Apple Inc. on Wednesday rolled out the latest version of its iPhone, which dispenses with the headphone jack while adding much-requested features such as better photographic capabilities, longer battery life and water resistance.
Consumers can place orders for the iPhone 7 and the 7 Plus starting Friday and the devices will go on sale Sept. 16 for $649 and $769, respectively.
In late July, Apple CEO Tim Cook celebrated at a company meeting the sale of the billionth iPhone and he used term "cultural phenomenon" when speaking of the firm's flagship product during Wednesday's event at Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco.
Even so, iPhone sales began to slip earlier this year amid intense competition in the smartphone segment and the tendency of iPhone users to replace their phones less often.
With the iPhone 7, Apple catches up with competitors by offering water resistance. The new phone can withstand being submerged in a meter (3.2 ft.) of water for 30 minutes or more, according to the California tech giant.
Apple eliminated the headphone jack, while including with the iPhone 7 an adapter allowing users to run headphones through the device's Lightning connector.
For those wanting to go fully wireless, there will be cord-free Apple AirPods, available starting next month for $159.
The new iPhone will incorporate iOS 10, which Cook described as Apple's most ambitious operating-system upgrade to date.
At the heart of the iPhone 7 is an A10 Fusion chip that Apple says has 120 times the processing power of the chip in the first iPhone.
The iPhone 7 comes with a 12-megapixel camera supported by new image-processing software and automatic image stabilization.
Buyers of the Plus get two 12-megapixel cameras, one with a wide angle and the other with telephoto, allowing the phone to approach the capabilities of professional-grade cameras.
The event in San Francisco also featured the presentation of the Apple Watch Series 2, which adds GPS and 50-meter water resistance in a bid to make the timepiece more attractive for runners, swimmers and hikers.
Already the maker of the best-selling smart watch, Apple wants to grab a chunk of the ever-more-competitive market for sport watches.
Another feature of Apple Watch Series 2 is Pokemon Go.
Source: EFE
