to be the final product designed by Steve Jobs, who died in 2011.
Apple Inc has sold more than 1.2 billion iPhones over the past decade, though it is now only the world’s third biggest smartphone maker. Samsung has dominated the number one spot, while China’s Huawei surpassed Apple to get to number two in August, according to Counterpoint Research’s Market Pulse. On Tuesday, Samsung launched its Galaxy Note 8.
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