Apple's big iPhone 5 reveal (pictures)

Apple kicked off its press event this morning in San Francisco by announcing its thinner, lighter, and taller iPhone 5 with 4G LTE. Also making debuts were a new iPod Touch and iPod Nano. Click on for photos of the event as it unfolded.

Here, Apple CEO Tim Cook greets the crowd by wishing everyone a good morning. "We've got some really cool stuff to show you," he says.

Here's an early morning shot of the scene outside the Lam Research Theater at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, where the action took place.

Apple only allows video outside the venue.

It starts to get busy outside the venue as the one-hour countdown kicks off.

People are packed in like sardines.

After greeting the crowd, Cook talks iPad, saying it's driving the post-PC revolution at a breathtaking pace. Some 84 million iPads have been sold through June, he says.

Cook notes that iPads are in 94 percent of Fortune 500 companies.

Cook says every app seems to have its fans. Ninety percent of apps are downloaded every month, he says. The average customer is using more than 100 apps.

Moving on to iPhone. The name of the new device is the iPhone 5, says Apple marketing exec Phil Schiller. The iPhone 5's features include a taller display, LTE, an A6 chip, camera improvements, a new dock connector, and iOS 6.

Schiller says the iPhone 5 is the world's thinnest. It weighs 112 grams -- 20 percent lighter than 4S.

Like the old model, the iPhone 5 features Retina Display with 326 pixels per inch. But the screen on the new iPhone offers a taller, 4-inch display.

Apple gave a few companies early access to the iPhone 5 so they could update their apps. One of those was CNN, Schiller says.

iPhone 5's A6 chip gives it a huge jump in performance, but it's 22 percent smaller than the A5 chip, Schiller says.

Up next, Rob Murray, executive producer of EA studios, demos what the A6 can do.

Schiller touts the iPhone 5's new "iSight" camera, highlighting its features.

Schiller shows off some photos taken with the iPhone 5.

Video has also been enhanced in the iPhone 5.

Schiller says the iPod 30-pin connector, which launched in 2003, has served the company well for almost a decade. "A lot's changed and it's time for the connector" to evolve. The new one is called Lightning.

iOS 6 will run on the iPhone 5.

Scott Forstall, SVP of iOS software, shows off iOS features on the iPhone 5, such as turn-by-turn directions.

Forstall shows off Siri improvements, such as updating your Facebook status.

The iPhone 5 has the same pricing scheme as 4S: $199 for 16GB, $299 for 32GB, and $399 for 64GB. The release date is September 21.

Cook retakes the stage to talk iTunes.

Eddy Cue, Apple's iCloud and music chief, takes over.

Cue introduces a new version of iTunes, with iCloud built in. The new interface has no source list on the left. Albums expand out like folders in iOS and OS X.

The gist of the new iTunes, available in October: simplified UI, iCloud integration, and a new mini player.

Apple's Greg Joswiak takes the stage to talk about iPods. First up is a new Nano, which returns to the big-screen form.

The new Nano is 5.4mm thick, 40 percent thinner than the 6th-gen iPod Nano. And it has the new Lightning connector.

Nano comes in an array of bright colors. It also features an FM-tuner built-in with live pause.

Like the iPhone 5, the new iPod Touch is longer and thinner. And it's taken the A5 chip from the iPhone 4S. Joswiak says it's seven times faster than the previous model when it comes to graphics.

Specs for the new iPod Touch. Battery-wise, it gets 40 hours of music and 8 hours of video.

The new iPod Touch sports a hidden button for a new feature called the "iPod Touch loop," which lets you attach a wrist strap to it.

The iPod Touch now comes in colors and features Siri.

Three years in the making, Apple introduces new EarPods, which come with the new iPod Touch, Nano, and new iPhone 5.

The full array of iPods.

Apple has contributed more than $50 million to Product Red with these models, Joswiak says. Product Red is a global fund to fight AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Colorful display of the iPod family.

"Whenever we have a music event, we like to remind ourselves and our customers of why we do what we do, and there's no better way to do that then to have one of our favorite musical artists to perform," Cook says.

Concert time: Foo Fighters take the stage.

"One of the great things about being here is beging able to meet all the people, the great people that are shaping our future," lead singer David Grohl says. "And just like when you get to meet someone like Little Richard, or Tom Petty, or Jimmy Page, you realize these are just people who took it upon themselves to do something different and change our world. ... they're just flesh and bone, they're just people, and it's totally inspiring."