Apple Senior Vice President of Worldwide Marketing, Phil Schiller, shows the iPhone X during a launch event in Cupertino, California, US, Sept 12, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

"It's sell on the news," he said. "They didn't talk about the evolution of Apple beyond the iPhone and into artificial intelligence."

The screen on the iPhone X is about the size of the current iPhone 7 plus, though the phone is smaller. It features richer colors thanks to a new technology called OLED that other vendors are also rolling out.

But in an embarrassing moment for Apple senior vice president Craig Federighi, the face ID unlocking did not work on his first attempt during the on-stage presentation.

Apple also introduced the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which resemble the iPhone 7 line but have a glass back for wireless charging. The company said it was working on a new device, called the Airpad, that would charge all newer Apple products.