We Take You Behind the Scenes of Apple's iPhone Launch

Apple has perfected the art of the product launch (so much so that it's been imitated by tiny humans), and we went to discover the magic for ourselves during this year's September Spectacular, where Apple announced two new phones and a smartwatch. Turns out, the fanfare from the annual Fall event in Cupertino, CA — the company's hometown — is not an exaggeration.

There were standing ovations, hollers, and whoops for the magical unveilings during the keynote by CEO Tim Cook and team. Apple has been making these kinds of keynotes for about 30 years, so they're boiled down to a science. Stay tuned for our hands-on with the new gadgets in the next episode of The Sync Up, but first read on to find out what ingredients are required to make a highly anticipated Apple event. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

The most important piece of plastic you'll ever get.

The most important piece of plastic you'll ever get.

You wouldn't be allowed to take your badge off even if your life depended on it. Security for the White House probably isn't even as intense as Apple keynotes. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

There's always something big and mysterious.

There's always something big and mysterious.

In this case, a giant, three-story white building constructed just for the event. No signage, no hints, no nothin'. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

The lines are one big nerd hug.

The lines are one big nerd hug.

Lining up for the event is organized chaos. All the media and special guests are packed into a giant queue where they get really cozy with each other. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Apple DJ knows wassup.

Apple DJ knows wassup.

While we were seated, we heard selections that perfectly balanced the line between hipster and pop, like Sam Smith and Haim. The playlist is really great, actually. Press gets the back five rows, while employees and special guests get to sit everywhere else. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Rumors abound.

Rumors abound.

U2?? Coldplay?? There was lots of musical guest speculation. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Hi, Tim!

Hi, Tim!

Then CEO Tim Cook takes the stage and starts with something nostalgic. Today, he reflected on the original Macintosh's unveiling 30 years ago. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

And then . . . the announcement we were all expecting!

And then . . . the announcement we were all expecting!

Senior VP of marketing Phil Schiller takes the stage to announce two new iPhones: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus! We, obviously, knew these gadgets were coming, but there were still major whoops and cheers. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

When the unthinkable happens.

When the unthinkable happens.

Of the over 50 tweets we live tweeted during the keynote, Apple happened to pick the only one of my tweets with a typo (it should be 50X, not 50%) for their official live blog on the homepage. OF ALL THE TWEETS, APPLE. Needless to say, the Internet was quick to right our wrongdoing, and we're still paying for it. #havemercy Photo: Nicole Nguyen

And then, the announcement we weren't sure about.

And then, the announcement we weren't sure about.

Steve Jobs's famous "one more thing"! Hearts began palpitating, and fangirls/boys started getting restless. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Apple Watch reveal!

Apple Watch reveal!

The dramatic video of the Apple Watch sent chills throughout the audience. Wait, it's not called the iWatch? Photo: Nicole Nguyen

The live demo.

The live demo.

Clearly, these developers had their priorities straight. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Wait, another surprise?

Wait, another surprise?

Tim started talking about the iTunes Festival in London where Sam Smith is playing tonight (which means he's not at the venue, bummer). Photo: Nicole Nguyen

It's U2!

It's U2!

The band played a brand-new single as the keynote's finale and then, to top it all off, announced that its new album, Songs of Innocence, will be available on iTunes — for free (until October, anyway). Photo: Nicole Nguyen

After the presentation, everyone rushes out to the white box.

After the presentation, everyone rushes out to the white box.

The gate had been lifted to reveal a product showcase. Eager to get our hands on the latest iOS tech toys, we pushed our way through the crowd. No lines, just a mass of people like always. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

There was a literal human barricade.

There was a literal human barricade.

Today, Apple chose the most dad shirt-esque colors to rep its employees, a deep red that's reminiscent of a well-aged Cabernet. These employees formed a human wall to prevent greedy tech press from making their way inside. This one was giving me some serious side-eye. Meanwhile, celebrities like Gwen Stefani and Will.I.Am sauntered their way through on the sidelines. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

Yes, Gwen Stefani.
Getty | Justin Sullivan

Yes, Gwen Stefani.

No, this is not a picture I took of her. I was so distracted by her flawlessness, I forgot how to use a phone. She looks photoshopped in real life. Those eyebrows, you guys.

Will.I.Am. was also present.

Will.I.Am. was also present.

Because, why not? The Black Eyed Peas band member chatted up ex-Burberry CEO Angela Ahrendts, Apple's first female executive. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

There were iPhones on skewers.

There were iPhones on skewers.

We were not allowed to touch or breathe on them. We were only permitted to view them through the lenses of our current iPhones. Just kidding. Kind of. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

There were iPhones on mats.

There were iPhones on mats.

Play time! The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were heavily supervised. We got to fondle them, press buttons, and compare them with our own phones. The new iPhones are much thinner. We could barely support the weight of the iPhone 6 Plus in our one hand, but the reachability feature (double tap the home screen to bring everything to the bottom) put all content within thumb's reach. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

There were Apple Watches on full display.

There were Apple Watches on full display.

We weren't allowed to record video of the live demo, just of the preprogrammed stuff. Nevertheless, it was really great to see the watch up close. The smaller size, the 38 mm watch face, was the exact width of my wrist. In the past, I've struggled with smartwatches that were simply too big. Photo: Nicole Nguyen

A Hands-On Look at Apple's New Smartwatch and iPhones

We were on the ground during Apple's Fall gadget extravaganza, where the company unveiled its latest tech from Cupertino, CA. In this episode of The Sync Up, we touch all the new gadgetry in the three-story product showcase Apple built just for the event. Get up and personal with the new iPhones and decide for yourself: is it "the most beautiful phone you've ever seen" like CEO Tim Cook claims?

New iPhones vs. iPhone 5S and 5C

A Hands-On Look at Apple's New Smartwatch and iPhones

The new phones are significantly larger but also thinner.

iPhone 6 Plus in Hand

The iPhone 6 Plus is like a mini Mini iPad. It's more narrow than popular phablets like the Galaxy Note 4 (which has a 16:10 aspect ratio vs. the iPhone's 16:9 display size), which makes it comfortable to hold. The larger phone definitely requires a two-handed operation, as shown. The "reachability" feature (double tap the homescreen) pushes all content down to the lower half of the screen so it's within a thumb's reach, and it's really effective. Typing with that enhanced large-screen keyboard is pretty fun, but it's still too big for me personally. If you didn't already own a tablet or read a lot of articles and books on your phone, I'd recommend the 6 Plus.

iWatch Close-Up

We tried the Apple Watch (not the Sport or the gold luxe Apple Watch Edition), and it was a great fit. The smaller 38mm size was the exact width of my wrist. Apple wasn't letting anyone besides the Apple reps touch or record the live demo watch's screen, but from what we saw, the display was very high resolution and the animations looked clear and beautiful. Not a pixel in sight.

Our iWatch Demo

Here's a run-through of the preprogrammed demo Apple installed in the Apple Watches on display. This is the only footage of the watch we were able to record.

Go behind the scenes of the special event, then get all the details about Apple's new gadgets with our comprehensive yet simple breakdown of this week's biggest news.