Apple Inc. unveiled its latest iPhones as the company seeks to reignite sales of the smartphone that has propelled much of its extraordinary growth over the past decade.
The new phones, called iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, removes the traditional headphone jack but includes a force-sensitive “home” button, a new two-camera system and a sharper screen, among other different features. Questions, though, remain whether the changes will be enough to reignite excitement about the iPhone.
The iPhone 7 will start at $649, the same as the previous model, but will offer twice the minimum amount of storage. The larger iPhone 7 Plus, which offers a bigger screen, begins at $769. Preorders start Friday in more than two dozen countries, with availability beginning a week later.
Ahead of the announcement, Apple also showed off a new game based on the Super Mario videogame character and its next-generation smartwatch, which will include a wrist-top version of the hit mobile game “Pokémon Go.”
The new Super Mario Brothers game, called “Super Mario Run,” isn’t the original one but instead is a version that was designed specifically for a touch-and-tap experience. The game represents the first Mario app for a device that isn’t related to Nintendo Co., and the move follows the success that Nintendo has had with its “Pokémon Go” app.
The product is expected to come out in time for the holidays; pricing information wasn’t immediately provided.
Apple called its second-generation smartwatch, Apple Watch Series 2, which behaves essentially the same as the original but is water resistant, includes a built-in global-positioning system and the “Pokémon Go” app, and offers versions that include a ceramic case and a Nike-geared edition.
The new watch goes on sale Sept. 19 for $369 and up, and the older Watch will drop in price to $269.
Sales of Apple’s phone have been falling as consumers wait longer to upgrade, and Apple faces fresh competition from rivals including Samsung Electronics Co. and Huawei Technologies Co.
Much of the discussion ahead of the event centered on the phone’s headphone jack. TheWall Street Journal reported earlier this year that Apple planned to eliminate the 3.5-millimeter jack, to make the phone thinner and improve its water resistance. Critics panned the idea, but some believe the move may push the technology industry into more widespread adoption of wireless headphones.
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SOURCE: The Wall Street Journal, Robert McMillan
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