James Titcomb has filed his latest dispatch live from San Fransisco, and it's a hands on with the new iPhone 7 Plus. Here's what he thinks:

I’ve been able to barge my way through the throngs to have a quick play with the new iPhone 7 Plus, and collected some initial thoughts. The first thing to say is that to the untrained eye, there is little difference from either the 6 or 6s, both visually and in holding the phone - the very nice jet black shade notwithstanding. Many will feel that this alone doesn’t make the 7 much of an upgrade.

But play around with it for a while and it’s clear that a lot has changed. The stereo speakers sound very impressive, and the redesigned camera in the 7 Plus is a significant upgrade. While it’s difficult to judge picture quality in a packed showroom, it’s clear that zoomed-in photos are a lot crisper and clearer, and the tweaked software, which replaces pinch to zoom, makes it much easier to take a long-distance shot.

The wireless AirPods are also nicely thought out: take one earphone out, for example, and the music will stop. And contrary to my fears, they didn’t immediately fall out of my ears.

Many of the under-the-hood features - water resistance, battery life improvements and better performance - won’t become clear until several weeks of use, but at first glance, there is enough here to get fans excited.</s>Apple has unveiled its long-awaited iPhone 7 an event in San Francisco today, alongside the iPhone 7 Plus with a dual-lens camera and a "swim-proof" Apple Watch 2.

As expected, Apple has done away with the headphone socket on both iPhone models.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will ship with a pair of wired headphones that plug into the charging port on the bottom of the device, as well as an adaptor for people who want to hang onto their old headphones.

The company also showed off a pair of wireless headphones, called AirPods, which can be purchased for an additional £159.
• iPhone 7: Release date, price, images and key features of Apple's new iPhone

These can connect to both the iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2 with just a tap, according to Apple, and switch "seamlessly" between entertainment and calls.

Both the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus have an IP67 rating, which means they are totally protected against dust and can be immersed in water to a depth of 1 metre.

They also feature a new home button which is "force-sensitive", meaning it provides haptic feedback when you use it in different ways.

Both phones have upgraded cameras. The iPhone 7 has a 12-megapixel wide angle camera, which Apple claims is 60% faster and 30% more energy-efficient than previous models, and has 4 LEDS in the flash.

The iPhone 7 Plus has an additional telephoto camera, which together with the standard 12-megapixel wide angle camera offers optical zoom at two times and up to 10 times digital zoom for photos.

Apple said the camera software would be updated later this year, allowing the iPhone 7 Plus camera to capture depth-of-field, and separate the background from the foreground to achieve amazing portraits once possible only with DSLR cameras.

Both iPhone 7 models come in five colour options - silver, gold, rose gold, black and "jet black" (which is shiny), and three storage options - 32GB, 128GB and a whopping 256GB.
• When is the iPhone 7 coming out in the UK? How to pre-order the new Apple smartphone

They will run the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system, iOS 10, which among other things bring a host of new exciting messaging features.
• How much do the new iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus cost in the UK - and is the iPhone 6s any cheaper?

In the UK, Apple said the iPhone 7 will be available from a starting price of £599 for the cheapest 32GB option. The 128GB version is £699 and the 256GB version will set you back a whopping £799.

The larger iPhone 7 Plus will be even more of a wallet buster than it's smaller sibling.

The cheapest (32GB) iPhone 7 Plus costs £719, followed by a 128GB model at £819, and then a 256GB variant costing an astonishing £919 in the UK.

The new jet black finish will be offered exclusively on the 128GB and 256GB models.

Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch Series 2 at its launch event, which looks almost identical to its predecessor.

However, while the first Apple Watch was "splash" proof, the second edition Series 2 is "swim" proof - completely water resistant to a depth of 50 meters, in both swimming pools and open water.

The Apple Watch 2 also has built-in GPS, so it can record precise distance, pace and speed for outdoor workouts such as walking, running or cycling.

The Apple Watch 2 is available in two different case sizes - 38 mm and 42 mm - and three different colours - gold, rose gold, silver or space grey.

The Apple Watch 2 will be available in gold, rose gold, silver or space grey aluminium, or silver or space black stainless steel cases paired with a wide variety of bands starting at £369.

"Despite being touted as a credible numbered sequel, it was difficult to escape the feeling that the iPhone 7 is very much an iterative device rather than the step change needed to allay concerns of falling fortunes," said Ernest Doku, telecoms expert at uSwitch.com.

"Having said that, the device nailed the key features consumers look for in a flagship smartphone, from an improved display and increased resilience to water and dust, to an improved camera and better battery life.

"Only time will tell if this is the model to help Apple to break away from Samsung, who is aggressively biting at their heels with a strong line-up in the Galaxy S7 and Edge."</s>At Apple's iPhone 7 unveiling in San Francisco on Wednesday, the tech powerhouse revealed a host of new and updated hardware and software, including a new type of headphone jack and souped-up camera. Here's a rundown of the biggest announcements.

As expected, iPhone is removing the standard analog headphone jack and forcing headphones to use its "Lightning" connector, which plugs into the phone's charging port. The iPhone 7 will come with an adapter so older earphones can still be used. But Apple is pushing Apple AirPods, which CEO Tim Cook says are a "breakthrough design," wireless headphones that sync across all Apple devices and respond to touch that can access Siri. The AirPods are shipping in late October and cost $160.

Apple's new iPhone is getting a faster processor, an updated home button and will come with water and dust protection. Apple says the iPhone 7 home button is now force sensitive, so responses can differ based on how hard you press it. It's similar to what Apple has done with a trackpad in a slimmer MacBook model last year. The iPhone 7 will have stereo speakers for the first time, with twice the volume of iPhone 6S speakers. The phone's battery life is improved, too; Apple estimates that the 7 Plus will have an additional hour of battery life compared to the 6S.

Camera improvements include a new flash with four rather than two shades of color to match ambient light. High-end photographers can get images in RAW format, which allows for more versatile editing, matching what many leading cameras now have.

The iPhone 7 Plus will have two cameras with different lenses that will boost the zoom capabilities of the camera. The camera can now zoom in up to 10 times the original size of the photo. Both cameras take 12 megapixel photos. The two lenses will also sense depth and allow users to blur backgrounds in images, mimicking an effect that typically requires changing the lens aperture in stand-alone cameras.

Other smartphone makers such as LG and Motorola are also starting to offer models with dual lenses to improve picture quality. The difference is the wide angle on LG G5 has lower resolution with 8 megapixels.

The iPhone 7 will start at $650, the same as the 6s it replaces. The larger Plus model is increasing to $770, instead of $750. They come in silver, gold, rose gold, black and the new jet-black finish. Storage has been doubled, so Apple joins rival phone makers in making the starter model 32 gigabytes, rather than 16 gigabytes before. Apple is doubling storage in higher-priced models, too — to 128 and 256 gigabytes.

The new phones will ship Sept. 16, with orders to start this Friday. Older iPhones will get price reductions, and last year's models are also getting double the storage.

The latest software update, available on Tuesday, will add more intelligence to Apple services like Maps, Photos, the iPhone keyboard and Siri, the voice-activated digital assistant. There's a new Home app to control appliances. In a big change for Apple, the company is also opening Siri and its iMessage service to work with apps created by independent developers.

Apple is also allowing developers to build apps for iMessage, although the options so far appear to mostly involve sending payments or ordering food. It's also adding bigger emoji and other visual effects for iMessage, including what it calls "Invisible Ink," which blurs an image in a message until a recipient swipes a finger across the screen. Apple announced many of the features in June.

Apple introduced a "swim-proof" watch, the Apple Watch Series 2. The new watch has built-in GPS, a brighter display and faster processor than the previous Apple Watch. There's also new ceramic watch-face. The price starts at $370. The original model will get a faster processor price cut to $270, down from $300. The updates are coming Sept. 16.

Existing watches can get new operating software on Sept. 13. In addition, there's a new Apple Watch Nike +, a Nike-branded Apple Watch in four colors that's designed for runners. It is also priced at $369 and is available late October. Battery life, which has been a weak spot of the watch, was not mentioned.

A Pokemon Go app is coming to Apple Watch. The app lets you collect items from Pokestops, hatch eggs and alert you to nearby Pokemon (you still need your phone to catch actual Pokemon). It will be shipping before the end of the year.

Nintendo debuted a new Super Mario game for iOS called Super Mario Run. It's the first iOS game featuring Nintendo's Mario characters. Nintendo has long resisted bringing Mario to mobile phones, relying on it instead to sell its hand-held DS gaming systems. The new game, which can be played one handed, will be released in time for the holidays. The game will have a fixed price which is being kept under wraps for now. The news sent Nintendo shares soaring on Wednesday.

Apple Pay will come to Japan in October with a new wireless technology called Felica to be included in iPhones and Apple Watches there. Apple Pay will also come to New Zealand in October and Russia in the fall.

In the U.S. and elsewhere, mobile payments use a wireless technology called NFC. A transit feature in Apple Maps will also launch in Japan.

Apple iWork suite of software, including word processing, processing, spreadsheet and presentation programs, will include real-time collaboration features for the first time. It's something Google and Microsoft already offer in some form. Although Apple's iWork package allows syncing through iCloud, it's has been primarily for one person to work on documents at a time. The software is available for iPhones, iPads and Mac computers, with a web version for Windows users.</s>Just a days left before the much-awaited event of fall 2016. We don’t have to explain what the big news is all about as the whole world is standing on its toes to see what Apple will reveal on the 7th of September 2016. It is the D-day for the new Apple iPhone 7.

The Silicon Valley giant encrypts its invite every year. There is always something new that excites the fans and followers towards the new release, as they are seen decoding the hidden message with speculations and predictions each year.

This time, it is no different. The cryptic invites sent out last week revealed that the grand Apple event would take place at the Bill Graham Auditorium in San Francisco, United States.

Apple has a habit of being sneaky and secretive about its products. It has never released any iPhone upgrade without being mysterious. We all desperately wait for the upgrades and try to piece together the unfinished puzzle.

The tech giant never confirms any update about its products before the actual launch. The recent invite of Apple Inc. for the event of 7th September iPhone 7 launch had a simple tagline “See you on the 7th” with coloured circles.

Even the in Pakistan, people who love Apple products and do online shopping in Pakistan on a regular basis are going crazy about the iPhone 7 launch.

The invitation for the much-awaited launch event was itself laced with so many hints about the upcoming model. The translucent dots in the invite are coloured which relates to the coloured Apple iPhone 7 handsets. These dots are popularly known as the bokeh effect in photography which occurs in low light.

Fans speculate that the new Apple iPhone will feature an upgraded camera lens that makes it possible to photograph in low light. Either way, Apple is ready to step-up to the competition with Samsung, Huawei and Sony with improved photography capabilities. It is very likely that these predictions will be correct, and we will get to see the new flagship device soon.

The dots can also be water droplets which are also relevant to the fact that the new Apple device will have waterproof design feature.

With just days left before the expected launch, the buzzing rumours about Apple iPhone 7 price in Pakistan and all over the world have skyrocketed. It will be a surprise if Apple doesn’t stick to its yearly upgrade of iPhones. The star product has seen yearly updates over a period of 9 years. The 10th generation of iPhone should be no different.

All evidence points out to various upgrades in the new Apple iPhone 7. It is expected that Apple will ditch its typical 3.5 mm headphone jack. The device will feature lightning connected headphones along with an adapter in a box for traditional headphones. Hence, we can expect a slim and waterproof design.

The most significant upgrade that we have been hearing since the beginning of 2016 is the 5.5-inch display screen. Apple will eliminate the home screen button, thus increasing the display size. The larger size of Apple iPhone 7 is rumoured to boast a dual lens camera resulting in advanced image quality.

The upcoming iPhone 7 Plus is rumoured to come in five different colours. A glossy piano black and a darker shade of black in matte are the two new colours to watch out for. This generation of Apple iPhone will not feature grey, but we will see rose gold, gold and silver.

Leaks have shown that Apple iPhone 7 will have a capacity of 32GB and will max out to 256GB, making the 10th generation Apple iPhone 7 devices the most capacious model up to date.

All existing rumours also lead to the information that Apple iPhone 7 will go up on sale on the 16th or 23rd September. All Pakistani fans can pre-order the device online in just a few clicks to get it before anybody else.

Apple surely has something big planned for this year and like always, the fans will have something to talk about even after the release of Apple iPhone 7 until Apple decides to con up with something new next year.</s>Apple is expected to unveil a new iPhone on Wednesday -- a cause for celebration for the throngs of iFaithful.

But on Wall Street, Apple's stock has become something less than iXtradordinary. It's boring. A laggard. Dare I say, a has been?

Apple (AAPL, Tech30) stock is up just 2% this year. Meanwhile, the Dow and S&P 500 have both gained more than 6% year-to-date.

Tech rivals Amazon (AMZN, Tech30) and Facebook (FB, Tech30) have gained 15% and 20% respectively in 2016. Both have stolen a bit of Apple's thunder.

So has Google (GOOGL, Tech30) parent Alphabet. The Android maker's stock is up nearly 25% in the past year and is not far from its record high.

The bloom is off of Apple's rose. (Or shall I say rose gold?)

What's more, Apple's stock fell nearly 5% in 2015. So even though shares are slightly higher this year, they are still lower than where they were at the end of 2014. And the stock is about 20% below its all-time high from April 2015.

Why is Wall Street no longer infatuated with Apple? It's become too predictable.

Related: What to expect at Apple's big iPhone event

Investors want more than just new iPhones every year. The improvements tend to be incremental. So there's no pressing need for consumers to constantly upgrade. (I'm waiting for 2018 ... and hope Apple pulls a "Dodgeball" and releases the iPhone Ocho.)

The stakes are very high for Apple.

The company even finally activated its long dormant Twitter account last week -- replacing the generic Twitter egg with the Apple logo as its icon and adding the images from the promotional material for the 9/7 event in the background.

It tweeted an ad as well -- although the promoted tweet doesn't actually appear on Apple's Twitter page.

There have been lots of rumors about the iPhone 7 already -- so it may be tough for the company to surprise consumers (and investors) in a positive way.

If anything, there may be more outrage than elation if Apple -- as expected -- dumps the headphone jack on the iPhone 7.

The lack of any major innovation from Apple lately is a key reason why analysts are predicting that sales and profits for the full fiscal year (which ends this month) will be down from a year ago.

Revenues and earnings aren't expected to rebound all that sharply next year either. Wall Street is forecasting a sales increase of less than 4% and earnings increase of only 8%.

Related: These smartphone makers are beating Apple in China

Investors want to see another revolutionary product. The Apple Watch is not it. CEO Tim Cook has repeatedly promised that there is more in the Apple pipeline. But we're still waiting.

It seems unlikely that Cook will have a trick up his sleeve at the iPhone 7 event that will rejuvenate interest in the stock among growth-oriented investors just yet either.

The stock is cheap though. It trades for only about 12 times earnings estimates for next year. It also has gobs of cash -- more than $231 billion. (It may need to part with a chunk of that it if Apple loses its tax battle with the EU though.)

And then there's the dividend. Apple's payout yields 2.1% -- more than a 10-Year U.S. Treasury bond. So Apple, amazingly enough, has become little more than a modern day AT&T (T, Tech30). You buy it for the dividend.

Any additional juice from earnings and sales growth is gravy...unless Cook finally unveils something truly new from Apple to get Wall Street jazzed again.</s>Apple has unveiled the new iPhone 7, having made the phone water resistant for the first time and removed the headphone jack.

The tech giant's chief executive Tim Cook announced the phone at an event in San Francisco, though a social media glitch saw the firm's Twitter account - only recently activated - accidentally reveal the news early.

A new version of the Apple Watch, called the Series 2 and with greater focus on health and exercise tracking, was also announced, including a special Nike+ version for runners.

The Watch, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus will go on sale on September 16, with pre-orders for the devices beginning on Friday.

Instead of the traditional headphone connection, iPhone packages will now come with earphones that fit into the phone's Lighting port, currently used for charging and data transfer.

However, Apple also revealed new wireless earphones, called AirPods, that will connect to both iPhone and Apple Watch remotely.

An adaptor that enables traditional headphones to continue to plug into the iPhone will also be included in the box.

The iPhone 7 has also had its camera completely redesigned, with a much-rumoured second lens being added to the larger iPhone 7 Plus that will enable users to capture more zoomed images without losing picture quality.

The lenses across the two phones now contain a 12 megapixel sensor.

Mr Cook said of the smartphone: "It has become the industry gold standard.

"iPhone is the phone by which all others are measured and it has become a cultural phenomenon."

In July, the tech giant revealed it had sold the one billionth unit of the device, while Mr Cook said the Apple Watch was now the world's second most popular watch brand and most popular smartwatch.</s>Apple is expected on Wednesday to unveil its latest iPhones, kill the audio jack and announce a new version of the Apple Watch.

For iPhone owners, this is a chance to see if the next-generation smartphone -- likely called the iPhone 7 -- is worth an upgrade or waiting another year. Of course, tech fans are eager to see if the once groundbreaking company has something unexpected in store, too.

While Apple announcements used to electrify with unexpected hardware and software, guests and its signature "one more thing" surprise, the well-oiled rumor machine has since killed most of the mystery.

We'll be live at San Francisco's Bill Graham Civic Auditorium starting at 10:00 a.m. PT/1:00 p.m. ET. Check back for updates and photos of new gadgets as they're announced.

Fresh iPhones: Apple is expected to release two new iPhones, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and remove the traditional headphone jack. Other rumored changes include waterproofing and dual cameras for the Plus.

Jack controversy: The removal of the audio jack might make it easier to waterproof the iPhone, but will make all existing wired headphones obsolete, unless people buy an Lighting adapter.

Apple Watch 2.0: The Apple Watch came out last year, and until now, there's been no major hardware upgrades -- unless you consider different color straps "hardware". The new Apple Watch will likely look like its predecessor and include GPS but not tout its own cellular connection. This means users will still have to keep their iPhone nearby for the watch to work.

New software: Apple previewed major updates for all its operating systems -- iOS 10 for the iPhone and macSierra for Mac computers -- this summer at its developer conference. Now, the company is going to recap what's new and share final release dates. iOS 10 is the most exciting update, which has a ton of major feature additions for messaging, Siri and photos.</s>Apple CEO Tim Cook and company are hosting a major press event in San Francisco today where they’re taking the wraps off of the new iPhone 7 and Apple Watch 2. And we’re here live bringing you all the news as it happens.

Apple unveiled iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus. As expected, Apple did away with the headphone jack. For those who want to plug in their headphones, they’ll have to go through the lightning USB port; Apple is offering an adapter for existing headphones. Alternatively, Apple is offering wireless earbuds they call AirPods, which will set you back $159. The new iPhones will come with a powerful 12 megapixel camera and 4.7 Retina HD display. The 7 will start at $649 and the 7 Plus will start at $769.

Apple Watch 2 will be waterproof. Apple senior VP Jeff Williams specifically said this watch would be “swim-proof.” The original Apple watch was just “splash-proof.” The new watch will also of much more robust graphics performance, with a display that will be two times brighter than the original. This watch and the Nike (NKE) edition of this Series 2 watch will start at $369.

Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off a couple of surprises including the announcement of Mario Run, a new mobile game for the iPhone from Nintendo (NTDOY). This is obviously exciting news for Nintendo fans, who have already been delighted by Nintendo-related games like PokemonGO. In fact, PokemonGO is coming for the the Apple Watch.

Stay tuned and don’t forget to check back after the show for all of our hands-on impressions and the hottest of takes from the Yahoo Finance crew.



Why the headphone jack must die

Apple spits on history by removing the headphone jack

Why I’ll never want an Apple Watch

Why I’m buying the new Apple Watch</s>SAN FRANCISCO — Apple is expected to show off new iPhones, an updated smartwatch — and maybe some new gear for listening to both — during its annual fall product launch event today.

Hard-core Apple fans will be watching closely for details about the newest features coming to Apple’s gadgets, from a widely anticipated dual-lens camera for the iPhone to a rumoured GPS sensor in the Apple Watch.

But even casual users of consumer technology may be interested to see if Apple follows through on reports that it’s eliminating the iPhone’s analog headphone jack, since that could pave the way for a big shift in the way people listen to digital music.

Getting rid of the traditional analog jack means future iPhone owners will need earbuds or headphones that use a digital connection, either through a wireless signal like Bluetooth or a cord that fits in the same port used for recharging the device.

Apple may ship the next iPhones with an adapter that lets older headsets plug into the charging port. Tech blogs and industry analysts say Apple is also working on new headsets that fit the iPhone’s “Lightning” power port, and possibly new “Air Buds” that use a Bluetooth-like wireless signal.

Aside from some new colours, the new iPhones aren’t expected to look much different from the models Apple has been selling since 2014, which include a standard model with a 4.7-inch screen and a “Plus” version with a 5.5-inch screen.

Analysts say Apple is departing from its usual two-year development cycle and won’t announce a major revamp of its signature smartphone this year. Despite a recent dip in iPhone sales, most Apple watchers don’t expect a big overhaul until 2017, the 10th anniversary of the first iPhone’s release.

Even so, the new phones are expected to come with faster processors, more memory and better cameras — an upgraded lens for the standard iPhone and a new dual-lens system for the Plus model that promises better “zoom” capabilities and improved performance in low lighting.

Analysts say the new Apple Watc h will also have some new features, including a GPS sensor that can be used with exercise apps and other services. But despite reports that Apple has been working on giving the watch its own cellular capability — meaning it wouldn’t need to be paired with an iPhone — analysts say that’s unlikely to come this year.

Apple is also expected to announce the dates when the new models will go on sale, along with its timetable for releasing the next major upgrades to the software for iPhones, iPads, the Apple Watch, Apple TV and Mac computers.

Though it might not seem dramatic, eliminating the 3.5 millimeter headphone jack would be controversial. On the plus side, it could let Apple make the iPhone slightly thinner and possibly waterproof; it might also free up space for other components. And some enthusiasts say a digital connection provides better audio quality.

But critics are already complaining that the old analog headphones worked better than most wireless headsets, which can be clunky to set up and sometimes randomly drop their connections.

Most existing headphones won’t plug into the iPhone’s charging port without an adapter. And it isn’t clear how you’d plug in your headset if you’re already charging your phone.

For many people, listening to music and watching video — not to mention making the occasional phone call — constitutes one of the main uses for a smartphone.

Along with the new iPhones, some analysts expect Apple use today’s event to promote new gear from Beats Electronics, the high-end headphone maker that Apple acquired two years ago for $3 billion.

Apple has a history of preemptively doing away with older technologies, often prompting lamentations from users — at least until they got used to it. Co-founder Steve Jobs famously decided the first iMacs didn’t need a floppy disk drive in 1998, years before Windows PCs followed suit. Later, he made waves by selling MacBooks without a CD drive or even a traditional hard drive.

More recently, Apple made millions of old power cords incompatible by replacing the 30-pin charging port on older iPhones and iPads with the much smaller Lightning port in 2012.

Some of Apple’s rivals are also moving away from the headphone jack. Already this year, Lenovo’s Motorola division and Chinese smartphone maker LeEco have released phones without analog audio jacks, relying instead on cords that plug into a new digital port known as USB-C.

“The market is changing,” said Jim Thiede, head of global product marketing at Motorola, who expects to see a number of manufacturers producing “USB-C headphones, earbuds and what have you” over the next three to six months.

Some believe Apple’s real goal is to move people away from cords and plugs altogether.

Apple has already cut the number of ports on its latest MacBooks, encouraging owners to use wireless features like Apple’s AirDrop and AirPlay for sharing files or streaming music and video, he noted.

If more iPhone owners use wireless headsets, they may also be likely to try streaming music or other services wirelessly from the Apple Watch, said Carolina Milanesi, a mobile tech analyst at the research firm Creative Strategies.

That may be part of Apple’s longer term plan, she added.</s>Apple on Wednesday unveiled two upgraded versions of its iPhone and a new waterproof smartwatch, seeking to reignite growth for the iconic technology maker.

The iPhone 7 and larger iPhone 7 Plus, with new camera technology, 50-meter water resistance and other features, were the highlight of an Apple media event in San Francisco.

The new devices come with Apple seeking to reverse declines in sales of the iPhone in an increasingly saturated global market, and boost its Apple Watch — in a slump since the enthusiasm of last year’s release wore off.

Apple chief executive Tim Cook said the new smartphones take advantage of the latest iPhone software, iOS 10.

“We are about to launch iOS 10, our biggest iOS release ever. It is jam-packed with new features,” Cook said.

“Now of course the world’s most advanced mobile operating system deserves the most advanced smartphone, and here it is.”

The flagship devices will be sold at around the same price as the models they replace, starting at $649 for the iPhone 7 for US customers, with deliveries in 25 countries beginning September 16.

One new iPhone feature — which may ruffle some feathers — is the removal of the headphone jack, requiring audio to be delivered via Apple’s proprietary “lightning” connector or by wireless.

“From the start we designed lightning to be a great audio connector,” Apple vice president Phil Schiller told the unveiling event.

“We are taking the headphones in iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to lightning, and including them in the box with the device.”

Apple will also include an adaptor to allow consumers to use existing headphones with the iPhone.

The iPhone 7 Plus, Apple’s version of a “phablet,” includes dual cameras to improve optical performance and photo quality, the company said.

While Apple has touted total iPhone sales of one billion, the number sold in the quarter ending June 25 fell 15 percent from a year earlier, highlighting concerns over growth for the key profit driver.

Apple had saved a further surprise for its launch event, announcing jointly with Nintendo that “Super Mario Run” — featuring the iconic game character and developed specifically for mobile — will hit the App Store this year.

Apple, Nintendo and game maker Niantic announced the wildly popular Pokemon Go would be available for Apple Watch users later this month.

On the wearables front, its new Apple Watch Series 2 will also feature GPS — allowing people to gather fitness data during an outdoor workout without need to take along a smartphone.

“We started shipping Apple Watch just 18 months ago, and already people all over the world are using it in many aspects of their daily lives,” Cook said.

“But we are just getting started.”

Sales figures for the smartwatch are not disclosed by Apple, but surveys show enthusiasm has faded since last year’s release.

Apple saw a 56.7 percent year-over-year drop in sales of the device in the past quarter, research firm IDC said.
Apple announces the release of the iPhone 7 along with the Apple Watch 2.