BLOG: Apple's 2017 September product launch event
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Apple is refreshing its lineup of iPhones with camera, display and speaker improvements.
The new phones promise to shoot pictures with better colors and less distortion, particularly in low-light settings. The display will adapt to ambient lighting, similar to a feature in some iPad Pro models. Speakers will be louder and offer deeper bass.
The new iPhone 8 will keep its predecessor's size - 4.7 inches, but have a higher starting price of $699, up from $649. The 5.5-inch iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799, up from $769. The new phones come out Sept. 22
Apple is bucking its traditional naming convention by calling the new phones iPhone 8 rather than 7S. The S designation might have given consumers the impression that the new phones are mere incremental updates from the current iPhone 7.
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The Iphone X was unveiled after the iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus. It has a variety of features, including a super retina display and face identification to unlock the phone.
The Plus version will continue to have two camera lenses and now has the ability to optimize lighting as you shoot.
Both versions of the iPhone 8 will allow wireless charging, a feature thought to be limited to the anniversary phone. Many Android phones, including Samsung's, already have this.
Along with the iPhones, a new version of the Apple TV streaming device will be able to show video with sharper "4K" resolution and a color-improvement technology called high-dynamic range.
Many rival devices already offer these features. However, there's not a lot of video in 4K and HDR yet, nor are there many TVs that can display it. Apple TV doesn't have its own display and needs to be connected to a TV.
Apple says it's been working with movie studios to bring titles with 4K and HDR to its iTunes store. They will be sold at the same prices as high-definition video, which tends to be a few dollars more than standard-definition versions. Apple says it's working with Netflix and Amazon Prime to bring their 4K originals to Apple TV, too.
Apple TV 4K model will cost $179. It ships on Sept. 22. A version without 4K will cost less.
And that's not all, a new smartwatch designed to be less dependent on the iPhone was also unveiled .
Apple Watch will still require a companion iPhone. However, the new model comes with cellular access, so it will be possible to do more - such as receiving messages - while the phone is at home. It will require a data plan, which typically costs $5 or $10 a month.
Since the original watch's debut in April 2015, Apple has been trying to enable more stand-alone features. Last year's model, for instance, introduced GPS capabilities, so that the watch can measure runs and bike rides more accurately without the iPhone nearby.
The new cellular model, called Series 3, will start at $399. One without cellular goes for $329, down from $369 for the comparable model now. The original Series 1, without GPS, sells for $249, down from $269. The new watch comes out Sept. 22.
A rival smartwatch from Samsung already has cellular options.
Existing Apple Watches will get a software update next Tuesday.
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ABC7 News contributed to this story.