Slideshow

In Pictures: 17 coolest iPhone 6, Apple Watch announcements

18 Photos Yoni Heisler (Network World)

Here you’ll find a detailed recap of some of the cooler and most important new products and services Apple announced yesterday.

  • Apple made a slew of huge announcements today. In addition to rolling out two great new iPhone models, the company also took the wraps off of the long-rumored Apple wearable now dubbed the Apple Watch. The announcements came in fast and furious. Here you’ll find a detailed recap of some of the cooler and most important new products and services Apple announced today.

  • The Apple Watch: Without question, the biggest announcement yesterday was the introduction of the Apple Watch, a device which seemingly does a little bit of everything. You can use it to respond to messages, make quick phone calls, use Siri, check your email, and even to make mobile payments. The Apple Watch also comes with a suite of health-oriented functionality. The device won't ship until early 2015 and will cost a cool $349.

  • Bigger iPhones - iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: Apple yesterday introduced not one, but two new iPhone models: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Both feature bigger screens, with the iPhone 6 sporting a 4.7-inch display and the iPhone 6 Plus featuring a whopping 5.5-inch display. Both phones go on sale beginning on September 19.

  • Apple Pay: In an announcement that has the potential to be a game-changer, Apple yesterday introduced Apple Pay. Apple Pay is Apple's take on mobile payments and allows both the iPhone 6 and the Apple Watch to make payments directly. In typical Apple fashion, the usability is extremely intuitive, with Tim Cook noting that "Apple Pay will forever change the way all of us buy things." Some outlets that will support Apple Pay out of the gate include Target, Panera Bread, Subway, Walgreens, McDonald's, Staples, and Whole Foods.

  • Better iPhone displays: Lost in the shuffle of the Apple Watch and Apple Pay news are some pretty incredible iPhone enhancements, one of which is a better display for the iPhone. Not only are the new iPhones more sturdy thanks to ion-strengthened glass, but they also feature a new Retina HD display with higher contrast, an improved polarizer, and improved viewing angles.

  • Killer new iPhone camera: Apple has steadily improved the iPhone camera with each successive release and the iPhone 6 models are no different. The iPhone 6 camera can capture 1080p HD footage at 60 fps and 240 fps when shooting in slow-motion mode. What's more, the iPhone's 8-megapixel camera now features improved face-detection technology along with optical image stabilization, higher-resolution panoramic photos, faster auto stabilization, and smarter editing tools.

  • WatchKit: Just as the App Store pushed the boundaries for what was possible with the iPhone, the Apple Watch itself will have its own App Store. Specifically, developers will be able to take advantage of Apple's WatchKit framework to deliver all sorts of interesting mobile watch applications that haven't even been conjured up yet.

  • Voice over LTE: The new iPhones finally include support for Voice over LTE. The result is increased clarity and sharpness on phone calls that really do make a whole world of difference.

  • Improved video camera: In addition to the increased frame rate mentioned earlier, the iPhone 6's iSight camera now features HDR Video, tighter exposure controls, continuous auto-focus, and cinematic video stabilization

  • Barometer: The new iPhones come with a barometer that can sense slight changes in air pressure. As a result, users can keep track of elevation gained when exercising or even when going up the stairs.

  • Improved iPhone battery life: Apple more than most companies seems intent on delivering best-in-class battery life, and in this regard the iPhone 6 models do not disappoint. The iPhone 6 delivers 14 hours of talk time, 11 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 11 hours of HD Video playback, and 50 hours of audio playback. The iPhone 6 Plus, meanwhile, delivers an incredible 24 hours of talk time, 12 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 14 hours of HD Video playback, and an astounding 80 hours of audio playback. Not too shabby for a device that's remarkably thinner than the iPhone 5s.

  • Faster wireless connectivity: The iPhone 6 has faster LTE download speeds than any other iPhone that's come before it. We're talking potential download speeds of 150 Mbps. Furthermore, the new iPhones support 802.11 ac Wi-Fi, which translates into Wi-Fi browsing speeds that are up to three times as fast as previous iPhone models.

  • Blazing-fast A8 processor: The A8 processor found in the new iPhone 6 models is the fastest Apple has ever developed, promising a marked improvement in CPU performance over the iPhone 5s and up to 84x times the GPU performance compared to the original iPhone. Translation? Be prepared for even more jaw-dropping gaming experiences. It's also worth noting that Apple's new A8 processor is extremely energy efficient, which makes for all-around improved battery life.

  • Easy set up for Apple Pay: Mobile payments represent a new frontier for smartphones, and an easy-to-use and intuitive set up is extremely important. Thankfully, this is where Apple excels. To set up Apple Pay, users can simply import their iTunes credit cards already on file. They also have the option to add a new card to their iPhone by simply taking a photo of it.

  • Apple Pay is private and secure: As opposed to some other companies (ahem, Google), Apple made a point of stressing that using Apple Pay protects user privacy and reveals absolutely nothing about consumer transactions or shopping habits. Notably, all major credit cards -- Visa, MasterCard, American Express -- from the nation's top-issuing banks are supported.

  • New iOS 8 gestures: On account of the larger displays on the iPhone 6, Apple has introduced a new gesture called "reachability." To use it, a user simply taps on the home button twice and the top half of the display will smoothly slide downwards, thereby enabling users to tap on links and other items that would be out of reach on the large display.

  • Use the iPhone 6 in landscape mode: If you turn the iPhone 6 on its side, the home screen will adjust accordingly. In other words, you can use your gigantic iPhone as a sort of wannabe iPad Mini.

  • "One More Thing" - For the first time in a long time, Apple used the phrase "one more thing." More importantly, it actually meant something. Apple yesterday jumped into an entirely new product category – the Apple Watch – with its “one more thing” announcement. Furthermore, Apple's "one more thing" moment marks the first time the company has released a revolutionary new device under the helm of Tim Cook.

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