A new version of Apple's smartwatch will come with GPS tracking for more accurate workouts and enough water resistance to swim with it. The company also announced that the new iPhone model will be water resistant.
Although the first Apple Watch can tap the GPS on a companion phone, that means carrying the phone with you as you hike or run. GPS isn't common in smartwatches, though the upcoming Samsung Gear S3 will also get GPS.
The previous Apple Watch model is resistant to splashes, but not extensive use in water.
Apple says one of the engineering challenges has been sealing the speaker port, which needs air to work. The company said it designed the speaker to eject water after workouts. Fitbit has one swim-proof model and Garmin has a few, but the capability isn't common.
The Apple Watch update was announced 17 months after the first model came out. The "Series 2" watch will also get a faster processor and a brighter display for outdoor use.
New styles include a case made of ceramic and a run-centric design made in collaboration with Nike.
The original model is getting a price cut, to $269 from $300, and will get a faster processor. The Series 2 Apple Watch will start at $369. The updates are coming Sept. 16. Existing watches can get new software on Sept. 13.
Nintendo Creative Fellow Shigeru Miyamoto, known as the 'Father of Mario,' announced that the game Super Mario Run would be available on the new iPhone. (Beck Diefenbach/Reuters)
Super Mario coming to iPhone
Earlier, CEO Tim Cook said the video game character Mario is coming to iPhones. Cook said the popular Japanese game had been missing until now.
Shigeru Miyamoto, described as the "Father of Mario" from Nintendo, said through a translator that Super Mario Run is designed to be played one-handed — while holding a handle on the subway, eating a hamburger or eating an apple.
Nintendo has long resisted bringing Mario to mobile phones, instead relying on the character to bolster demand for its own hand-held gaming systems.
Apple also announced that the popular Pokemon Go game would be available on the latest version of the Apple Watch.
Unlike Pokemon Go, Super Mario Run will not be a free-to-play app, though it will also include in-app purchases. It will be available on the App Store this holiday.
The event in San Francisco on Wednesday started with video showing TV host James Corden driving to the event and bantering with Cook about how he ought to wear a suit made of apples.
10th anniversary next year
Analysts say the new iPhones could help Apple recover modestly from a recent dip in sales. But with few expected dramatic changes from previous models, Apple watchers aren't expecting the kind of big spikes in consumer demand that the company saw two years ago, when it introduced larger screens.
Apple sold nearly 92 million iPhones during the first six months of this year, about 15 per cent fewer than the same period last year. This year marks the first time that Apple has seen such declines. Industry analysts say it's because last fall's iPhone 6S and 6S Plus didn't contain many new features or improvements.
Investors are hoping for a bigger boost in sales next year. Wall Street analysts say reports from Apple's Asian manufacturers and suppliers indicate the company has decided to wait a year before introducing a major overhaul of the phone in 2017. That will be the iPhone's 10th anniversary.
Nintendo's Super Mario coming to the new Apple iPhone
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