iPhone X Launch | Apple WWDC 2017 Extended Highlights 1080p. On Tuesday, Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook will take the stage for the first time in the Steve Jobs Theater at its new campus. Apple plans to unveil three phones—another first—including a premium model that could cast a halo over the rest of the line, and perhaps even the rest of the smartphone industry. The hoopla Apple has generated around the iPhone’s 10th anniversary is a reminder of how much the company relies on its iconic gadget, which still represents about two-thirds of sales despite Cook’s concerted push into services. In fact, Apple’s entire business is built on the back of the iPhone: It’s a remote control for the Apple TV and upcoming HomePod speaker; it’s currently tied to the Apple Watch, syncs with the iPad and Mac, and is home to services like Siri, Maps, and Apple Music. In recent years, Apple has experimented with cheaper models in a bid to sell more phones in emerging markets where it’s often an also-ran. The gambit has had mixed results, and Apple now mostly positions its smartphone as a near-luxury product. That strategy is being tested as never before because the premium iPhone X will for the first time break the $1,000 price barrier, which could be too rich for many consumers. There’s little question the new trio of phones will sell briskly, but competition is increasing at home and abroad. According to Counterpoint Research, Chinese phone maker Huawei has surpassed Apple as the second largest smartphone brand after Samsung. For its part, the South Korean company has launched its own trio of well-received phones this year, the Note 8, Galaxy S8, and Galaxy S8+. Google is expected to announce new versions of its Pixel phones in October, while Chinese phone maker Xiaomi announced its Mix Mi 2 smartphone this week with an all-screen design that shares some characteristics with the iPhone X. Below, we break down what to expect at Apple’s most important event in years, including a new version of the Apple Watch that connects to wireless networks and an upgraded Apple TV. The company is also preparing important software updates for all of its platforms—iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS – and is likely to showcase some features from those on Tuesday. iPhone: Apple is planning to unveil three iPhones, including two that are upgrades to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus and a premium model called the iPhone X. Here’s what we know about the high-end device: Edge-to-Edge Screen: With no bezels and no borders on the top and bottom, the focus will be on the new screen: an OLED display that more accurately reproduces colors and makes content much crisper. You’ll be able to see more texts, videos and website information without scrolling down because the screen will be taller than the one on the iPhone 7 Plus. Expect the whole screen to be slightly larger than the one on the iPhone 7 Plus (5.5 inches), but because of the lack of bezels, the phone’s overall size will be closer to the smaller iPhone 7. The screen will also feature “True Tone” technology, a sensor that allows the screen to change temperature based on the environment, according to leaked software code. No Home Button: Just as significant as additions to the iPhone are the pieces that are missing. A decade after debuting the home button as the main physical control on the device, Apple is removing it for the premium model. In its place: A thin virtual bar that can be dragged up to launch features like multitasking and close apps. See our in-depth story on the change from last month. No Touch ID: Also gone is the fingerprint scanner. Introduced with the iPhone 5s in 2013, the Touch ID feature in the home button let iPhone users unlock their devices in a split second. It also authenticated Apple Pay transactions and approved downloads from the App Store. For this next phone, the company tried to embed it into the screen itself, but faced manufacturing problems, Bloomberg reported earlier this year. 3-D Face Unlock: In place of Touch ID there’ll be a 3-D facial recognition scanner for unlocking the phone. It’ll aptly be called Face ID, according to the leaked code. It’s designed to scan your features within a few hundred milliseconds and can work even if the device is laying flat on a table. The sensor would also be used to authenticate payments and launch secure apps, Bloomberg reported. It will work in the dark, too. Inductive Charging: This is a new feature to the iPhone, but one that’s been on competing smartphones for a number of years. You’ll be able to lay the iPhone on a charging pad instead of plugging it into a charging cable.
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