Apple September 2021 event

The iPhone 13 is powered by a new chip designed by Apple: the A15 Bionic.

Executives called the chip the "fastest CPU in any smartphone."

It uses 5-nanometer technology and includes 15 billion transistors, a 6-core CPU and 4-core GPU. The technology will give the iPhone improved machine learning capabilities, such as real-time video analysis and the ability to analyze text in photos.

Consumers won't get a fully uninterrupted display on the new iPhone: Apple’s latest smartphone still has a notch for its front-facing camera at the top of the display, but it’s smaller than in the past.

Rather than doing away with the notch, as some company observers had expected, Apple said Tuesday that it made it 20% smaller on the iPhone 13 than on previous versions of the device.

Apple unveiled the 6.1-inch iPhone 13 and 5.4-inch iPhone 13 mini at its closely watched media event on Tuesday. The devices feature a new look with a dual-camera system, which are arranged diagonally.

The iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 mini run on the A15 Bionic chip and feature longer-lasting batteries. Apple said the iPhone 13 will last 2.5 hours longer than the iPhone 12 and the iPhone 13 mini will go 1.5 hours longer on a single charge. Other updates include a more efficient display, an updated 5G chip, and an option called Cinematic Mode, which is like the popular Portrait mode feature but for videos.

The iPhone 13 mini will start at $699 for 128 GB (more storage for its base model than ever before) and the iPhone 13 will cost $799, starting with 128 GB.

The smartphones come in five new colors: pink, blue, black, white and red.

Apple's Fitness+ program, which is designed to work specifically with the Apple Watch, has a handful of new features, including guided meditation, a new workout program that gets skiers and snowboarders ready for snow season, and Groups workouts, which allow users to exercise with up to 30 people.

Fitness+ is coming to 15 new countries and subtitles in six languages later this fall.

Apple unveiled the new Apple Watch Series 7, a slimmer device with a wider screen than its predecessor.

The new watch has a display that is 20% larger than the Series 6. It can display 50% more text and also has a full keyboard that you can tap or swipe to type out text messages.

True to its California roots, the watch adds several features tailored to one of the state's favorite activities: bike rides. It includes automatic detection when a ride starts and if the rider falls off.

The Apple Watch Series 7 starts at $399 and will be available later this fall.

Apple's first big product reveal at the event was the latest version of the iPad and a 5G-capable iPad Mini.

Here's a look at some of the specs:

The iPad

Under the hood, the 10.2-inch iPad features a powerful A13 chip with 20% faster performance than the previous model. Apple says it's now 3 times faster than a Chromebook. It comes with a new 12MP ultrawide camera with Center Stage, which uses machine learning to adjust the front-facing camera during FaceTime video calls, and more accessory support that works with the first-generation Apple Pencil. It also supports a True Tone feature that adjusts the screen's color temperature to ambient lighting.

It costs $329 for 64GB storage -- double the storage that typically ships on an entry-level iPad. For schools, the device costs $299. Pre-orders start today and shipping begins next week.

iPad Mini

The 8.3-inch iPad mini now comes with smaller bezels, more rounded corners, upgraded cameras on the front and back, Apple's Liquid retina display, USB-C support, magnetic support for Apple Pencil, an updated speaker system and new colors, such as pink and purple. It starts at $499.

Apple events are known for their product announcements, but Tuesday's much-anticipated showcase kicked off with Tom Hanks and Ted Lasso rather than an iPhone or iPad.

"We're so proud this year that Apple TV+ has 35 primetime Emmy nominations," Apple CEO Tim Cook said, before showing off a sizzle reel of Apple TV+'s biggest hits. "And we're just getting started."

Apple TV+ may not get the headlines the way that Netflix and Disney+ do, but it's vitally important to the evolution of the company. If Apple's past was Steve Jobs debuting devices, a big part of Apple's future is Tim Cook telling you what you can watch on those devices.

Apple's foray into the streaming world, which kicked off roughly two years ago, has had its fair share of successes thanks to "Ted Lasso" and critically acclaimed films starring Hollywood heavyweights such as Tom Hanks, so its inclusion right at the top says a lot about Apple's focus on streaming.

That said, the most important part of an Apple event is the end, so that says something about their focus as well.

While iPhone events typically take place at Apple's Cupertino, California headquarters, CEO Tim Cook tweeted this morning it will be streaming "from somewhere a little different this time."

He included an image of what appears to be the desert. This could be the location where Apple will show off the rumored tool for taking pictures of the night sky.

Apple’s biggest event of this year is taking place under a cloud of litigation, regulatory scrutiny and developer dissent. 

Just days before the event, a judge in California forced a big change to the company’s App Store — ruling that Apple (AAPL) can no longer prohibit app developers from directing users to payment options outside the App Store. The decision, in response to a lawsuit filed against Apple by video game maker Epic Games, gives developers an easier way to avoid Apple’s comissions of up to 30% on in-app purchases.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers did grant Apple a partial victory, declining to deem the iPhone maker a monopoly and ruling in its favor on the suit’s other claims. (Apple framed the decision as a victory; Epic has vowed to keep fighting, and filed an appeal against the court’s decision on Sunday.)

It's far from the only antitrust pressure Apple is facing. The company is still confronting scrutiny by the US House and Senate, as well as regulators in the United Kingdom and Europe. South Korea has already taken one of the most severe actions against Apple's in-app payment restrictions, passing a law in early September that requires Apple and Google to offer alternative payment systems to their users in the country.

Apple is also facing controversy over its efforts to combat child exploitation, pausing testing on a planned tool to detect child abuse imagery after backlash over its potential privacy implications.

The company will be hoping those controversies don’t overshadow the launch of its latest iPhone. An Apple representative said during a press call Monday that the company is set to keep the focus on its products during Tuesday’s event.