Apple kicks off event; $1,000 iPhone is expected

NEW YORK: Apple has kicked off its event expected to unveil a dramatically redesigned iPhone that's likely to cost $1,000. It's the first product event it's holding at its new spaceship-like headquarters in Cupertino, California. True to its secretive ways, Apple hasn't confirmed what it will be announcing, though a financial forecast issued last month telegraphed something significant in the pipeline. The event, opened in a darkened auditorium, with only the audience's phones gleaming like stars, along with a sign that said "Welcome to Steve Jobs Theater." A voiceover from Jobs opened the event before CEO Tim Cook took stage. "Not a day that goes by that we don't think about him," Cook said. "Memories especially come rushing back as we prepared for today and this event. It's taken some time but we can now reflect on him with joy instead of sadness." The souped-up "anniversary" iPhone, which would come a decade after Apple's late co-founder Steve Jobs unveiled the first version, could also cost twice what the original iPhone did. It would set a new price threshold for any smartphone intended to appeal to a mass market. WHAT A THOUSAND BUCKS WILL BUY Various leaks have indicated the new phone will feature a sharper display, a so-called OLED screen that will extend from edge to edge of the device, thus eliminating the exterior gap, or "bezel," that currently surrounds most phone screens. It may also boast facial recognition technology for unlocking the phone and wireless charging. A better camera is a safe bet, too. All those features have been available on other smartphones that sold for less than $1,000, but Apple's sense of design and marketing flair has a way of making them seem irresistible — and worth the extra expense. "Apple always seems to take what others have done and do it even better," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst with Creative Strategies.