Thanks to Apple (AAPL 0.01%), this was undoubtedly a big week in tech. As the world's most valuable company, Apple's annual iPhone launches are always a big deal. But this year's September Apple event was more important than usual, since Apple launched its special 10th anniversary iPhone, the iPhone X.
However, there was more to the week. Indeed, two important stories from the week could have easily gone under the radar: Tesla (TSLA +0.91%) teased an "unreal" electric semi-truck and Alphabet (GOOG 0.20%) (GOOGL 0.41%) set a date for a product launch event.
The rumored Tesla Semi. Image source: Tesla.
Apple debuts new products
Apple's event didn't disappoint. The company lived up to essentially every rumored product, announcing incrementally upgraded iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, a totally overhauled iPhone X, an Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular data, and an Apple TV capable of streaming 4K.
One of the biggest headlines from the event, was the iPhone X's $999 price tag. While the high price could be a setback for some consumers, it's likely good news for investors.
But Apple's new Apple Watch Series 3 is important, too. The introduction of cellular capabilities for the watch could prove to be a major catalyst for a product category that is already growing rapidly for Apple.
If you want to know more about the event, here's a closer look at Apple's most important announcements.
Tesla's "unreal" semitruck
Electric-car company Tesla (TSLA +0.91%) wants to expand beyond cars and SUVs with a new semitruck. Tesla is calling it Tesla Semi.
"Tesla Semi truck unveil & test ride tentatively scheduled for Oct 26th in Hawthorne [California]," Musk said on Twitter Wednesday. "Worth seeing this beast in person. It's unreal."
As a move into a very different vehicle category, a semitruck is a bit of a risk for Tesla. But it's also an opportunity. Shortly after Tesla revealed its plan to unveil a semi-tuck earlier this year, Piper Jaffray analyst Alex Potter warned commercial vehicle makers and their suppliers (via Electrek) to "stymie their laughter..."
With a Tesla semitruck on the horizon, Potter downgraded several truck stocks "partially because we think their valuations already reflect cyclical optimism, but also because we think TSLA's impending arrival could pressure valuations," the analyst explained. Further, Potter noted that the heavy truck market could present a revenue opportunity beyond $100 billion a year -- about 10 times Tesla's trailing-12-month revenue.
Is Google readying its Pixel 2?
Alphabet couldn't let Apple bask in all of its iPhone X attention for too long. Shortly after Apple's Sept. 12 event, Google set a date for what will likely be the launch of its Pixel 2 smartphone, or the company's second generation of the Google-branded smartphone.
Google launched a landing page on its Made by Google website, where it sells the first-generation Pixel phones and other Google-branded hardware, teasing: "Thinking about changing phones? Stay tuned for more on October 4."
The Oct. 4 event falls exactly one year after Google launched its first-generation Pixel and Pixel XL.
