Apple has unveiled the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphones. The new devices offer a anodized aluminium body that conforms to the shape of the glass of the display, resulting in a smooth and continuous surface. The iPhone 6 offers a 4.7-inch Retina HD display with 1334 x 750 resolution, providing 38 percent more viewing area than the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 6 Plus offers a larger 5.5-inch Retina HD display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, providing 88 percent more viewing area and nearly three times the pixels than the iPhone 5s.
The iPhone 6 comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of USD 199 for the 16GB model, USD 299 for the 64GB model and, for the first time, a new 128GB model for USD 399, with a two-year agreement. The iPhone 6 Plus comes in gold, silver or space gray, and will be available in the US for a suggested retail price of USD 299 for the 16GB model, USD 399 for the 64GB model and USD 499 for the 128GB model with a two-year agreement.
Both models will be available from the Apple Online Store, Apple's retail stores, and through AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless, additional carriers and select Apple Authorised resellers. The 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 12 September.
The new phones are equipped with second-generation 64-bit desktop-class architecture, running Apple's new A8 chip, which offers enhanced performance and is more energy efficient than its predecessor. With Metal, a new graphics technology in iOS 8, developers can use the A8 chip to extend console-class 3D games to the iPhone. The A8 chip also includes a new Apple-designed image signal processor that enables advanced camera and video features.
Both models include the M8 motion coprocessors that gather 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 motion data, even when the device is asleep, conserving battery life for fitness apps that use the sensors all day. With iOS 8, motion data from M8 is displayed in the Health app, allowing users to see how many flights of stairs they have climbed, or how far they have walked or run.
With the newly introduced Apple Play feature, available on both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, users can securely pay for physical goods and services in stores or apps by holding their phone near a contactless reader and keeping their finger on Touch ID. Users are not required to unlock their iPhone or launch an app to use Apple Pay. Apply Pay also enables users to make one-touch purchases within apps without having to enter their 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.
Apple has also integrated an enhanced iSight camera on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which comes equipped with a new sensor featuring Focus Pixels for faster autofocus. iPhone 6 Plus will also come with optical image stabilisation technology that compensates for hand shake in low light and work with iOS 8 to reduce subject motion. Apple has also improved high-definition video with faster frame rates up to 60fps for 1080p video and 240fps for slo-mo, as well as continuous autofocus, cinematic video stabilisation and time-lapse video. In addition, 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.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus enable LTE download speeds up to 150 Mbps and also support voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calling. Both iPhones also include support for up to twenty LTE wireless bands and include 802.11ac Wi-Fi with speeds up to 433 Mbps and Bluetooth 4.0.The new iPhones also come with iOS 8, featuring a QuickType keyboard, a new Health app, Family Sharing, iCloud Drive and more than 4,000 new APIs.
