Apple events are always a big deal, but the one that took place from the Steve Jobs Theater Tuesday afternoon felt especially significant. On the 10th anniversary of the unveiling of the original iPhone, the tech giant was set to announce a revamped version of the revolutionary smartphone, and boy was it revamped. The iPhone X does not feature a home button, instead opting for edge-to-edge screen coverage. It also will utilize groundbreaking facial recognition technology to <s>harvest our souls enable us unlock our phones with ease.
Related: How the iPhone changed our lives
The reaction from Twitter was swift, with many poking fun at Apple's over-the-top, changing-the-world ethos, which the tech giant laid on especially thick for the unveiling of the iPhone X. The Verge even published a piece titled, simply, "Apple can't get over itself."
This was probably best exemplified by Apple retail chief Angela Ahrendts's announcement that they will now call their stores "town squares."
Apple stores are the new town squares? That’s an extremely depressing idea. Do they know how depressing that sounds?
— Joshua Topolsky (@joshuatopolsky) September 12, 2017
"At Apple, we don't call it 'money' anymore. We call it 'love.' Spend some 'love' Today at Apple."
— Ben Silverman (@ben_silverman) September 12, 2017
toxic capitalism at work when apple frames its stores as "public space." #AppleEvent https://t.co/y8020r393L
— Diana Budds (@DianaBudds) September 12, 2017
Facebook is now all about "building communities." Apple is about "town squares." Big tech's incursion into public/civic life.
— Will Oremus (@WillOremus) September 12, 2017
Then there was the Apple Watch, which will have an improved heart rate monitor as well as cellular, which means users can make and receive calls from their wrists, Dick Tracy style.
I for one am excited for Woody from Toy Story to alert me on the new Apple Watch that I have heart disease!
— Dan O'Sullivan (@Bro_Pair) September 12, 2017
This is the first Apple Watch I’m really excited about. Less phone time = better.
— Kevin Rose 🙏🏻 (@kevinrose) September 12, 2017
The Apple Watch will now warn you when your heart rate is dangerously elevated. Like when you see the price of the new iPhone. #AppleEvent
— comedycentral (@ComedyCentral) September 12, 2017
“apple watch is the number one watch in the world”
— Casey Johnston (@caseyjohnston) September 12, 2017
what do you think the number one horse buggy is https://t.co/SaempnuoXc
Dude in crowd just WHOO'd the announcement that the Apple Watch is going to note signs of heart arrhythmia #WHOO #AppleEvent
— Jon Wilde (@jiwilde) September 12, 2017
The iPhone X was the main event, though. Facial recognition. Augmented reality. Animated emojis. No Home button. It was the most dramatic redesign in the iPhone's history, and come October 27, consumers will be able to order one for the low price of $999, and that's if you want the 64-gig version. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, essentially upgrades from the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with a few new features, were also announced.
The iPhone X's adorable animated emojis serve to inoculate us against something more sinister: https://t.co/e8EcQmxwoF pic.twitter.com/hBaIcpyBno
— Jacob Brogan (@Jacob_Brogan) September 12, 2017
USERS: put back the headphone jack
— jonny sun wrote a new book! (@jonnysun) September 12, 2017
APPLE: the iphone 9 is called the iphone x
USERS: pplease
APPLE: apple stores are now called town squares
CNBC guest on iPhone X: "Do you want a phone that doesn't have a home button, or do you want to be able to pay the mortgage on your home?"
— Steve Kopack (@SteveKopack) September 12, 2017
How well these features will actually work remains to be seen. Many users were not happy that Apple ditched the headphone jack for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, and the same could be true for the Home button. When Face ID was demo-ed at the event on Tuesday, it didn't even work.
Until the phones are released, though, all of this stuff looks pretty damn cool.
...Except the town squares. That doesn't seem like a good idea.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Ryan Bort is a staff writer covering culture for Newsweek. Previously, he was a freelance writer and editor, and his ... Read more
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