New Apple Watch announced, iPhone 15 expected

The new Apple Watch has a better, improved “Find my iPhone” feature. Instead of just pinging the device, the new Watch will be able to point you to exactly where you left your iPhone, like in your pocket. —Kif Leswing

Right off the bat, Apple is focusing on its new S9 chip, which the company is describing as its most powerful processor in a watch to date. It’s the first major upgrade in some years, and it comes after years of upgrades to other features, like screen size or sensors. —Rohan Goswami

Tim Cook quickly mentioned Apple’s upcoming mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro, which the company announced this summer. But he didn’t reveal any new details.

“The Apple Team is making great progress with Vision Pro, and we look forward to shipping early next year,” Cook said. –Ashley Capoot

Apple’s executive Jeff Williams has taken to the stage to present the new Apple Watch. —Kif Leswing

I’m here in the Steve Jobs Theater. Tim Cook has just said we can expect updates about “two essential products” — the new iPhone and Apple Watch. First, though, the company is going to demo new updates to the Mac. –Kif Leswing

The opening ad focuses on how the Apple Watch can help people’s health, featuring people who say it could have saved their lives, citing heart rate monitors and Apple’s emergency SOS feature. The company emphasized its emergency features in a launch event last year, in an unusually serious tone for the company. –Kif Leswing

Apple CEO Tim Cook has kicked off the event.

“We strive to make the world a better place in all things we do and today’s event advances that mission in a number of ways,” Cook said.

— Ashley Capoot

Tim Cook is on stage. Apple’s launch events get major attention from consumers and investors alike. The stream has just begun and there are already more than 1 million people waiting in the YouTube stream, available here.

— Rohan Goswami

We’re seated in the Steve Jobs Theater and the lights are dimming. It’s almost go time.

— Kif Leswing

Silicon Valley angel investor Ron Conway was spotted at the event, chatting with Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, and Eddy Cue, Apple’s services senior vice president.

— Kif Leswing

High above Steve Jobs Theater, a small aircraft is flying a banner urging the company to do more in the fight against child sexual abuse material, or CSAM.

“Dear Apple, Detect Child Sexual Abuse in iCloud,” the banner reads. Apple canceled the rollout in December of a tool that would help identify known or suspected sexual abuse material inside user iCloud drives and storage after backlash over potential privacy intrusions.

— Rohan Goswami

People are enjoying snacks such as juice and fruit as they wait for the event to start.

— Ashley Capoot

People are milling about at the Steve Jobs Theater, a building on Apple’s campus built specifically for launch events. Some are beginning to take their seats.

— Kif Leswing

In keeping with tradition, the Apple Store website is temporarily down as the company prepares to launch its new devices.

The Store should be back up and running shortly after the event.

— Ashley Capoot

Apple CEO Tim Cook posted a cryptic message ahead of the event’s start, as he has done in years past. “It’s almost Time!” Cook wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, along with a photo of the sun rising above the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple’s Cupertino, California, campus.

It could allude to the anticipated new Apple Watch lineup. The company has been reportedly experimenting with titanium casings and 3D printing in the manufacturing process.

— Rohan Goswami

Apple’s iPhones could now have a lighter body made out of titanium, as compared to the stainless steel used on current iPhone 14 Pros. Apple’s event invite showed an Apple logo that resembled titanium.

Apple’s watches will also receive updates and will likely be billed as Series 9. The company could update some of its accessories that previously used a Lightning charger to the new USB-C charger as well.

— Kif Leswing

This year’s new iPhone will likely be branded as the iPhone 15, and the biggest change for the device could be a USB-C charging port. The USB-C port would replace Apple’s proprietary Lightning charger, which has been incorporated into iPhones since 2012.

The USB-C charging port, which was required by new European regulations passed late last year, will mean that iPhones share a charger with Android phones, newer laptops, iPads, most wireless headphones and other gadgets.

— Kif Leswing

We’re here live in Cupertino, California, at Apple’s headquarters, where the company is getting ready to unveil its new devices. Press and analysts will start filtering in over the next couple hours, but I’m already parked on the broadcast risers outside the Steve Jobs Theater. This year’s badges sport a blue logo, matching the one from the invitation Apple sent a couple weeks ago.

— Steve Kovach