Looking Back at Past In-Person iPhone Events Ahead of 'Far Out' iPhone 14 Reveal

For the first time since 2019, Apple will host an in-person event to launch its newest iPhones on Wednesday, September 7, at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. While the event is expected to remain primarily digital with an in-person component, it marks the first time in three years that Apple is holding an event in the Steve Jobs Theater and the first in-person iPhone launch since the ‌iPhone‌ 11.

Apple's annual fall ‌iPhone‌ event is one of the most highly anticipated events for the company each year. At this annual event, Apple showcases its latest innovations in the ‌iPhone‌, Apple Watch, and other products and services. Due to the global health crisis, what used to be an entirely in-person event at ‌Apple Park‌ turned into digital, and pre-recorded videos live streamed online.

For the upcoming "Far Out" event, we still don't know what format Apple will use. With a small in-person crowd at the Steve Jobs Theater, Apple could have a live presentation with some parts pre-recorded. Either way, those in attendance will have the added benefit of having hands-on time access to the new products. Regardless of the specific format, the upcoming event remains somewhat historical. So we thought it would be fun to look back at Apple's last five in-person events before the new digital format took hold.

By innovation only.

Write code. Blow minds.

While WWDC 2022 did have an in-person crowd, it was still a pre-recorded event with no in-person presenters to showcase Apple's latest creations. The last in-person WWDC was in 2019, one of recent most jam-packed WWDC keynotes. During WWDC 2019, Apple not only showcased iOS 13, iPadOS 13, macOS Catalina, and more, but it also revealed the Mac Pro and the Pro Display XDR.

It's showtime.

A few months before WWDC in 2019, Apple held a service-focused event on March 27, 2019, at ‌Apple Park‌ and in the Steve Jobs Theater. During this event, Apple revealed a wide range of new services, including ‌Apple Arcade‌, Apple TV+, Apple Card, and Apple News+.

The event was less mainstream compared to typical Apple events given the lack of hardware announcements for consumers. Still, it marked a critical turning point for Apple as it pivoted to also becoming a services company beyond just hardware and software. The event was held at the Steve Jobs Theater for select members of the media. Check out posts from MacRumors' coverage of the event here.

There's more in the making.

Not held at the Steve Jobs Theater in ‌Apple Park‌, Apple's October 30, 2018, event included the reveal of a redesigned MacBook Air, the completely new edge-to-edge 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro, and a new Mac mini at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York City. The event was heavily targeted toward creative professionals, such as artists and musicians who could use the new ‌iPad Pro‌ and the second-generation Apple Pencil to create their work. The new ‌MacBook Air‌ revealed at the time also targeted students who needed a light, thin, and capable laptop.

Gather round.

To wrap up the list, we look back at Apple's September 12, 2018, event at the Steve Jobs Theater at ‌Apple Park‌, where Apple announced the ‌iPhone‌ XS and the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, the Apple Watch Series 4, and the ‌iPhone‌ XR. This was just the second event Apple had ever held at the Steve Jobs Theater after the first event in 2017, which included the launch of the ‌iPhone‌ X.

Conclusion

In-person events at ‌Apple Park‌ have a rich history, and while Apple's upcoming "Far Out" event likely won't be a full return to normal with in-person presenters and announcements, it does mark the first ‌iPhone‌ launch at the Steve Jobs Theater in three years. What are you most looking forward to for Apple's "Far Out" event? Let us know in the comments below.