What You Need To Know About Apple’s iPhone 6 and iWatch Event

Apple Sept. 9 Event

Tim Cook kicked off the event with a big bang by announcing two new iPhone’s: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. The Apple CEO showcased a new type of payment system that Apple has been working on, dubbed Apple Pay. The now famous “One Last Thing…”  revealed the widely-rumored Apple Watch. If you want to learn more about all of these new and exciting products from Apple, keep on reading my roundup of Apple’s September 9th Event!

iPhone

Tim Cook revealed two types of iPhones – the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus – that’s 1.5 inches bigger than the iPhone 5S! Both iPhone 6 models are lighter, clearer, faster, bigger, and even have more memory than the previous model; with 16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB flavors!

The resolution of both models have also been cranked up! The iPhone 6 crams in 1334 x 750 pixels and the 6 Plus has an amazing 1920 x 1080 pixels. The result? Clearer and darker text, more vivid and brighter colors – what more could you ask for!

Both of the new iPhone 6 models are also thinner – with the iPhone 6 coming in just 6.9mm and the iPhone 6 Plus at 7.1mm, which is pretty incredible compared to the iPhone 5S’ 7.6mm.

In addition, both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus boast updated cameras: with an upgraded primary camera at the rear, with Focus Pixels and Autofocus technology to allow for faster focus (a feature normally found on DSLR’s!)  Video capabilities have also been upgraded on both new models:  HD 1080p video at 30fps. “Burst-mode for selfies” and better slo-mo video at 120fps or 240fps round out the camera upgrades.

The iPhone 6 models are faster with the addition of Apple’s A8 processor. As a result, the iPhone 6/6 Plus have up to 25% faster processing power and 50% faster graphics as compared to the previous iPhone 5S.

Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself: “With all these new features and additions, what about the battery life?!”. Well, fret no more! Apple has heard the concerns about the iPhone 5S’ battery life, and increased the battery on both of the new iPhone 6 models to make it 50% more efficient than the previous model. Wahoo!

Apple Pay

Using the NFC chip in the iPhone 6 models, 6-model owners will be able to use their devices to pay with a tap for everyday purchases with a new feature Apple announced yesterday, called Apple Pay. Apple Pay’s goal is

to revolutionize the “fairly antiquated payments process” with Touch ID, Passbook, and the “Secure Element”, a dedicated chip that sores encrypted payment information.

“This whole process is based on this little piece of plaster, whether it’s a debit or credit card”, CEO Tim Cook said on stage. “We’re totally reliant on the exposed numbers, and the outdated and vulnerable magnetic interface – why by the way is five decades old – and the security codes which all of us know aren’t so secure.”

Apple Pay plans to change all that! Here’s how it works: add a credit card from your iTunes account, or add a new card using the phone’s iSight camera. Once your card is on file with Apple Pay, you’ll be able to use your phone to check out at participating vendors — both brick and mortar, as well as online — by authenticating with Touch ID.

In a store, you’ll hold your iPhone in front of a reader and place your finger over the fingerprint sensor to confirm. In an app, you’ll select Apple Pay as your payment method and confirm with Touch ID. Additionally, Apple Pay works with the newly announced Apple Watch – which makes buying things even more streamlined. “That’s it!” Cook adds. “It is so cool!”

Apple Watch

The famous “one last thing” for the event was the announcement

and long-awaited revealing of a new smartwatch, named Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is Apple’s first foray into the world of wearable technology. Completely customizable and personal, the Apple Watch combines fashion with technology in extraordinary ways.

Apple Watch works directly with a user’s iPhone (with a brand new user interface!), for example: recieving an email will cause the Apple Watch to lightly vibrate on your rist. Raise it up to look at the notificaiton, and the Apple Watch will turn on for you. You can then swipe up on the screen ot view action buttons that you can fully interact with.

When it comes down to choosing an Apple watch, you have three options: the Apple Watch (leather), Apple Watch Edition (18-karat gold), and the Apple Watch Sport (a rubber polymer that holds up well to sweat and gym use). The actual watch face depends on the collection of Apple Watch you choose. And since watches are certainly not “one size fits all”; there are two sizes of Apple Watch that have matching sized bands.

Apple Watch requires an iPhone (generation 4 and up) to work, pricing will begin at $349 ,and it will be available to purchase in “early 2015”. Apple hasn’t given a lot more info on the Apple Watch, however you can check out the dedicated Apple Watch site here.

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