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Full coverage: Apple iPhone X, iPhone 8 & 8 Plus, new Apple Watch, and more

Apple on September 12 unveiled the anniversary-edition iPhone X, besides the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, Apple Watch Series 3, new Apple TV K4, among other devices. Read full coverage here

Apple iPhone X unveiling
Apple iPhone X devices unveiled in California, US, on September 12, 2017. Photo: Reuters
BS Web Team New Delhi
Last Updated : Sep 13 2017 | 2:47 PM IST
US-based global technology major Apple, in arguably the biggest tech event of the year, on September 12 unveiled a series of devices -- from the much-anticipated anniversary-edition Apple iPhone X with facial recognition technology and augmented reality geatures, to iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the new Series 3 of Apple Watch, and the next-generation Apple TV K4.

The company, celebrating a decade of innovation in telephony hardware through the iPhone devices, has brought the iPhone X, where the Roman X stands for 10, denoting 10 years, which is seen by tech experts as a leap towards what will be "future of iPhones.

To be available from November 3 (pre-bookings start from October 27), the Apple iPhone X is going to cost Rs 89,000 in India, while both iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus are estimated to be priced at Rs 64,000 for the base variant with 64 GB internal memory.

Key things to know about the historic Apple event and the devices unveiled:

Stronger than ever: Apple CEO Tim Cook said at the event that the new iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, made of aerospace-grade aluminium, are 50% stronger than the previous-generation iPhones. Here is a chronicle of everything said, revealed and unveiled at the Apple event.

Features of the iPhone X: The iPhone X, which will come with storage of 64GB and 256GB will start at $999, boasts augmented reality features and other new technology, besides edge-to-edge display and no home button. “With expected innovations around AR, wireless charging, viewable screen size, OLED, and more, the next iPhone is clearly poised for its largest upgrade cycle yet,” wrote Ben Schachter, an analyst at Macquarie Securities USA Inc, in a note.

The biggest leap forward: Living up to the hype it generated on the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, Apple's iPhone X with facial recognition system, iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, new Apple Watch Series 3 and Apple TV 4K impressed many. Apple chief executive Tim Cook, speaking at the first event at the new campus theatre named for the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, said the latest flagship handset is a milestone for the company a decade after the first iPhone release.


Is the iPhone X just about its cameras? When you pick up the Apple iPhone X, instead of unlocking with your thumb, you stop and grin at the phone’s front unibrow as a bank of cameras and sensors check to see if it is really you. People unlock their phones hundreds of times a day, so this selfie ritual will turn iPhone X owners into the most-photographed population ever. And showing off the move to others is probably the best iPhone sales pitch in years — even if this one costs $1,000 or more.

Apple iPhone X vs iPhone 8: The iPhone 8 is a pretty update to the line that began with the iPhone 6 in 2014. Then there is the iPhone X, a major overhaul that Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook called “the future of the smartphone". But how are the two iPhones different -- they must be, given that their base model prices have a difference of $300. Read all about the differences here.

A watch that can make calls, and more: More than two years after releasing the Apple Watch, Apple Inc has finally been able to replicate the 1940s comic strip technology, an advance that analysts say will spur sales. The Series 3 of the Apple Watch, unveiled on September 12, features wireless LTE connectivity. That means customers will be able to make phone calls or send text messages from the watch without needing to have an iPhone nearby, as they do with earlier models.


How much will the new Apple iPhones cost in India? According to the company, the innovative Apple iPhone X could cost RS 89,000 for the base model, while the other two iPhones -- iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus -- could be priced at the same level of Rs 64,000 for the base model.


Will the new line of iPhones change Apple's India fortunes? Apple is yet to make a dent in India’s massive mid-range smartphone market, even as it bets on the country to drive growth and counter a fall in sales of its flagship iPhone in the US and China. The company’s first locally assembled device, the iPhone SE, has not performed as expected. Apple sells around 30,000 units of the iPhone SE in India on a monthly basis, utilising less than half the capacity of its contract manufacturer, Wistron. The unit is located in Bengaluru. While all the new devices fall in the premium segment, Indians' appetite for these high-priced devices will be keenly watched.

But Wall Street was disappointed: The major Wall Street indices on September 12 hit record closing highs, with financial stocks leading the charge, but gains were stunted by a decline in Apple Inc shares after it unveiled its latest line of iPhones. It was believed that supply constraints and later-than-expected delivery date for the iPhone X (November 3) left the markets disappointed. 

Reasons why investors were not impressed: For Apple shares' weak stock market performance on September 12, while some investors cited worries about whether Apple would face supply shortages, others said traders were just taking profits. Tim Ghriskey, chief investment officer of Solaris Asset Management in New York, said: "There were no blockbuster surprises, though what they are doing with the products is all pretty good." 


The competition: Meanwhile, market leader and rival South Korean firm Samsung launched the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 in India on the same day as the unveiling of Apple's iPhones and many other devices. Coming after a lost opportunity last season, marred by the Note 7 fiasco, Samsung's much-anticipated Galaxy Note 8 is to cost Rs 67,900 in India.



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