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Live: Apple to reveal the next iPhone

It's September, which means the start of the football season, the arrival of fall and the unveiling of Apple's latest iPhone.

Apple September 7 event invitation art. (Photo: Apple)

It's September, which means the start of the football season, the arrival of fall and the unveiling of Apple's latest iPhone.

On Wednesday, Apple unveiled the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus during an event in San Francisco. The smartphones will launch on September 16, starting at $649 for the 7 and $769 for the 7 Plus. Meanwhile, Apple formally killed the headphone jack, introducing wireless AirPods launching next month for $159.

Check out our live updates from the Apple event below:

2:53 p.m.: That's a wrap. Thanks for joining us! If you enjoy video games, we're also offering live updates of Sony's PlayStation reveal at 3 p.m. ET.

2:52 p.m.: Cook closes out, introducing Apple's musical guest, Sia. I guess Coldplay was busy.

2:49 p.m.: The iPhone 7 starts at $649, available in jet black, black, gold, silver and rose gold, while iPhone 7 Plus starts at $769. Most importantly, the base model starts at 32GB. Good riddance, 16GB smartphones. Pre-orders begin on September 9, and formally launches on September 16, available in 28 countries including the U.S. The next iOS launches on September 13. The AirPods arrive next month for $159.

2:45 p.m.: Hey, here's a video recapping everything Apple just talked about. Let's get to that pricing already, please.

2:42 p.m.: Now time to learn about battery life. "The longest battery life ever in an iPhone," says Schiller. But can I survive a full day or two without charging? The 7 Plus offers one more hour of battery life than the 6S Plus, while the 7 boasts two more hours of battery life.

2:39 p.m.: "This is console-level gaming on an iPhone," says Schiller of the Codemasters game F1 2016, highlighting the graphics capabilities of the new chip.

2:37 p.m.: Time to check out the guts of the next iPhone. There's now an A10 Fusion chip, a 64-bit, four-core chip. It processes 40% faster than the A9 chip in the 6S and 6S Plus. It's twice as fast as the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. There are also two high-efficiency cores that let users perform tasks while preserving battery life. The graphics performance is also 50% faster than the 6S and 6S Plus.

2:34 p.m.: Moving to Apple Pay, Schiller says the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus will include unique near-field communication technology to roll out in Japan next month. Apple Maps will also roll out transit in Japan later this year.

2:32 p.m.: Equally interesting is you don't have to pair the AirPods. They just work. The case features a battery that can recharge the pods, and you can charge both through a Lightning connector. Beats is launching a line of headphones running the same chips as the AirPods.

2:30 p.m.: The AirPods only activate when they're in your ears, while motion accelerometers allow users to perform tasks such as double tap for Siri. The pods will boast 24 hours of battery life. The pods also intelligently connect to different devices, such as your phone or watch.

2:28 p.m.: Schiller cites "courage to move on" as the reason for dumping the iPhone's headphone jack. Certainly, adding the adapter for free with the iPhone should make it a lot easier. Moving on to wireless, Schiller unveils Apple AirPods, cord-free earbuds.

2:25 p.m.: And here's where we bid farewell to the headphone jack. The new EarPods will connect direct to the Lightning connector, the same one iPhone owners use to charge the device. They're included with each smartphone. For those with standard EarPods, each iPhone will include an adapter to use those earbuds. Better than paying for them.

2:24 p.m.: Schiller shifts to audio, noting how often owners use the speakers. The iPhone 7 will now boast stereo speakers: one on the top and another on the bottom. Schiller says they put out twice the volume than the previous iPhone.

2:22 p.m.: Ian Spalter, head of design at Instagram, appears to discuss the iPhone's new screen and cameras. Colors in pictures will appear more vivid, says Spalter. Instagram will add a new filter that makes colors pop "in a way we haven't seen before," says Spalter.

2:20 p.m.: Schiller says a free software update will roll out later this year to the iPhone 7 Plus, where users can take advantage of the depth-of-field feature for photos. As for retina display, it's 25% brighter than the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

2:16 p.m.: Schiller is breaking down a feature where photos almost have a 3D-like effect using the two cameras on the iPhone 7 Plus. It appears highly sophisticated for a smartphone camera.

2:14 p.m.: The iPhone 7 Plus will boast two 12 megapixel cameras, one with a wide angle, and a second with telephoto. Great for consumers, but not so good for companies who make lenses that attach to your smartphone and provide similar functions (think Olloclip, as an example).

2:10 p.m.: The front-facing camera gets a boost to 7 megapixels. It includes auto image stabilization and wide color capture. Better selfies, everyone!

2:08 p.m.: The camera features optical image stabilization, a six-element lens and 12-megapixel high-speed sensor that's faster and more energy efficient. The flash includes four LEDs and a flicker sensor to judge the flickering of artificial light. "This is really, really big in terms of image quality," says Schiller.

2:05 p.m.: The new iPhone has the IP67 protection standard, which means it's water and dust resistant.

2:03 p.m.: The home button is getting a makeover, too. Schiller says it's been re-engineered so it's force sensitive, so it will judge the amount of pressure the user applies with their fingers or thumb.

2:02 p.m.: Schiller says it has 10 major features, including a jet black, high-gloss finish. It also has a black matte aluminum finish, as well as gold, silver and rose gold.

2:00 p.m.: Here comes the pretty sizzle reel narrated by Jony Ive showing the details of the iPhone 7. Apple's Phil Schiller is up next to share more.

1:59 p.m.: Cook unveils iPhone 7. "It is the best iPhone we have ever created," says Cook. I bet he says that to all the new iPhones. Oh wait, he does.

1:58 p.m.: Here's the "we're copying Snapchat" portion of the event, with Cook breaking down stickers users can add to iMessages.

1:56 p.m.: Cook turns to HomeKit, the developers tool kit for creating apps tied to "the Internet of things." Users will be able to manage parts of their home such as security or garage doors using either the Control Center (the menu you get when swiping up on iPhone) or through Siri.

1:55 p.m.: Cook returns to talk iPhone, which topped 1 billion in sales over its lifetime. Eye-popping number. It looks like we'll get a look at iOS 10 before the new phone though.

1:54 p.m.: Apple Watch Series 2 and the Nike Plus will start at $369. The original Apple Watch will include the same dual-core processor and start at $269. Pre-orders start on September 9. The watch launches September 16, while Nike Plus arrives in late October.

1:52 p.m.: The Watch will be available in four colors, although no details were provided on when it will launch.

1:49 p.m.: Users will be able to start runs with Siri, and highlights details more prominently including distance and speed. The Watch will also motivate you to get moving, including asking "are we running today?"

1:46 p.m.: Apple is partnering with Nike on a special runner's edition of Apple Watch, called Apple Watch Nike Plus. It includes a perforated, stretchy band and lightweight aluminum watch case.

1:45 p.m.: Apple Watch is coming in a ceramic model, as well as a new generation featuring luxury brand Hermes. Prepare to empty your bank accounts for that one.

1:44 p.m.: As users hike through Viewranger, they can check directions, get more information on points of interest or swipe right to view a map of your hike. Appears really easy to use.

1:42 p.m.: Here's an important addition to Apple Watch: built-in GPS. When you pull up an activity map on your phone, you can view your route as well as how fast or slow you moved. Hannah Catmur of the hiking app Viewranger demonstrates the GPS addition.

1:41 p.m.: The Watch's chip will include a dual-core processor and a better graphics processing unit. A demo of Night Sky shows the user exploring the sky right on their watch. The level of detail is pretty striking for a screen of that size. The display is also twice as bright as the original watch.

1:37 p.m.: The new watch has adhesives and seals to prevent water from getting in. It's water resistant up to 50 meters. Apple created a simulator to test what would happen if the Watch would be underwater every day for people who swim daily. Really interesting look at how they tested the Watch's ability to withstand water.

1:35 p.m.: We're getting a tease for the next Apple Watch, which appears to be fully waterproof. The video shows a swimmer diving into the pool with Apple Watch on their wrist. It's called Apple Watch Series 2. Apple is calling the watch "swim proof."

1:33 p.m.: The Pokemon Go experience on Apple Watch ties fitness with the game, as players can see how far they've walked and also spot nearby Pokemon. Players can also hit Pokestops and get more gear. It's connected to the watch's workout app. Very cool.

1:30 p.m.: Hanke says Pokemon Go has been downloaded more than 500 million times globally, and users have walked 4.6 billion kilometers since the game launched. That's a lot of steps to snag a Sandshrew.

1:29 p.m.: The Apple Watch is adding Pokemon Go, just when you thought it was safe to quit the game. John Hanke, CEO of Niantic Labs is up to share more.

1:26 p.m.: New changes to Apple Watch include activity sharing, an app called Breathe to remind users to take a moment for some deep breaths, and an SOS emergency feature that immediately calls 911.

1:25 p.m.: Cook is back, and he's ready to talk Apple Watch. He says the device "has really changed what people expected from a watch." Cook says it's the second best-selling watch in 2015 worldwide, behind only Rolex.

1:24 p.m.: Users will be able to access iWork through Macs, iPhones, iPads or the web, says Prescott.

1:23 p.m.: Prescott starts off a demo, going to a participants list of fellow co-workers, each with a different colored bubble. Users can add graphics, images, text and animations simultaneously and in real time.

1:21 p.m.: Apple's Susan Prescott takes the stage to discuss iWork, Apple's suite of productivity apps including Pages and Keynote. All iWork apps will feature real-time collaboration, which is available in some services such as word processing app Quip.

1:19 p.m.: Apple moves on to education, with a program called Everyone Can Code, where Apple will help kids learn its Swift programming tools.

1:15 p.m.: Back to Mario -- Miyamoto says Super Mario Run will launch this holiday. There's no word on pricing. Nintendo will also release special stickers for use in iMessages with the iOS 10 update.

1:14 p.m.: It appears Apple jumped the gun on details about its next iPhone. However, that tweet has since been deleted.

1:13 p.m.: The game also has a Battle Mode, which is based on the number of coins collected. Players just run, jump and get coins until time expires. Very cool.

1:11 p.m.: Through a translator, Miyamoto discusses the game Super Mario Run for the iPhone. Mario will run automatically from left to right, and players tap to jump across obstacles. It's a similar structure to games like Temple Run.

1:09 p.m.: Cook says gaming is the biggest and most popular category in the store, with 500,000 available. He confirms Nintendo's Mario is headed to the app store. A huge move for Nintendo, which has long avoided bringing its games to the App Store. Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto -- the guy who happened to create Mario -- is on stage.

1:08 p.m.: Cook now switches to the App Store, noting more than 140 billion apps have been downloaded. "In the last two months, we've seen growth rates of over 100% year over year," he says.

1:06 p.m.: Cook says Apple Music has become the "premier destination" for artists to exclusively reveal their music. He cites album releases by Drake and Frank Ocean among them.

1:05 p.m.: Cook now hops out of the car and on stage to talk Apple. He says episodes of Carpool Karaoke will appear exclusively on Apple Music. Cook says the streaming music service has 17 million subscribers.

1:03 p.m.: Oh dear, Cook is really doing karaoke. Not bad though. After a brief exchange, music star Pharrell hops into the back seat. They're all singing "Sweet Home Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd. Are we all in some really weird tech dream?

1:00 p.m.: And there's the applause. The event begins with a video of Apple CEO Tim Cook riding shotgun with James Corden in a SUV. Carpool karaoke, perhaps??

12:57 p.m.: If you're watching at home or work (OK, mostly from work), Apple's live stream is rolling. We start for real in about 3 minutes.

Update at 12:30 p.m. ET: Enjoy this Amazon page while you can. It basically spoils the Apple surprise: the iPhone 7. The page features cases for the new iPhone. Don't be surprised if this gets pulled down soon. Another important highlight: that Amazon page boasts a section for Bluetooth headphones. Think we can safely bid farewell to the headphone jack.

In the mean time, here's what you need to know about Apple's fall event:

When does it start?

1 p.m. ET, 10 a.m. PT.

How do I watch?

You can stream the event on an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch running Safari on iOS 7.0 or later, a Mac with Safari 6.0.5 or later on OS X 10.8.5 or later, or a PC with Windows 10 and access to the Microsoft Edge browser. You can also stream via Apple TV, the company's set-top box.

What should we expect?

The short version: dual rear cameras, no headphone jack and maybe some form of waterproofing. Read more about it in our extensive look at what to expect from this year's Apple event (as well as some of the features we really want).

If I can't watch live, how do I follow along?

Stay right on this page, or you can follow our USA TODAY reporters on Twitter attending the event in Cupertino: Ed Baig (@edbaig), Jefferson Graham (@jeffersongraham), Jon Swartz (@jswartz), Marco della Cava (@marcodellacava) and Natalie DiBlasio (@ndiblasio).

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