iPhone 6 and Apple Conference

Apple held their conference today to introduce the range of new products coming out in the next few months, and the internet is abuzz with all of the news. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the impending iOS 8 release, Apple Pay and, of course, the long-awaited Apple Watch were all showcased. Here’s a brief overview of today’s Apple news:

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple has finally debuted the specs and sleek design of the new iPhone 6 and its larger partner, the iPhone 6 Plus. Both phones feature the traditional Apple look with metal frames and protective, shatter-proof glass screens. The iPhone 6 has a 4.7 inch screen, while the Plus has a 5.5 in screen. They are both thinner than the iPhone 5s and have the excellent screen resolution that users have come to expect. Both devices will come with the soon-to-be-released iOS 8 and a 64-bit A8 processor that Apple claims is 20% faster than the iPhone 5s. The phone comes with a range of sensors for fitness and fingerprint scanners for unlocking phones and making mobile payments. Both phones have a 8MP back camera with some cool features and a 1.2 MP front camera that is designed to snap selfies quickly to get better pictures with a face detector. Another iPhone 6 specific announcement included Apple Pay, a way to pay for goods and services with your phone. The way it’s supposed to work is you save your card information to the phone, then hold the phone to a compatible terminal and tap the screen, which uses a fingerprint scanner to verify. Quite a few card companies have endorsed the services, and it is expected to be supported at 22,000 retailers nationwide at places like Macy’s, Bloomingdales, Wallgreens, Duane Reade, Subway, McDonalds, Whole Foods, Staples, Subway, and others. On contract, the iPhone 6 will cost $200 – $500 depending on how much memory you want (16 GB, 64 GB or 129 GB). The iPhone 6 Plus costs $300 – $500 and comes with the same three memory options. Unlocked with no contract, the phones will range from $650 – $950, depending on which model and storage option you pick. Both phones will go on sale Sept. 19 and can be preordered on Sept. 12. I haven’t seen any specific listings as to who will carry what or when it will become officially available to prepaid, but with all the hype I expect it won’t take long to move over.

iOS 8 Release

While Apple had already released many of the details and specs for the upcoming iOS 8, they confirmed that it will be available to compatible devices on September 17 of this year. Devices that can get the upgrade are:

• iPhone 4s, 5s, 5c
• iPad 2, Air, Mini
• iPad with Retina Display
• iPad Mini with Retina Display
• iPod 5th Generation

Apple and other tech sites have written extensively on the differences between the iOS 7 and 8, so if you’re not sure if you want to update, check out this fantastic article explaining the differences between the two.

Apple Watch

Apple also has finally released specs for their highly-awaited smart watch, the Apple Watch. And, unsurprisingly, it delivers quite the cool range of features for users and looks like it has a very unique OS compared to other smart watches already on the market. Because I’m not sure it will be released for the prepaid market, I won’t wax poetic about the cool stuff that it does, but Apple certainly brought their game with this one. And they finally dropped the ‘i’ from the name, which is for the best. I don’t know if I am alone, but I certainly wouldn’t pay $350 for an ‘iWatch’ as it sounds more than a little creepy. The Apple Watch should be available in ‘early 2015.’ You can get more information about this cool new gadget on their website.]]>