OK, so the cat is out of the bag. The rumors around new Apple devices were bang on this time. Apple announced 2 new iPhones in its event today - a 4.7 inch iPhone 6 and a 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. And according to Apple, these are the BEST iPhones they have ever made, which is saying something since the 5S was a giant step ahead.
So what's new with these iPhone devices - pretty much what the rumor mill said
What's new - the new iPhones
- Bigger screens - the biggest plus point Samsung devices had over iPhone were the larger screens. The new iPhones come with bigger screens
- Continuous design - the new iPhones are more rounded than the previous iPhone devices
- Thinner still - the iPhone 5S was thin, the iPhone 6 series is thinner - looks sleek
- Retina HD - retina display looked pretty amazing. The iPhone 6 has a 1334x750 resolution (326 ppi). The iPhone 6 Plus has a resolution of 1920x1080 (401 ppi) - full HD experience!
- Powered by A8 chips (50% faster graphics and 25% faster processing power) - the 4S appears slow-mo compared to this!
- The M8 motion co-processor is a part of the new iPhones
- Also has a barometer that sense air pressure and relative elevation
- Said to be 50% more energy efficient - battery drain for performance was another complain a lot of users had
- Wi-Fi calling introduced to make high quality calls when cell conditions are poor
- The iSight camera made even better (and if the photos shown during the keynote are anything to go by, amateurs can say bye to all the DSLR cameras
- Its not just photos. Slow-mo videos can now be captured at 120 or 240 fps (that is seriously slow!)
Developers, Developers, Developers
The iOS 8 already has an amazing number of frameworks added for developers. With today's announcement, Apple announced a few more nuggets for developers
- With the amazing processing speeds, developing games for the iPhone should be even more fun now - higher frame rates, much better performance
- With the M8 co-processor, the barometer, health apps get a whole lot of additional information they can now use
- A Health app is being introduced with iOS 8 that can measure physical activity. Developers will be able to capture this data in their apps as well
Availability
The iPhone 6 will be available in select countries starting September 19 with pre-orders starting September 12. iOS 8 will be available for update on older iOS device on September 17.
Other important announcements
Apart from the new iPhones, Apple announced other very exciting stuff
Apple Pay
Probably one of the most important announcements, this shows Apple is ready to diversify into other areas apart from phones, tablets and computers. Apple introduced Apple Pay as an alertnative way of making payments - integrating hardware, software and services.
Apple Pay will use NFC and Touch ID for payments. Passbook will come in very handy with Apple Pay integration.
And whats more, you can add your cards right from iTunes - this is something a lot of us have already been doing.
iWatch
Another much awaited announcement is the iWatch (looks BEAUTIFUL, without doubt!)
- The iWatch has a Digital crown (you read that right) - navigate the device, scroll, click - without covering the screen
- Photosensors to detect pulse rate - this could become your constant health companion
- Ability to personalize watch faces
- Siri is built into the iWatch
- And the photos app - a personal pocket photo book on the go with you always. Maps, accelerometer, everything is in there. Do you even need an iPhone now?
- If your friend also has an iWatch, you can send them a tap on the wrist, FROM ANYWHERE (this is SO cool!)
- The iWatch has an Activity app and a Workout app which can track your movements through the day and track workout sessions
- And there's so much more to it
From the demo, the iWatch is the ultimate multi-purpose time piece (or is it) to use widgets. This explains the introduction of widgets with iOS 8
Whats more, with WatchKit third party developers can extend their apps to Apple iWatch. The iWatch will have its own App Store.
The iWatch will be available in early 2015. But it is definitely worth the wait.
Are your iPhone apps ready for the larger display? Get in touch today to ensure they are ready for the larger screens as well as take advantage of the new frameworks introduced in iOS 8.