iPhone 14 launch LIVE: New phone boasts ‘best battery life EVER’ and huge makeover

CELLING IT

Apple says the new model has ”the best battery life ever in an iPhone”.

You also get an OLED Super Retina XDR display, protected by Apple’s Ceramic Shield.

There are five colours available: Midnight, Starlight, Blue, Purple and Red.

It’s powered by last year’s A15 chip, with an improved GPU to help boost gaming.

PHONE HOME!

The iPhone 14 is finally official – and it’s coming in TWO variants.

You’ve got the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus.

That’s a departure from last year’s iPhone 13 and 13 Mini.

The iPhone 14 has a 6.1-inch screen, while the Plus features a 6.7-inch display.

AIR FARE

So how much will the AirPods Pro set you back? You’re looking at a $249 bill.

They’re available to order on September 9.

And the release date is September 23.

There’s also an option to get free engraving from Apple on the case, including with Memoji.

POD 2.0

Say hello to the new generation of Apple AirPods Pro.

It comes around three years after the first-gen version launched.

There’s a new H2 chip inside to deliver better sound quality.

And Apple says sound quality is ”transformed” with a low-distortion driver and amplifier.

The AirPods Pro support spatial audio (just like the old version) so you can hear full 360-degree sound.

And there’s a new iOS 16 iPhone feature that lets you use the camera to scan your ears to personalise your sound experience.

Unsurprisingly, the AirPods Pro also ship with active noise cancellation, shutting out ambient sound – great if you’re on a noisy train or busy street.

Apple says the new model doubles the amount of noise cancelled versus the original pair.

The AirPods stems are now touch-sensitive so you can lightly swipe them to control your audio.

And Apple says a single charge offer six hours of listening time per charge – that’s 33% up on the old model.

It means you get 30 hours of total listening time with the charging case.

POD POWER

We’re now moving on to Apple AirPods.

Tim says they’re ”the best and most popular headphones in the world”.

WATCH, WATCH, WATCH

Here’s the full line-up: Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Ultra and Apple Watch SE.

The SE is the cheapest, and the Ultra is the most expensive.

WATCH THE PRICE

Apple Watch Ultra will cost $799 – a high price, but this is aimed at proper health, fitness and adventure enthusiasts.

It’s available to order today, and will go on sale on September 23.

FIND YOUR WAY

The Ultra sounds great if you regularly get lost in the wild.

There’s a Waypoint feature that lets you quickly add key location pinpoints using the action button – maybe your campsite or a signpost.

Then there’s Backtrack, which uses GPS data to help you easily retrace your steps.

It turns on automatically in the background when you go off the grid, just in case.

And if straits are particularly dire, there’s a built-in 86dB siren that can be heard up to 600 feet away.

GPS, YES!

Apple is talking up the GPS credentials on its new Apple Watch Ultra.

Some environments are tricky for GPS, like areas with tall buildings or dense trees.

They can block satellites, making accurate readings difficult.

Apple has added support for new GPS frequencies – paired with some clever algorithms – to make location tracking much more accurate.

The tech titan says the Ultra boasts ”the most accurate GPS of any sport watch on the market”.

TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW!

As rumoured, there’s a new entry to Apple’s smartwatch line-up: Apple Watch Ultra.

Apple described it as “specifically for exploration, adventure and endurance”.

The case is made from aerospace-grade titanium for a lightweight but tough design.

There’s sapphire front crystal to make the screen durable.

And it has the biggest and brightest display ever featured in an Apple Watch.

There’s a new button called the ”Action Button” that is customisable to give you quick customisable control for a range of functions.

Cellular connectivity is built-in as standard.

And the Ultra offers a whopping 36 hours of battery life on a single charge – with 60 hours of extended battery life using a new optimisation setting.

SE-RIOUS!

There’s also a new generation of Apple Watch SE – that’s the cheaper model.

It’s available in Silver, Midnight and Starlight colour options.

You get great features like Emergency SOS, a swim-proof design, and fall detection.

It starts at $249 for GPS and $299 for the cellular version.

Pre-orders are live today and the release is set for September 16.

TRUE COLOURS

The Series 8 is coming in seven colours.

Apple’s aluminium edition is available in Midnight, Starlight, Silver and Product Red.

The Stainless Steel version is offered in Silver, Gold and Graphite.

It starts at $399 for GPS and $499 for the cellular model.

You’ll also get three months of Fitness+ for free.

Orders are live today, with the official release date set for September 16.

APPLE JUICE!

There’s a new feature that lets you preserve battery life coming to all Apple Watch models after (and including) the Series 4.

This low-power mode gets you 36 hours of power.

It temporarily disables features like Always-On Display and auto-workout detection – while retaining features like fall detection.

CRASH DETECTION

The system works using a host of features, including the accelerometer, barometer, microphone and GPS to detect car crashes.

It was trained on over one million hours of driving and crash data.

And Apple boasts that this feature – and temperature sensing – won’t affect the Series 8’s all-day battery life.

EMERGENCY!

Apple says data shows most of the worst crashes happen in rural areas – and often with a single vehicle.

The new Series 8 can detect if you’re in a sever car crash.

It can automatically contact emergency services, your emergency contacts and share your location.

This could be a genuinely life-saving feature.

8? GREAT!

Now Jeff Williams, Chief Operating Officer at Apple, is on stage to talk about the new Apple Watch Series 8.

It’s ”swim proof, dust proof and crack resistant”.

The smartwatch has all of the same features as the Series 7.

But it also has a new temperature sensor array.

There are new menstrual cycle tracking features for women that use this temperature sensor to detect when you’ve ovulated.

Night-time wrist temperature is an indicator of overall body temperature, and this is sampled every five seconds overnight.

Then in the Health app, you can see nightly shifts in baseline temperature, which can be caused by illness, jet lag and many other factors – as well as ovulation.

SAFETY FIRST

Apple is showing us an ad about how Apple Watch has saved the lives of various users.

It’s a common story we’ve heard before: the Apple Watch has emergency SOS features, heart-rate tracking, and can even detect some heart rhythm issues.

WATCH IT!

First up is Apple Watch, which Tim calls ”an essential companion” that ”encourages you to stay active”.

Rumour has it we’ll see as many as three new Apple Watch models today.

We’ll soon find out.

THE HOLY TRINITY

Tim says we’re going to hear about three different products during today’s event.

We’re getting iPhone, AirPods and Apple Watch.

That’s roughly in line with what was rumoured – so no big surprises here.

TIM TIME!

Apple CEO Tim Cook has just appeared on stage. The keynote officially begins!

The gadget mogul is about to unveil what Apple has been working on behind closed doors.

FINAL COUNTDOWN

In mere moments, Apple boss Tim Cook will begin doling out gadget news.

We’re expecting at least four new smartphones: the iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Also potentially on the cards is an Apple Watch Series 8, Apple Watch Pro and new Apple Watch SE.

And there’s talk of a new pair of Apple AirPods Pro to boot.

A gadget bonanza indeed!

SITTING PRETTY

Media are taking their seats – and the auditorium at the Steve Jobs Theater is filling up fast.

We’re about 20 minutes from the start of the keynote.

Until then, we get to watch a fun swirling animation of an Apple logo made out of space dust. Magical!