Apple Unveils New iPhone and Fitness Watch at Annual Event

The Apple Watch Ultra is the latest example of how the company can extend its tentacles. It thrusts Apple into a corner of the smartwatch market dominated by Garmin, which does about $2.6 billion in sales to endurance-sports competitors, according to IDC. With Apple’s brand recognition and the iPhone’s popularity, it should be able to cut into that share, Mr. Jeronimo said. It already claims nearly 51 percent of the smartwatch market, more than double its closest competitor, Samsung.

Garmin said on Wednesday that Apple’s move into adventure smartwatches validated the business it had built.

“We will continue to push the limits of GPS-enabled technology and remain committed to creating innovative products designed for active lifestyle customers around the world,” said Krista Klaus, a company spokeswoman.

In addition to the fitness-focused watch, Apple released an update for its traditional watch, the Series 8, with a sensor to track body temperature and a feature called “crash detection,” which can identify when an Apple Watch wearer is in a car crash and notify family and emergency services.

Apple unveiled the products at the Steve Jobs Theater on its campus in Cupertino, Calif., the first time it had held a product event there since 2019. The venue was packed with journalists and employees, who celebrated the return to normalcy by cheering as Tim Cook, Apple’s chief executive, took the stage to introduce an infomercial detailing the new products.

The Apple Watch’s new abilities overshadowed more modest updates to the iPhone lineup. Apple released introductory and higher-priced versions of the iPhone 14 with 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch displays. Both models add the abilities of a satellite phone, allowing users to connect with emergency services in rural and other remote environments so they can get help if they are lost while hiking or find themselves in some other dire situation.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/07/technology/apple-new-iphone-watch.html