Check back for more in this developing story as facts are announced.
Today is the day all techies have been looking forward to, the day Apple makes their yearly announcements regarding their new plans—most importantly, the iPhone 6. With tons of media gathered in the Cupertino Flint Center, as well as countless people huddled in front of their Apple device streaming the conference (which doesn't actually work), we were more than ready for Tim Cook to finally stroll out on stage to chat about the company's history. So, what was unveiled? Read and find out as we continually update with more news!
Calling it a "key day for Apple," Cook announced the launch of iPhone's "biggest advancement" in a very dramatic video that revealed the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Returning to rounded edges, the 6 is 6.9mm thin and 1334 x 750, and the 6 Plus is 7.1mm thin and 1920 x 1080. A horizontal home screen view has been added, and UI changes have been made to take advantage of extra space for added columns and other information, meaning that app developers can have a little more fun with their layouts.
The phones have a new Apple A8 chip that will offer 25 percent faster CPU and up to 50 percent faster graphics performance—which will come in handy while playing the new Vain Glory game they developed to showcase their Metal graphics platform. The new M8 chip includes a new barometer sensor, which adds elevation to its many motion tracking systems and allows for better health-related apps.
VoLTE (Voice over LTE) is on its way, making calls clearer and offering simultaneous voice and data. The WiFi is apparently 3x faster and will allow you to make calls over WiFi so you don't have to rely on reception alone.
Battery life is promised to last much longer than the 5S, which will definitely come in handy when playing with the updated camera and its all new 8MP iSight. Autofocus is almost twice as fast as the 5S, as it includes True Tone Flash, an f/2.2 aperture, and 43 megapixels. It will also have digital image stabilization, optical image stabilization, slo-mo video up to 240fps, 1080p at 60fps, and Cinematic Video Stabilization. The FaceTime camera has better face detection software and can take selfies, as well as HDR single shot and video.
Both being launched September 19, the iPhone 6 starts at $199 for 16GB, $299 for 64GB, and $399 for 128GB, while the iPhone 6 Plus is $299 for 16GB, $399 for 64GB, and $499 for 128GB. The 5S will drop to $99 and the 5C will be free. Pre-orders for the new phones begin on September 12, while iOS 8 will be available on September 17.
Apple announced Apple Pay, which stores your payment cards in Passbook and allows you to make transactions without your wallet—starting in the United States with Mastercard, Visa, and AmEx. If you lose your phone, you can cancel transactions from Find My IPhone. It will be launched next month for the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, and will be part of the free iOS 8 update.
The anticipated Apple Watch (not called an iWatch) has also been revealed, calling it an "intimate way to connect and communicate." The square-faced watch has a crown like average watches, which can be used for navigation and is able to zoom in and out. You can scroll through a webpage with the crown and then press it to return to the home screen. Like the iPhone, the home screen is a collection of apps and you can pan over to see more. The crystal sapphire display hides four lenses at the back of the watch, which are used to detect heart rate, and there are six different straps. It features inductive charging and comes in two different sizes and three variations (Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport, and Apple Watch Edition).
Apple Watch is actually pretty cool thanks to its Digital Touch system, which allows the watch to react in real time to stimulus. It gives vibration feedback when giving you directions so you know when to turn, and even interacts with other watches. You can draw little pictures and share them with your friend's watch, giving people a whole new way to communicate when they can't speak. Another cool feature is that if you tend to lose your car, the watch will show you a map and pinpoint where exactly you parked—which is literally a lifesaver at Disneyland.
Obviously, the Apple Watch is also a fitness tracker and offers two new apps: the Fitness App and the Workout App. Allowing you to set goals and track your progress, the apps store all of your data and can be accessed by third party apps. Over time, the watch actually gets to know you like a person would and can suggest realistic goals. You need the iPhone to use the Apple Watch, but thankfully you can also use the watch with the iPhone 5, 5C, and 5S. It starts at $349 and will be available early 2015.
Not wanting to forget about the role music has played in Apple's success, the company brought out U2 to perform. After which, Bono announced their new record called Songs of Innocence, showing their new album for the very first time and went on to reveal that it would be released right now on iTunes. For free. It will only be available for Apple owners through to mid-October.
And we're done! We can't wait to get our hands on the new iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch.
