Apple launches iPhone 8, iPhone X and new watch

The iPhone X will cost $999 -- about $70 higher than the Galaxy Note 8, its major competitor.

Ten years after Steve Jobs unveiled the first iPhone, Apple, on Tuesday, launched its latest range of devices -- three new iPhones, as well as upgrades for the Apple Watch and Apple TV.

While launching the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, CEO of Apple Tim Cook said, "No other device in our lifetimes has had the impact on the world the iPhone has.

"It's truly amazing how much iPhone impacts the world each and every day. Our intention with the iPhone has always been to create something so powerful, so immersive and so magical, that the hardware virtually disappears."

The phones will be available in three colours -- silver, gray and gold.

The iPhone 8 display is 4.7 inches (5.5 inches on the iPhone 8 Plus), with a Retina HDR display.

The phones are also dust- and water-resistant.

The glass, according to Apple, is "the most durable ever in any cell phone".

The phones feature a 12 megapixel camera and also a new video encoder.

The phones also offer a dual-camera feature called "Portrait Lighting".

iPhone 8 has LTE Advanced, BT 5.0 and a glass back for wireless charging!

The star of the show, however, was iPhone X (pronounced "iPhone Ten"), Apple's first phone that supports wireless charging. Besides, it features an all-screen display and facial recognition software.

This new phone from Apple features an edge-to-edge screen with a notch at the top to accommodate the front-facing camera and sensors.

It also has the highest pixel-density (458ppi) display ever in an iPhone, and Apple has termed in the Super Retina display.

There is no home button on the iPhone X; instead, you swipe up to go to the home screen.

The iPhone X will cost $999 (Rs 64,000).

It will have 64 GB and 128 GB models.

Talking about the Apple Watch, Cook said it is designed to help people stay 'active and motivated so they can have a better day', adding, that it is now 'numero uno in the world, above Rolex, Fossil, Omega, Cartier'.

Jeff Williams, Apple COO, said the Apple Watch is the most-used heartrate monitor in the world.

Apple Watch OS 4 will be available from September 19.

The new watch will sport a quad core processor and since Siri will now be able to talk, you can ask it a question and won't need to look at the watch for an answer.

Apple's new watch has its own SIM card and cell connectivity and can also stream music.

Apple also announced Animoji, animated emoji for iOS 11, which users can control with their faces. They're available inside messages.

To deal with the power needs of all these new devices, there's a charging pad that can handle multiple devices -- the Watch, iPhone, and even wireless earbuds. It's called AirPower.

The launch event took place at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple’s new Apple Park “spaceship” campus at Cupertino, California.

Photographs: Stephen Lam/Reuters