This week, at the yearly Apple Keynote, Apple released two new, different iPhones, and a new smartwatch. Apple has been releasing one iPhone at a time since the original iPhone, so why the change? Apple, getting wiser with the years, has realized that one size does not fit all and is finally giving consumers a choice, a marked difference from the Steve Jobs era.
If you thought that the iPhone 5 was the perfect size, I have bad news for you: the iPhone 6, the smaller of the two new phones, has a 29% larger face than the iPhone 5. The good news? The screen is actually 38% larger and the phone is 10% slimmer.
The larger of the two, the iPhone 6 Plus, is Apple’s first entry into the phablet (phone + tablet) market, with a massive 5.5 inch display that’s also higher resolution than the standard iPhone 6. Both new phones don’t have the distinctive flat edge of the iPhone 4 and 5; rather, they’re rounded off like the original iPhone.
Inside, the devices are what you’d expect from a new iPhone. They’re a bit faster, a bit more energy efficient, and with a better camera. According to Apple there won’t be a significant bump in battery life. However, the new iPhones have one thing that no other phone has: compatibility with the newly announced Apple Pay. Apple Pay (available in October) is likely similar to Google Wallet, which was released in 2011. Though not fully detailed yet, Apple Pay allows you to pay at select stores by opening an app, putting your finger on the phone’s finger scanner, and holding your phone near the credit card reader; the payment is processed through a credit or debit card of your choice.
Google Wallet, which greatly simplifies the checkout process, has been met with mostly positive reviews, but has had limited success, most likely due to the lack of retail and advertising power that Apple has. Apple may be the first to truly break through in this market with its partnerships with over 22,000 retailers.
If you sign a two year contract, the 16GB iPhone 6 starts at $199 and the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299. If you want to buy the phone off contract you’ll pay $649 for the iPhone 6 and $749 for the iPhone 6 Plus.
The other new hardware announced at the event, the Apple Watch, didn’t appear out of nowhere – it has been long rumored, and most Android device makers already have their own version of a smartwatch. So what do smartwatches do and what’s different about the Apple Watch? Smartwatches are an extension of your phone – they use your phone’s cell connection and software to give you notifications, answer calls, and allow you to check your e-mail right from your wrist. Many, including the Apple Watch, can be activity trackers that log your miles walked, your heart rate throughout the day, your steps climbed, and more. What makes the Apple Watch, which will start at $349, different from other watches like the Samsung Gear, which starts at $199? Not much, from what Apple said at their conference. But you can expect an attractive and polished package that’s fully compatible and well integrated with the iPhone 5 and later models. Will the Apple Watch be the game changer that the iPhone and the iPad were? Perhaps. Apple may have a few tricks up their sleeve and more details will be released about the smartwatch as it gets closer to its release date in early 2015.
Apple didn’t give out many details this week about the iOS 8 release coming on September 17th, but that’s because they put out lots of information at the Apple Developer’s Conference in June. Every iPhone released after the iPhone 4 and every iPad after the very first will get the new release. iOS 8 is a welcome update, adding polish and new features to the system, rather than the drastic change iOS 7 was. (What’s new with iOS 8 is described by Apple on this page.)
