Apple was the talk of the town for the past few days and Tim Cook’s keynote managed to steal headlines and conversations, as usual. After months of rumours and speculation, the iPhone 6 was finally unveiled, along with the iPhone Plus and the Apple Watch.
Boom News breaks down some of the most exciting features of the iPhone 6 for you.
Brand New Design
Apple is breaking new ground by introducing two different-sized models in the same generation. The iPhone 6 has a screen size of 4.7 inches, a good bump from the previous 4 inches version. Apple has also ventured into the phablet market with the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. At 6.8 mm and 7.1 mm respectively, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the thinnest phones from Apple. They will be available in gold, white and “space grey”.
Rounded edges and a sleeker design are a subtle evolution in the smartphone’s minimalistic look, as described by the Gizmodo website. The cover glass seamlessly merges with the aluminum body. Along with the screen, the display has received a boost too. The retina display, called RetinaHD, has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 and 401 ppi density. The display also has full sRGB colour standard, higher contrast and white balance.
Improved Camera
The iSight camera in the new phones is 8 MP as the previous model, but the sensor has been upgraded with Focus Pixels, improved face detection and exposure controls. Time.com has labelled this as the most advanced camera yet. These Focus Pixels offer phase-detection autofocus, making it twice as fast as the 5s. The iPhone 6 Plus has optical image stabilization for steadier results. The front-facing camera has been upgraded to 2.1 MP. The new burst mode takes 10 pictures per second for better selfies, capturing every expression.
With the iPhone 6 you can now shoot time-lapse videos, 1080p HD videos at 60 frames per second and 720p slow-motion videos at 240 frames per second. Cinematic video stabilization will help you film steady shots even when you are in motion.
Faster Processor
Battery life of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus (in hours)
The iPhone 6 features an A8 chip, the second 64-bit chipset from Apple. The A8 supports 50 per cent faster graphics as compared to the A7 in the iPhone 5s. The chip is 15 per cent smaller in size with a 25 per cent faster CPU. It contains two billion transistors and is manufactured using a 20 nm process. This means that the device will be more power-efficient, and Apple boasts that the battery life will last up to 12 hours on WiFi browsing.
Both the phones also have a built-in barometer that will measure air pressure. This has been introduced keeping in mind Apple’s focus on health and fitness. 9To5Mac calls this the next-generation in terms of motion-tracking, which will enable the new devices to measure elevation.
Better Connectivity
Apple says the new phones will have three times faster WiFi thanks to the new support for 802.11ac. The iPhone 6 has up to 20 LTE bands, which is seven more than what the 5s had. This means the phone will be able to connect to more high-speed networks, making for better roaming capabilities. It offers download speeds to up to 150 mbps.
Apple has also introduced calls over WiFi which will allow you to make calls using your cellular number even when you don’t have a good cellular signal. Along with this, you can now make calls using Voice over LTE (VoLTE).
Apple Pay
With the introduction of NFC antennae in the new phones, Apple Pay is iPhone’s first platform for mobile payments. Apple is trying to replace the physical wallet and credit cards with payments that “happen with a single touch”. The Touch ID fingerprint reader will provide an extra layer of security. Making a payment involves simply placing the iPhone near contactless readers with your finger on Touch ID.
According to CNET, Apple Pay is available only in the US during the launch and can be used to make payments at various outlets like McDonald’s, Macy’s and Whole Foods.
Images courtesy: Apple