Apple unveils new premium iPhone XS, health features for watch

Apple on Wednesday unveiled updated versions of its priciest iPhones along with a new smartwatch that allows users to take their own electrocardiograms, as the US tech giant looks to boost its momentum in a sputtering market.

The California tech giant revealed its iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, updating the top-of-the line handsets released a year earlier. The new devices are aimed at maintaining Apple's share in the premium segment.

"We are going to take iPhone X to the next level," chief executive Tim Cook said at a media event at the company's headquarters in Cupertino, California.

The new phones have displays of 5.8 and 6.5 inches, boosting screen size while keeping a small-format handset, Apple vice president Phil Schiller said.

The September event allows the company to unveil its latest offerings before the key holiday shopping season.

While the iPhone has made Apple the world's most valuable company, worth more than USD 1 trillion, it has slipped to third place among smartphone makers as Chinese-based Huawei has grabbed the number two spot.

Analyst Patrick Moorhead of Moor Insights & Strategy said Apple had done enough "to keep its smartphone growth going until the competition responds." - New smartwatch features -
"Now you can take an ECG any time, anywhere, right from the wrist."