Apple Unveils New Apple Watch, iPhone 6 And More

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveiled the new iPhone 6, as well as the new phone/tablet, iPhone 6 Plus, and their first wearable device, the Apple Watch, at the Apple event on Tuesday.

iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

The new iPhone 6 will be both thinner and larger than the current iPhone 5, 5C and 5S. At 4.7 inches in length, the iPhone 6 is a bit larger than the current 4-inch iPhone 5C, but it still rests comfortably in phone size.

The iPhone 6 Plus, however, which has the same features as the iPhone 6, measures 5.5-inches in length and is Apple’s first phone-tablet (or ‘phablet’) product. A larger screen and improved landscape view make the iPhone 6 Plus a somewhat happy medium between a phone and a tablet and follows on the heels of other larger smartphones, such as the Samsung Galaxy.

The iPhone 6 will retail for $199 and the iPhone 6 Plus will cost $299. Both iPhones will feature a higher resolution screen than the iPhones that came before it, and a new 8-megapixel camera, which will enable the filming of slow-motion videos. Hopping on the ‘selfie’ craze, the new iPhone camera will also feature an upgraded front-facing camera with better focus for “Burst Selfies.”

The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus will be released on Sept. 19, and pre-orders will open Friday. Apple is also releasing the iOS 8, which will be available for download on Sept. 17.

Apple Watch

Apple also revealed its first wearable device: the Apple Watch. Many predicted that Apple would unveil a smart watch at their event, dubbing it the ‘iWatch.’ To set it aside from other smartwatches, Apple will be releasing a customizable smartwatch. While the square façade will be the standard, users will be able to customize the look of the watch. Not wanting to limit their customers, Apple will release three different watches: the sport, the Apple edition and a standard edition.

Apple watches will connect to a user’s iPhone or iPod and can also store music. The watch will also have text capability, and a fun customizable emoji feature. While Apple Watch has countless features that relate to functions already available on the iPhone, one unique aspect of the Apple Watch is the new map app, which will vibrate on the left or right side, telling the wearer when and in which direction to turn.

Apple will also increase its partnerships with corporations, such as American Airlines and BMW, which will facilitate linking your travels to your Apple Watch. For example, a BMW app will let your Apple Watch track where your car is. Finally, the watch, as anticipated, will feature health functions: the Fitness App and the Workout App, though it seems as though full use of these apps will only be available to users with iPhones. The Apple Watch is set to be released in 2015 and will cost $349.

Apple Pay

Apple also announced Apple Pay, the new virtual wallet, meant to ensure secure payment and make carrying a full wallet of credit and debit cards obsolete.

#AppleLive Fail

The presentation event concluded with a surprise performance from U2, and, while details of the brand new Apple products had already been released to the public, many Apple fans who attempted to watch the live feed of the event were left unsatisfied. Apple publicized that the event would be streaming live on their website, but the site kept crashing – not a particularly good sign for a tech company.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.