Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new Apple Watch. (AP picture)
CUPERTINO, California (AP) – For the first time in years, Apple’s iPhones weren’t the star of the show. Apple unveiled a smart watch on Tuesday, a wearable device that marks the company’s first major entry in a new product category since the iPad’s debut in 2010.
The move is significant because of recent questions about whether Apple still has a knack for innovating following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.
The device’s introduction upstaged the company’s two new, larger iPhones, which won’t just have bigger screens; they’ll have a new, horizontal viewing mode to take advantage of the larger display.
The iPhone 6 will have a screen measuring 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. In both cases, app developers will be able to design apps that can be viewed differently when the phone is held horizontally.
Apple also introduced a system for using the phone to make credit card payments at retail stores.
Apple is turning to the past as it lays out its future. The company is holding the event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, the same venue where Jobs unveiled the industry-shifting Mac computer 25 years ago. The Cupertino, California, venue is near Apple’s headquarters.
As for the iPhones, which still represent the main source of Apple’s profits, larger models should help the company compete with Android devices.