Yesterday Apple held a presentation announcing two new versions of the iPhone, the 6 and the 6 Plus. It also announced the Apple Watch, a wearable device and a new mobile payments system.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be released on 19th September, available for pre-order from 12th September. It’s a major revision of the iPhone including changes and enhancements to the design, the display, the power and the camera.
Design
Apple waves goodbye to the squared-off design that has been present since the iPhone 4 and introduces a more rounded, slimmer body. The new design is 6.9mm thin, which makes it one of the thinnest smartphones available on the market. It is slightly heavier than the 5S, weighing in at 129g, measuring 138.1mm x 67mm.
Display
Both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have bigger screens than previous models. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7inch LED back-lit display with a 1334 x 750 resolution, incorporating Apple’s new ‘Retina HD.’ The pixel density is the same as the iPhone 5S – 326ppi.
iPhone 5s – 4in
iPhone 6 – 4.7in
Samsung Galaxy S5 – 5.1in
iPhone 6 plus – 5.5in
Power
Apple has worked hard to ensure that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will have equal or better battery life than the 5S. The iPhone 6 battery will cover 50 hours of audio, 11 of video, 11 of WiFi browsing, 10 hours of LTE browsing, 10 of 3G browsing or 14 hours of 3G talk.
Camera
The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus uses the iSight system, an all-new sensor with 8 megapixels. Apple has made way for faster focusing in photo taking, with ‘phase-detection autofocus.’ The iPhone 6 achieves this with digital image stabilisation and the 6 Plus is even more enhanced, with optical image stabilisation to reduce shake and blur.
What else is new from Apple?
Apple’s chief executive, Timothy D Cook also announced during yesterday’s presentation, the introduction of a new payments system – Apple Pay. This new mobile payment service uses near-field communications and wireless functionality, operated by the fingerprint sensor on the device. Cook confirmed that American Express, MasterCard and Visa have already signed up as partners.
Cook then announced details about the new smartwatch, the Apple Watch. This is the first new device to be released under Tim Cook’s stewardship of Apple. The last time the company released an entirely new category was 4 years ago with the launch of the iPad – and despite initial concerns, just think how successful that has been! But is there room for yet another device in our lives?
Cook commented: “We’ve been working incredibly hard and for a long time on an entirely new product. We believe this product will redefine what people expect from its category. It’s the most personal device we’ve ever created; a new form of communication, digital touch.”
The Apple Watch is a comprehensive health and fitness device, which also features:
- Siri functionality
- smart replies
- dictation
- call answering (vibrates when receiving a call)
- weather info
- traffic info
- Apple Maps – you can view business hours, phone number and walking or driving directions to specific locations.
The back of the device detects pulse rate and you can share heartbeat / nutritional info between watches. The iWatch is marketed as “helping you live a better day” – whether you’re a serious athlete, or you just you want to get more active.
There’s even a feature to customize your own smiley face when sending a message!
The iPhone 6 will be available from £539 for pre-order on 12th September. The Apple Watch will be available early 2015.
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