Apple unveils new smartwatch with built-in cellular

Cupertino: Apple on Tuesday unveiled an updated version of its smartwatch.

At the same time, it claimed the device had become the top-selling watch in the world ahead of rivals such as Rolex and Fossil.

"The Apple Watch is now the number one watch in the world," Apple chief executive Tim Cook told the media event, the first at the company's "spaceship" campus in Cupertino.

While Apple has not provided detailed sales figures for the watch, Cook said sales were up 50 percent in the past quarter from a year earlier.

The Apple Watch Series 3 has its own mobile connectivity which allows the user to remain connected without a smartphone for phone calls, music and other functions.

"You can receive a call with just your watch," Apple's Jeff Williams told the event, where the company was set to announce a new range of iPhones, as per AFP.

The watch with cellular connectivity will be available in nine countries September 22 starting at $399, Apple said.

The event was a tribute to late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who died in 2011, and was the first event at the Steve Jobs Theater on Apple's new campus.

"We dedicated this theater to Steve because we loved him and because he loved days like this," Cook said. 

Apple also unveiled two new iPhone 8 models, with a new glass-body design and other improvements on the iconic smartphone.

(With Agency inputs)