Live on stage, Apple has just kicked things off during its event by officially announcing the new iPhone lineup: the much rumored 4.7-inch device is called iPhone 6, while the larger 5.5-inch model is dubbed “iPhone 6 Plus”. Here’s what we know so far:
Both of the new iPhone models include new “Retina HD” displays with cover glass that Apple says is ion-strengthened. Apple says the displays feature a full sRGB wide color gamut and that “dual-domain pixels on the photo-aligned IPS display give you a wider angle of view.” The display on the iPhone 6 comes in at 1334 by 750 with 326 pixels per inch (over one million pixels), while the iPhone 6 Plus includes full 1080p HD with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 at 401 pixels per inch (over 2 million pixels).
There are no distinct edges. The cover glass curves around the sides to meet the anodized aluminum enclosure.
Other upgraded internals include a new second generation 64-bit A8 chip that Apple noted is 13% smaller with up to 25% faster CPU performance and up to 50% faster graphics than the previous generation. Apple said today that the new iPhones beat the iPhone 5s in every battery life metric.
When it comes to camera specs, Apple says the iPhones include an 8MP iSight camera, 1.5µ pixels, ƒ/2.2 aperture, as well as an all new sensor and number of enhancements to things like focus, face detection, image stabilization and more thanks to the A8 chip. The iPhone 6 Plus also includes an “optical image stabilization” feature that isn’t present on the iPhone 6. Both devices are capable of shooting 1080p at 60fps or 30 and slo-mo video at 120 fps or 240 fps. The front-facing camera also includes a new sensor and a larger ƒ/2.2 aperture, according to Apple.
Both new iPhones feature 3x faster 802.11ac WiFi as well as the much rumored Voice over LTE feature through a number of supported carriers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others abroad. Apple also announced a new WiFi calling mode when a data connection isn’t available that will initially only be available through T-Mobile in the US.
Also a big new feature in the iPhone 6 is a barometer that Apple says senses air pressure to measure relative elevation. Apple said Nike is working on a new version of its fitness app that takes advantage of the new sensor. It appears the devices feature NFC as well that goes along with the new Apple Pay service unveiled today.
The iPhone 6 measures in at 6.9mm thin, while iPhone 6 Plus comes in a 7.1mm. Compare that to the previous generation iPhone 5S at 7.5mm.
As reported leading up to the event, the iPhone 6 Plus also features a landscape mode with a more iPad-like UI that also includes a new landscape Home screen layout:
More shots of the new iPhones below:
Apple Announces iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus—The Biggest Advancements in iPhone History
Dramatically Thin Design Features Stunning Retina HD Displays, Powerful A8 Chip, Advanced Cameras & Apple Pay
CUPERTINO, California—September 9, 2014—Apple® today announced iPhone® 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the biggest advancements in iPhone history, featuring two new models with stunning 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays, and packed with innovative technologies in an all-new dramatically thin and seamless design. The new iPhones feature a precision unibody enclosure of anodized aluminum that conforms seamlessly with the shaped glass of the display, resulting in a completely smooth and continuous surface. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are engineered to be the thinnest ever, delivering a bigger display in a design that is still comfortable to hold and easy to use.
Packed with innovative new technologies, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus include: the Apple-designed A8 chip with second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture for blazing fast performance and power efficiency; advanced iSight® and FaceTime® HD cameras; ultrafast wireless technologies; and Apple Pay™, an easier way to simply and securely make payments with just the touch of a finger.¹ Both models include iOS 8, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, featuring a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience with new Messages and Photos features, QuickType™ keyboard, a new Health app, Family Sharing and iCloud Drive℠.
“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the biggest advancements in iPhone history,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry and we are making it much better in every way. Only Apple can combine the best hardware, software and services at this unprecedented level and we think customers are going to love it.”
For the first time iPhone is available in two new sizes: iPhone 6 features a stunning 4.7-inch Retina® HD display with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38 percent more viewing area than iPhone 5s, while iPhone 6 Plus features an even bigger 5.5-inch Retina HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, providing 88 percent more viewing area and nearly three times the pixels than iPhone 5s. The Retina HD displays offer advanced technologies including higher contrast for deeper blacks and dual-domain pixels for more accurate colors at wider viewing angles.
With second generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, the all-new A8 chip offers faster performance and is more energy efficient, delivering higher sustained performance with great battery life. With Metal™, a new graphics technology in iOS 8, developers can take performance of the A8 chip even further to bring console-class 3D games to iPhone. The A8 chip also includes a new, powerful Apple-designed image signal processor that enables advanced camera and video features.
Both models include the M8 motion coprocessor that gathers motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, compass and the new barometer, which senses air pressure to provide relative elevation. The M8 motion coprocessor can continuously measure your motion data, even when the device is asleep, saving battery life for fitness apps that use the sensors all day. With iOS 8, motion data from M8 appears in the Health app so you can see how many flights of stairs you’ve climbed, or how far you’ve walked or run. Developers can use CoreMotion APIs that take advantage of M8 and HealthKit to create apps that help you take better care of your health and fitness.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus introduce Apple Pay, an easy way to securely pay for physical goods and services in stores or apps with just the touch of a finger. Users can pay securely and conveniently in stores by simply holding the phone near the contactless reader while keeping a finger on Touch ID™; there is no need to unlock your iPhone or launch an app. With Apple Pay, you can also make one-touch purchases within apps, without having to enter credit card or shipping information. All payment information is kept private, encrypted and stored securely in the Secure Element, a chip inside the new iPhones.
The iSight camera gets even better with a new sensor featuring Focus Pixels for faster autofocus, making it easier to quickly capture any moment. iPhone 6 Plus users will also benefit from optical image stabilization technology that compensates for hand shake in low light and works with iOS 8 to reduce subject motion. High-definition video on iPhone improves with faster frame rates up to 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slo-mo, as well as continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilization and time-lapse video. The FaceTime HD camera now captures over 80 percent more light with a new sensor, larger f/2.2 aperture and advanced new features including burst mode and HDR video.
With faster LTE download speeds of up to 150 Mbps, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users can browse, download and stream content faster. The new iPhones also support high-quality voice calls over LTE (VoLTE) as well as Wi-Fi calling.² With support for up to 20 LTE wireless bands—more than any other smartphone in the world—the new models make it easier to experience high-speed networks around the world. Both iPhones also include 802.11ac Wi-Fi with speeds up to 433 Mbps and Bluetooth 4.0.³
The new iPhones come with iOS 8, the biggest release since the launch of the App Store℠, delivering a simpler, faster and more intuitive user experience and new features including QuickType keyboard, a new Health app, Family Sharing and iCloud Drive. With more than 4,000 new APIs, iOS 8 allows developers to further customize the user experience with major extensibility features and robust frameworks such as HealthKit and HomeKit. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus users also have access to the revolutionary App Store, which offers more than 1.3 million apps to iPhone, iPad® and iPod touch® users in 155 countries around the world.
Pricing & Availability
iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $199 (US) for the 16GB model, $299 (US) for the 64GB model and, for the first time, a new 128GB model for $399 (US) with a two-year contract.⁴ iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $299 (US) for the 16GB model, $399 (US) for the 64GB model and $499 (US) for the new 128GB model with a two-year contract.⁴ Both models will be available from the Apple Online Store(www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, additional carriers and select Apple Authorized Resellers. iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore and the UK beginning on Friday, September 19, and customers can pre-order both models beginning on Friday, September 12.
Apple-designed leather cases will be available in black, soft pink, olive brown, midnight blue and (RED) for $45 (US) for iPhone 6 and $49 (US) for iPhone 6 Plus and silicone cases in black, blue, pink, green, white and (RED) for a suggested retail price of $35 (US) for iPhone 6 and $39 (US) for iPhone 6 Plus through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple’s retail stores and select Apple Authorized Resellers.
iPhone 5s will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of $99 (US) for the 16GB model and $149 (US) for the 32GB model, and an iPhone 5c 8GB model will be available for free.⁴ iOS 8 will be available as a free software update starting on Wednesday, September 17. Some features may not be available on all products. Apple Pay will be available to US customers as a free software update to iOS 8 this October.
¹ Apple Pay will be available to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus customers in the US as a free update to iOS 8 this October.
² LTE, VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling are available through select carriers. Network speeds are dependent on carrier networks, check with your carrier for details.
³ Based on theoretical speeds, actual speeds may vary.
⁴ For qualified customers only. Check with your carrier for details.
Apple designs Macs, the best personal computers in the world, along with OS X, iLife, iWork and professional software. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store. Apple has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and is defining the future of mobile media and computing devices with iPad.
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Apple, the Apple logo, Mac, Mac OS, Macintosh, iPhone, iSight, FaceTime, Apple Pay, QuickType, iCloud Drive, Retina, Metal, Touch ID, App Store, iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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Wish we could watch it, the live feed is screwed up, started ten minutes later and is dubbed with Japanese translation.
Worst keynote stream ever
definitely apple could have done a lot better than this!! plain & simple FAIL!!!!
Wow! I thought it was just me. It totally took the excitement out of the announcement. At least by the time it got to the Apple Watch, it was a lot better. That had me going nuts!
That’s Chinese, not Japanese
I certainly agree, it says access denied on my system.
the whole site is down now
Well done apple f***ed the launch right up
Can we focus on the new products please.
The live putunghua interpretation is annoying.
Any idea about the price ???
Apple servers can’t sustain so many users worldwide connecting to watch the streaming event.
They should have tripled or quadrupled their servers and bandwidth.
Hmm… ion strengthened cover glass as in NOT sapphire glass ??
if it was sapphire glass you can bet they’d have told you it was.
As in none of the leaked fronts were Sapphire either – which is why they could be scratched by sand paper. Looks like it’s full-steam ahead for watch-face Sapphire at the GT plant for now.
No sapphire glass?
BTW, Here’s the iPhone 6 Lotus wallpaper – similar one
http://freeios8.com/ac88-wallpaper-apple-iphone6-plus-lotus/
So, I’m in OZ and haven’t watched it yet… where is a good place to watch the unveil?
Looks like we’re stuck with those AWFUL UGLY UGLY UGLY rear antenna bands then.