I watched part of the announcement. Color me impressed. The hardware seems solid as the larger screen iPhone option is a much needed improvement. I also like some of the software innovations such as the Apple Pay app.
The watch seems cool, the larger screen iPhone 6 is a no-brainer.
I’d be pretty worried about wearing that watch. One sharp crack against a sharp corner and … buh-bye watch.
But looks kind of nifty.
I’m gonna be due for an upgrade in December and want the iPhone 6 to replace my 5.
Looking at the specs, etc of this new 6, i think apple fans will be happy with it but not likely to get new fans from it. Me, I’ll grab a price reduced 5S as I don’t need the latest greatest gen phone to impress my friends or what ever. Hell, my 4S works fine. But, there are some improvements I’d enjoy in the 5S and that’s what I’ll grab and let the beta testers get the kinks out of the 6.
Me, not an early adopter of first gen tech as a rule.
Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Apple Watch smartwatch and a new mobile payments platform called ApplePay on Tuesday.
New iPhones: “Today, we are launching the biggest advancement in the history of iPhone,” Apple CEO Tim Cook said at an event in Cupertino, Calif. “They are without a doubt the best iPhones we’ve ever done.”
Display: The iPhones have curved edges and bigger screens that measure 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, up from just four inches on the iPhone 5S.
The larger iPhones have what Apple is calling “Retina HD” displays. The iPhone 6 comes with more than 1 million pixels — a third more pixels than the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 6 Plus has 2 million pixels, double the iPhone 5S’ screen.
To help users handle the bigger phone, Apple has moved the on-off switch to the right edge of the phone. And when you double-tap the home button, the entire display will slide down so users can access items on the top of the screen.
The bigger displays allow for bigger batteries: 11 hours of video watching on the iPhone 6 and 14 hours for the iPhone 6 Plus — up from 10 hours on the iPhone 5S.
Speed: The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus feature Apple’s new A8 processor, which is 25% faster than the iPhone 5S. The M8 co-processor will allow fitness apps to tell the difference between walking and biking and even measure your relative elevation.
Camera: Both iPhones feature an 8 megapixel camera with a new sensor that Apple claims will help the camera focus faster.
Software: The iPhones will feature Apple’s new iOS 8 software, a relatively minor update from iOS 7. Among the bigger iOS 8 additions is a new HealthKit application that monitors users’ heart rates, sleep, weight and blood pressure among other health-related information. IOS 8 will also feature HomeKit, a new platform for people to control all the items in their homes with the iPad or iPhone.
Apple said iOS 8 will be available Sept. 17 to customers who have an iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPhone 5C or iPhone 5S.
Both iPhones will be available Sept. 19 in the United States and eight other countries. Pre-orders will begin on Friday. The 16 GB iPhone 6 will be available for $199. The 64 GB version will cost $299; $399 will get you 128 GB. The iPhone 6 Plus will start at $299.
Apple will also discount the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C by $100. The iPhone 5S will maintain its aluminum casing — it won’t get the iPhone 5C’s plastic treatment.
Apple Watch: Apple also unveiled the Apple Watch smartwatch, the company’s first wearable device. The Apple Watch pairs with the new iPhones to display notifications. It features a magnetic charger, health and fitness apps and a crown that controls zoom and scrolling with a twist. Oh, and it will tell time too — allowing users to choose between multiple watch faces.
Apple said it will sell three versions of the Apple Watch, including a sports model and an 18 carat gold model called the “Apple Watch Edition.” The Apple Watch also comes in two sizes, one slightly smaller than the other.
Google has already unveiled its smartwatch software called “Android Wear.” Samsung, Motorola, LG and other gadget makers have already launched smartwatches, which have received mixed reviews and tepid interest from consumers.
ApplePay: Apple also unveiled a new mobile payments platform called ApplePay, which works with the new iPhones.
Using a technology called “near field communications,” or NFC, the new iPhones will be able to interact with payment terminals in a simple tap. Apple has deals in place with the major credit card companies, including American Express, MasterCard and Visa, as well as several major retailers.
Apple touted ApplePay’s security. The company said it doesn’t store your credit card information on your phone — and the number isn’t even given to the merchant. ApplePay also works with the iPhone’s TouchID sensor — allowing people to pay with a swipe of their fingertips.
Apple also said ApplePay is convenient. It already has your credit card information and address associated with your iPhone account — when you pay for something, you can just touch the TouchID sensor and have items shipped to you.
“Our ambition is to replace this,” said Cook, holding a wallet.
http://myfox8.com/2014/09/09/iphone-6-plus-apple-unveils-new-iphone-6-and-iphone-6-plus/
Seems like we wanted smaller and smaller cell phones until we were able to watch porn on them, now we want them larger again.
I am not a fan to be honest. I find the iPhone5/5s screen to be a perfect size. For someone who stood online to get the original iPhone and had it from day one, I have not kept up with the constant changes. I went from iPhone to iPhone 4, now I will get the iPhone 6 but not the larger screen version.
Okay Magpul, start working on a cover…
I’m due for an upgrade now, I think I’ll be getting the one next week.
The fones are getting bigger and the tablets are getting smaller. Eventually they’ll swap positions. (people are so retarded)
So. Much. Meh.
Then again, I’m conclusively one of those people that thinks for myself and therefore is an avowed Android whore; I just hate the fact that medical apps are so much more prevalent for iOS, so I’ve had to learn some iPHone derpiness because my wife requires one.
Im up for an upgrade some time in October and may splurge for the 6. I like the bigger screen and the thinner profile. Will have to see what the real numbers are for battery life and performance. Bigger screen and less battery space might be a killer. My 5 currently can go for a couple of days without a recharge, unless I hit Netflix too much that is.
The watch seems interesting. I’ll have to watch the keynote to see what the listed specs are. That ion x or whatever glass better be pretty hard to bust and the thing needs to be water proof for my EDC use. Wonder what the battery life is going to be? With an onboard speaker and accelerometer it would seem like maybe a cool shot timer all would be possible. Maybe the folks at Shotmaxx will put out an app. Anyone see an expected price for the watch?
I agree. The Apple lemmings are all a twitter today…are they not?
I still have no desire to have an Apple phone or computer ever again.
-brickboy240
I used to be this way, and then I actually started thinking for myself. Apple stuff…works. And the way it works together is so superior to everything else I’ve tried. My phone, my laptop, my home computer…they all exist together as though they’re meant to.
Enter the phablet.
This.
After spending time with a Galaxy S4, I sprung for the full-price upgrade to go slithering back to Apple. There is a magnificence in its simplicity.
I run Apply computers in my home and business, but use the Galaxy S5 for my phone. I have been a long time Apple Iphone user, but made the jump.
I like the robust and quality of the Apple computers, but think there are better phone options out there (based off my Iphone 4 and 5 experience).
C4
I also made the switch to the Galaxy 3 and now rock the Galaxy S4. Don’t miss the I-phone one bit.
-brickboy240
I still consider the AirBooks to be the ideal cost-is-no-object laptop solution (albeit running Transitions and primarily working off a resident Ubuntu box and having a Win7 setup for better compatibility); for video editing/photo editing/other artistic tasks as well as stuff chromebooks excel at Apple again still leads because the first party software. I can learn decrepit military unix systems faster than I can comprehend how to do basic tasks on current Apple tech, and have done exactly that (while I still have no clue how to toggle GPS location services on my wife’s 5C after spending 45 minutes trying - in that amount of time I could learn entire new applications on a better platform).
It comes down to how it’s used - for a vanilla user, or somebody well supported by the application base there is merit in running Apple stuff - for how I use anything technological, they’re unimaginably obtuse, overpriced on hardware, and dated with regard to capability. Seamless matching in function is great, until something better is experienced, and Apple in an area they should still be dominant have already ceded so much ground that there is no longer any compelling reason for me to look at any of their stuff, yet I have to buy it because somebody else in my family has one of those ideal use cases (so I still have to deal with the frustrating parts of it).
The 6 looks ok. The 6+ is what I am looking forward too.
People are going to complain that they didn’t innovate enough. However there are a couple things here. First off is that Smart Phone tech has reached a bit of a Plateau. Of course there will be improvements and game changers. But with current tech I think we are stable for a couple more years.
More importantly though is that people forget there are two sides to innovation. First off is the creation of new groundbreaking tech. And second the taking of existing ideas and bringing them to the masses. This latter one is what Apple excels at. The first iPhone didn’t do anything that current devices out there didn’t already do. It just did it better. It made it accessible to the masses in one convenient device. NFC has been around for a couple years. Great tech idea. But nobody has done anything with it. Apple signed on a few large companies that could help bring the idea to the forefront. It isn’t about being first. It is about making it work best for people.
Kewlz, you nailed one key part of it - bringing it to a large enough and vociferous enough pile of consumers to make that technology actually stick. I can’t get past the irony that despite GoogleWallet being capable of doing the NFC Mobile Payment setup for years now, that that payment modality will only become commonplace enough to be relevant because it’s finally available on an Apple product (and admittedly will stop feeling like a Beta version of that concept).
It’s more of a business model concept that Apple relies very heavily on first party and very limited/selected third party development and fast-tracks innovation that fits their walled garden model and basically rejects everything else - because the consumer base is there Apple consumers get more polished versions of applications because more money can be made, but they aren’t even necessarily the best implementation of that idea, simply the first one that works on the platform that is most profitable for developers AND apple.
Other than that, I’ll just leave this here
Nuts! I see they didn’t include a flux capacitor with this launch. Oh well, there is always the iPhoneVII to look forward to . . .
I was underwhelmed by the iPhone 6. The adoring Apple fanatics will, of course, drool over it.
I dumped the iPhone and went with Android a year or so ago and can not be happier.