For the first time in years, Apple iPhones were not the star of the show. Apple released a SmartWatch Tuesday, a portable device that marks the first major entry of the company into a new product category since the debut of the iPad in 2010.
The move is significant due to recent questions about whether Apple still has the ability to innovate after the death of 2,011 co-founder Steve Jobs.
The introduction of two new device eclipsed the iPhones, larger company that does not quite have larger screens; they will have a new landscape mode to take advantage of the larger screen.
The iPhone 6 will have a screen that measures 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. In both cases, application developers can design applications that can be viewed differently when the phone is horizontal.
Apple also introduced a system to use the phone to make credit card payments in retail stores.
Apple is turning to the past, as it exposes their future. The company is holding the event at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts, the same location where Jobs introduced the Mac computer changing industry 25 years ago. The Cupertino, California, located close to the headquarters of Apple.
As for iPhones, which still represent the main source of profit for Apple, the larger models should help the company compete with Android devices.
This is what unfolded in Tuesday's event:
BIGGER iPHONES
The iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. The screen resolution on the Plus version will be sharper than previous iPhones, to 401 pixels per inch instead of 326.
With the larger screen is a new horizontal view of the Home screen. Usually icons are stacked vertically, even when the phone is horizontal. Application developers will also have new tools to reorganize their content to take advantage of the larger screen.
The new phones are not as great as the last flagship phone of Samsung - 5.1 inch to 5.7 inch Galaxy S5 and to Note 4 - but they will be large enough to neutralize a key advantage of Samsung and other manufacturers Android have had.
In particular, Note Samsung phone is not growing this year. Last year Note 3 was 5.7 inches. Instead, Samsung is emphasizing other hardware features, such as a sharper screen. Also releasing a model with a curved edge to show the time, weather and other information on the side of the phone.
Apple says the new phone will be faster and have better battery life than previous versions. The phones also have a new sensor, barometer, to estimate the amount you've climbed the stairs, not just how far you have walked or run.
Of course, some people still use their phones to actually make calls. When there is poor cellular reception, people will be able to make regular calls over Wi-Fi. The transfer between the two networks will be transparent. In the USA, this feature will initially be available through T-Mobile.
The resolution of the camera is 8 megapixels, while Android and Windows Phone rivals are pushing that. The S5, for example, is 16 megapixels. However, the number of megapixels is only one factor in what makes a good photo. Apple says it is putting in new sensors for better shots.
Apple is also enhancing the role of video in slow motion, allowing even slower shots. The camera is capable of taking 240 frames per second, twice what is on the iPhone 5s last year. Normally, the video is at 60 frames per second.
The new phones will begin shipping in the USA September 19, with pre-orders to start on Friday. Starting Prices are comparable to those in the past - $ 199 with a two years for the iPhone 6 with 16 gigabytes of storage.
However, models of elevators have double the memory than before - $ 299 for 64 GB and $ 399 for 128 gigabytes. The iPhone 6 Plus phones will cost $ 100 more for each configuration.
MOBILE PAYMENTS
Apple is calling its new payment system Pay Apple.
You will be able to use your phone's camera to capture a photo of your card. Apple will verify that behind the scenes and add it to the account passbook your phone so you can make payments to a retailer. Apple announced several merchants who accept this system, including Macy's, Whole Foods, Walgreens and Disney stores - and, of course, Apple stores.
Many companies have tried to push mobile payment services, but none has caught on widely. Cook says that's because the business models have focused on self-interest of companies rather than the user experience. The latter, Cook says, is "exactly what Apple does best."
For security, the card number is stored only on the device. Every time you pay a card once to create the transaction.
A SmartWatch
The audience burst into applause as Cook proclaimed that he had "one more thing". It was how Jobs used to close his speeches.
That was a closer SmartWatch Apple thing. It's called the Apple clock instead of iWatch many people had been speculating.
Consumer electronics companies have yet to demonstrate a compelling need smartwatches while bracelets have been largely niche products aimed at tracking fitness activities. Apple device seems to change that.
Consider the history of the company: music players, smartphones and tablet computers existed long before Apple made their own versions. But they were not the main or until the current popular iPod, iPhone and iPad arrived. According to Jobs, Apple made those products easy and fun to use.
Cook said Apple had to invent a new interface for the clock because simply shrinking a phone would not work.
Much of the interaction would be through the dial on the clock, which Apple calls the digital crown. It is used to zoom in and out of a map, for example, which is not blocking the screen, what would have happened if you were pinching in and out of zoom.
Apple has also been working with application developers to create new functionality. You will be able to open the doors of the rooms at Starwood hotels or remembering where you parked your car with a BMW application.
The new watch will come in a variety of styles and straps, with a choice of two sizes. Clocks competing vendors have been criticized for being too large for small arms.
The clock will require one of the new iPhones or an iPhone 5, or 5c 5s. It will be available early next year, with a starting price of $ 349.
NEW SOFTWARE
While much of the attention has focused on the new devices, software powering these devices is becoming its annual update. Apple iOS considers 8 to be the biggest update since the introduction of the App Store in 2008.
Current users of iPhone and iPad will be eligible for the free upgrade, too. Apple is proud of pushing customers to the latest version of the software, allowing application developers to incorporate new features without having to worry about the abandonment of existing users. With Android, many recent phones can not be upgraded immediately because of the restrictions imposed by manufacturers and wireless service providers.
Among other things, 8 will allow iOS devices work best in sync. For example, it is possible to start a message on an iPhone and finish it on an iPad. With a forthcoming update called Mac Yosemite, will be able to continue working in the same message on a Mac computer also.
These features extend handover to the new Apple clock, too.
The new software will be available for existing users on September 17.
Closing the event, U2 performed on stage before Cook made his new album, "Songs of Innocence", available for free to all customers of Apple's iTunes.
Apple shares rose 1 percent to $ 99.36 in afternoon trading Tuesday.