Apple announced its new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch and you should be really excited about it. Here’s why:
iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus
According to Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO, the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus are the “biggest advancements in the history of iPhone.” In addition to the new iOS 8 operating system, the new iPhones boast larger screens (iPhone 5S was 4.0″, iPhone 6 is 4.7″ and iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5″), thinner bodies (iPhone 5S was 7.6mm, iPhone 6 is 6.9mm and iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1mm), and an all new Retina HD screen (1 million pixels on the iPhone 6, 2 million pixels on the iPhone 6 Plus), the new phones also come with Apple Pay (which we will get into later), a barometer (to add to the already insane amount of detection hardware it has), and faster LTE and WiFi speeds! The camera has better image stabilization software and in the iPhone 6 Plus has something called “Optical Image Stabilization” (basically, the camera can physically move to counteract any motion.) The video camera on the iPhone 6 & 6 Plus can shoot in HD1080p at 30fps or 60fps. It also has a slow-mo feature which increases the frame rate up to 240fps! You can get some amazing slow motion video at that frame rate!
Pricing
iPhone 6: 16GB – $199, 64GB – $299, 120GB – $399 – all prices are based on a new two year contract.
iPhone 6 Plus: 16GB – $299, 64GB – $399, 120GB – $499 – all prices are based on a new two year contract.
The Point: The new iPhone is definitely an upgrade from the iPhone 5S and 5C. The upgraded camera will make it really hard to own a point and shoot camera or a camcorder. The 240fps frame rate for the video camera in itself is something you only find on very high end video cameras. The new VoLTE and WiFi calling will aid in less dropped calls and more range. The battery life is a little bit better than its predecessor but it is supposed to be more efficient in general. Overall, they made it faster, more reliable, and more useful. And then they introduced Apple Pay..
Apple Pay
Apple said they want to replace the wallet and to do this they developed Apple Pay. In a way, it’s the type of system you would think would have been developed right now. The problem is every company who wanted to develop this software has built a failed business model around it. With Apple, they’re doing this purely for convenience. Basically, when you set up your new iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, you can set it up with the credit card you have on file with iTunes, or simply take a picture of the card you want to use. Apple verifies that it is your card and it is programs it into your Passbook app. Once it is set up, you can visit a store which has the wireless pay station and pay by touching a button! You can also use it within apps to bypass all of the ‘entering credit card information’ stuff.
The Point: I know what you’re thinking. “I don’t trust Apple with my credit card number! Someone is going to steal it!!” Well, you’re right. That is a very normal feeling to have when you think about putting your credit card on a phone. In order to calm the nerves of millions of people everywhere, Apple developed a privacy system which is actually really ingenious. To find out more about the nitty gritty details, click here.
Apple Watch
Apple decided to join the wearable tech race by unveiling their new Apple Watch product. The watch has two sizes – 38mm and 42mm and comes in three different types: Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport (harder body, sweat resistant), and Apple Watch Edition (18K Gold, supposed to be twice as hard as normal gold). The controls are simple and familiar as they use a touch screen and a crown on the side to zoom in and out of apps. The touch screen is so advanced that it can tell the difference between a tap and a forceful press! It also comes with an accelerometer, infrared sensors, and a special engine which ‘pokes’ you when you when you have a notification.
Price: Will debut at $349
The Point: There are a lot of companies who are researching and developing wearable tech. The problem is finding a use for a lot of it. Samsung has developed their Galaxy Gear watches to go along with their Galaxy line of phones but they haven’t quite broke into the main stream. In my opinion, wearable tech is in our future but it will be a few years until people actually understand what to do with it. Right now, wearable tech is very useful for those who enjoy living a healthy lifestyle. Most types of wearable tech currently track your pulse and monitor how many steps you take. The Apple Watch can monitor how many flights of stairs you’ve climbed, how long you’ve been standing, and will even remind you to be more active if you haven’t hit your goals for the day.
So, should you buy all of this stuff?
iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus: They’re basically upgraded iPhone 5S’s. If you need a new phone, you should certainly buy the new iPhone models. The iPhone 6 Plus in particular would be a great option for those who have a hard time seeing content on smaller screens. If you are not in dire need of a new phone, you won’t really be missing out on anything right away.
Apple Watch: If you are a software developer or someone who just wants to be on the cutting edge of technology, buy the Apple Watch as soon as it comes out (early 2015). Same goes for you health fanatics – the Apple Watch will give you a comprehensive analysis of your daily physical activity. If none of these apply to you then in my opinion, wait it out. App developers everywhere are hungry to start developing apps for the Apple Watch and I bet in a year or two they’ll give the average person a reason to wear a smart watch. As of now though, other than being able to see phone notifications on your watch, I don’t see any reason to buy an Apple Watch right away.
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