We hope you’ve all traded in your old iPhone by now (or at least before September 18), because it’s here! The Apple Special Event that they have been teasing for ages is going down now. Today, we get to find out all the juicy deets on the brand spankin’ new iPhone 6S (cannot wait to see that pretty pink 6S). Will the rumors hold any water? We’ll find out. Plus, we’ll be getting the update on the iPad Pro — what it is and why it’s going on your wish list. We’ll be live blogging the event, which is happening this afternoon, so stay tuned!
Here’s an exterior view of the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium in SF from earlier today. Just reading the words “Special Event” sends chills down our spine.
10:02 AM: Some “monster announcements” are coming.
10:08 AM: Apple Watch now has over 10,000 apps. Facebook Messenger is coming to the Apple Watch! So is iTranslate. As is GoPro, iTranslate and medical app AirStrip.
10:13 AM: HERMÈS APPLE WATCH IS COMING. Apple Watch is coming in Gold and Rose Gold and will be offered at the same price as the Sport collection.
10:17 AM: It’s iPad Time. “Today we have the biggest news in iPad since the iPad.”
10:20 AM: The iPad Pro has finally made its debut. Here’s a first look. It is indeed a 12.9-inch display and features a groundbreaking 5.9 million pixels. AH! The new A9X chip has unbelievable new speeds — it’s 1.8 times faster than the previous chip. “This is desktop-class performance.”
10:27 AM: The iPad Pro will have “10 hours of battery life.”
10:29 AM: The iPad Pro will come with a Smart Keyboard using brand new Smart Connector technology. Oh yeah, notebook computer, here we go. AND there is the Apple Pencil, the brand new stylus for artists and designers that comes along with the iPad Pro.While the “Apple Pencil is designed to look and feel like a familiar tool,” it comes with a “precision that allows you to actually be able to touch a single pixel.”
10:36 AM: Whoa. Apple just brought in a Microsoft exec to discuss productivity for the iPad Pro.
10:42 AM: Adobe Exec Eric Snowden has taken the stage and just introduced a brand new app called Adobe Photoshop Fix, which has many of the capabilities of Photoshop but is exclusively for the iPad.
10:48 AM: “This is the most advanced iPad we’ve made in a long time.” Bold words. iPad Pro will start at $799 for 32 GB. There will be a 128 GB WiFi-only option for $949 and a 128 GB option with LTE capabilites for $1079. The Apple Pencil retails at $99. The Smart Keyboard will go for $169. All will be available starting in November.
10:53 AM: New iPad lineup!
10:54 AM: The rumors were correct. Apple is indeed launching a new iteration of the Apple TV. “We believe the future of television is apps.” The new Apple TV comes with a revolutionary remote, specially designed operating system tvOS and video games, and has Siri capabilities.
11:05 AM: Whaaa? If you miss a line from a show, just ask Siri “What did she just say?” And Siri will back-track on a show/film by 15 seconds and turn on closed captioning. Siri will also help you find what you want to watch on Apple TV with just a few voice commands. Fancy.
11:16 AM: STOP EVERYTHING. Apple TV also changes online shopping as we know it. You can now shop with Apple TV’s touchscreen remote.
11:24 AM: Apple TV starts at $149 for 32 GB and $199 for 64 GB and is coming in late October.
11:25 AM: Guys, guys, guys. It’s iPhone time. PINK!!!
11:30 AM: The iPhone 6S comes in two sizes and features new glass using IonX, not Sapphire glass as previously speculated. The aluminum shell is a new custom Apple alloy. The new iPhone comes with 3D Touch — basically Force Touch. New gestures are called “peek” with a light press and “pop” for a harder press.
11:36 AM: 3D Touch changes the way you use your iPhone. Forever. “This is a dynamic system, deeply integrated into iOS 9.”
11:38 AM: This is not a drill. Using 3D Touch on the Camera App, you can click and immediately pull up an emergency selfie option.
11:41 AM: The new A9 chip is 70 percent faster at CPU tasks. For graphic tasks, it’s 90 percent faster than the A8.
11:45 AM: Hey, Siri feature still around, and Siri is still sassy.
11:46 AM: All new iSight camera does indeed have a 12-megapixel sensor, and 50 percent more pixels than before. The auto-focus is faster than ever to take beautiful “noise-free” images. For the first time, you can take 4K video — every frame has eight million pixels.
11:52 AM: The FaceTime camera has five megapixels and uses your LED screen to act as a flash when you need to take front-facing selfies.
11:54 AM: LIVE PHOTOS is Harry Potter photos IRL. Now when you’re taking a photo, your camera will capture just a second before and after your picture, so that using 3D Touch, your images will briefly “move.”
12:oo PM: iPhone 6S and 6S Plus will be coming in at the same prices and storage capacities as previous 6/6 Plus. Pre-order begins September 12 and drops officially on September 25. iOS 9 drops on September 16!
12:02 PM: Apple has unveiled their own iPhone Upgrade Program, which gives you the iPhone every year, allows you to choose your own carrier and features unlocked phones and a 24-month installment plan. Unrolling in the US first.
Are you watching and blogging or Tweeting along today? Share what you’re most excited about below — and keep refreshing this page for regular updates!
(Photos via Stephen Lam/Getty + Apple)
