The more interesting phone, at least in terms of offering something new, is the iPhone XR. Sitting in between the XS and XS Max in terms of size and keeping the same general design, it's less expensive than either of them thanks to its LCD screen, aluminum frame and single rear camera. Unlike its pricier siblings, it comes in six colours: white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red.

While Apple's push for more and more expensive phones has kept it profitable in a market where people are upgrading less frequently, it was the presence of the less expensive phone that caught the attention of analysts following the briefing. If Apple can get more budget-conscious people from an older phone to an XR, it will open them up to the company's world of new and lucrative services and apps. Of course "less expensive" doesn't mean "inexpensive". The XR will start at $1229 for a 64GB model when it launches in Australia on October 26.

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All three of the new phones are water resistant, feature a new advanced processor and will run Apple's new iOS 12 software, which includes new augmented reality features, improvements to the Photos app and a new capability for Siri to be used in non-Apple apps.

In a significant change, the phones come with dual SIM technology, allowing users to have two phone numbers.

This is a feature seen in many Android phones, and can come in handy for those who like to travel.

While Apple generally cuts the price of the previous year's phone when it introduces new ones, it's done things a little differently this year. The iPhone XR replaces the 2017 iPhone X in the lineup, with Apple continuing to sell the iPhone 8 and 7, as well as their plus-sized variants. The budget iPhone SE has been dropped.

The company also unveiled its Series 4 Apple Watch, featuring a display that is 30 per cent bigger. It also has the ability to detect if its user has fallen and, if so, send for help. The watch has a built-in electrocardiogram (ECG) to track users' heartbeats, becoming the first over-the-counter device with an electrical heart sensor.

Both new features are clearly aimed at making the watch an accessory to help older people look after their health, but the Series 4 also comes with improvements to its fitness capabilities. It will launch in Australia on September 21, starting at $599 for the Wi-Fi and GPS only model and $749 for the version with mobile connectivity.

Apple for years was known for being very secretive about new product launches, but in the past few years iPhone specifications have routinely found their way into the public domain before the launch.

While details on the new phones and watches were circulated weeks in advance, technology website ATH spotted names for the new iPhones on Apple's products sitemap page immediately before the launch.

A small German e-commerce site specialising in electronics, Arktis, also uploaded pictures of the new models ahead of the unveiling after Apple sent it some samples.

With AP, Reuters