SAN FRANCISCO _ Apple's newest iPhone 7, unveiled here Wednesday, looks much the same as its predecessor.
But with an improved camera, faster speed and more storage, Apple is hoping to generate consumer excitement for its most important product line.
Apple executives touted the new iPhone as its best ever. The new iPhone will come in jet black and black, as well as other colors. Its home button has been redesigned not to click but to give a vibration at touch.
For consumers considering a new smartphone, the iPhone 7's camera may be the biggest selling point. The higher end iPhone 7 Plus has two different cameras with two lenses, which allows users to take better zoomed photos. It also has a new photo feature called Depth Effect that better focuses on the subject of the photo.
"This is the best camera we've ever made in an iPhone," said Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple.
The iPhone 7 will start at $649, the same price as the iPhone 6, but the new devices will have more storage. The iPhone 7 Plus with a bigger screen and more features will begin at $769. Pre-orders for both start Friday and both will be available on Sept. 16.
Much of Wednesday's Apple event, though, was focused on what will be missing in the new iPhone _ the headphone jack _ as the company is pushing toward a wireless future. The new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will come with earpods including a Lightning connector, as well as an adaptor for those with headphones with cords.
Given that this move will likely irritate some consumers, Apple executives spent time Wednesday explaining why taking away the headphone jack makes sense.
Space on the iPhone is at a premium, Schiller said. But mostly, the company sees wireless audio as the future. "The reason to move on comes down to one word. Courage," he said.
The firm unveiled a new product, the AirPods, which are wireless earbuds. They will cost $159 and will be available in late October.
The company also unveiled a new line of its Apple Watch, dubbed the Apple Watch Series 2. Apple said its watch ranks No. 2 in sales after Rolex. While the new watch looks about the same as the first model, there will be a few changes. It will be swim proof and have built-in GPS.
It will also have a wrist version of the hit mobile game, Pokemon Go.
Apple Watch will also come in a Nike edition, called Apple Watch Nike+, focused on runners. Apple Watch Series 2 as well as the Nike watch will be available on Sept. 19. The new watch will start at $369. The price of the older Watch will drop to $269.
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