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Supply of iPhone 6 Plus dwindles as Apple processes record number of pre-orders overnight
Apple kicked off pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus overnight in a launch that was marked by server problems for Apple's online store. Eager late night shoppers were surprised to find the store offline when the clock reached the magic hour of 12:01AM PT. After a multi-hour delay, sales took off in the early morning hours with the iPhone 6 Plus quickly selling out by the time the East Coast was waking up. Supply of the Though the supply of the Plus model appears to be especially constrained, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 remains available, although several colors and capacities are now beginning to show extended lead times of 7 to 10 days as of the writing of this post. Apple confirmed in a statement provided to Re/Code that the company processed a record number of preorders, saying that, "response to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has been incredible." If you missed out on the pre-order, you can purchase an iPhone 6 or the 6 Plus at Apple Stores, wireless carriers and select retailers starting September 19.
Apple, carriers and retailers now accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Apple, carriers and other retailers now are accepting pre-orders for the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus in a launch that began overnight. Unlike earlier years when sales started promptly at 12:01 AM PT, Apple's online store opening was delayed for more than hour. Some customers were able to reserve an iPhone via the Apple Store app, but many were forced to delay their purchase or turn to carriers or retailers for their ordering needs. While Verizon reportedly handled the onslaught of new orders, AT&T's website struggled to keep up with demand. Sprint's pre-ordering site remains offline, while T-Mobile also faced problems, accepting orders well after the midnight launch. Most third-party retailers avoided overnight ordering glitches by opting to start accepting pre-orders when retail stores open this morning. As of the writing of this post, Apple's iPhone 6 remains in strong supply, while some models of the iPhone 6 Plus now have October delivery dates. Did you pre-order an iPhone 6? Which model did you choose?
X-Doria iPhone 6/6 Plus case review and giveaway
This is a first for TUAW -- we'll actually be giving away some iPhone 6 and 6 Plus cases before the new larger iPhones are in the hands of readers. These cases from X-Doria arrived at TUAW Labs just after the Apple announcements on September 9. I think you'll like what you see. Engage Folio The Engage Folio (US$29.99) for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is the perfect marriage of protection and style, with a clear hardshell back to show off your latest Apple phone and a leather-like folio cover to protect that big screen. The first thing that hit me was just how thin the Engage Folio is, which of course is a good indication of how skinny both the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are going to be. I love that X-Doria chose to keep the Apple-logo'd back of the new iPhones open to view, providing a white, black or red faux leather cover to cover the screen. That's the red cover on the image below. If you need to carry your driver's license with you -- after October, you certainly won't be using your credit cards since your new device will be performing that function for you -- there's a slot on the inside of the cover. The front of the cover features an embossed and silvered X-Doria logo. The top of the Engage Folio is complete closed, with openings on the right side for the sleep/wake switch, a full-length opening on the left side to accommodate the volume toggle and silent mode switch, and an open bottom for the speakers, microphones, and ports. Of course, there's also a large opening for the camera and flash. Rating: 3-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Defense 360° Want protection all the way around that big iPhone 6 of yours? The X-Doria Defense 360° ($29.99) is a translucent "frosted" polycarbonate case with a screen shield that you can control your device through. It's probably the most plain-Jane of the X-Doria cases for the iPhone 6, but if you're just looking for something that will totally protect your device from scratches without adding a lot of weight or masking the beauty of the phone, the Defense 360° is it. Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Scene If you're looking for a bargain case to keep your latest iPhone safe, the Scene ($19.99) is probably one of your best bets. It has a soft-edge bumper in black, white or red, a soft rubber liner, and a hard clear polycarbonate shell to protect the back of your iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. It's not fancy at all, but provides just what a case should -- protection for everyday use. I particularly like the thin clear line in the bumper that lets the natural color of the iPhone (silver, gold or space gray) show through. X-Doria is going to sell a lot of the Scene cases... Rating: 3 stars out of 4 stars possible Engage Plus This $29.99 case is another take on the clear hardshell case, adding either silver or gold reflective bands to the back of the case while keeping the area around the Apple logo clear. To be honest, I think the Engage Plus case would be more reasonable at the same $19.99 price tag as the Scene case, since it's just clear polycarbonate. At least the Engage Folio has a leather-like cover for the same price. Rating: 2-1/2 stars out of 4 stars possible Giveaway We have five X-Doria cases to give away. There's a Scene for iPhone 6, a Defense 360° for iPhone 6, an Engage Plus (gold) for iPhone 6, an Engage Folio in white for iPhone 6, and an Engage Folio in black for iPhone 6 Plus. Here are the rules for the giveaway: Open to legal US residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older. To enter, fill out the form below completely and click or tap the Submit button. The entry must be made before September 15, 2014 11:59PM Eastern Daylight Time. You may enter only once. Five winners will be selected in a random drawing. Each will receive one of the five cases describe here with a value between $19.99 and $29.99. Click Here for complete Official Rules. Loading...
How to save money when purchasing an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus
Want to purchase an iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus and save some money at the same time? Customers who are looking for the best deals, should bypass the Apple Store and visit third-party retailers like Walmart or Radio Shack. Several retailers this week confirmed they will offer Apple's next generation iPhone with discounts that undercut Apple's retail price. Even more retailers offer trade-in programs that'll provide cash for older iPhones that can be applied directly to the purchase price of a new iPhone. Radio Shack Radio Shack offers the best deal with a $50 iTunes gift card with each iPhone purchase through September 27. Radio Shack also will accept your old iPhone as trade-in with the retailer paying up to $300 for an iPhone 5. Walmart Walmart is taking its discount right off the price of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus with the 16GB iPhone 6 retailing for $179 instead of Apple's $199. This $20 price drop applies to all iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models. Customers who pre-order the smartphone will receive an additional $15 e-gift card from the retailer. Walmart also has a trade-in program that'll give you a gift card in return for a working or broken phone; credit varies by model and config, but a functional iPhone 5S 16GB on AT&T could net you $250, or you could get a $52.80 credit for a 16 GB AT&T iPhone 4 -- Gazelle credit is about the same. Walmart-owned Sam's Club is undercutting its parent company by a few dollars, selling the iPhone 6 for a starting price of $177 and the iPhone 6 Plus for $277. [Correction: We mistakenly cited trade-in info from Walmart's 2013 smartphone trade-in press release in the original post, rather than the walmart.cexchange.com current quoting.] Verizon Wireless Besides Walmart and Radio Shack, Verizon Wireless also is offering customers the option to get a free 16GB iPhone 6 handset when they trade in an old iPhone and agree to a new two-year customer agreement, The deal extends to the iPhone 4, 4S, 5, 5C, and 5S. Customers who trade in a working phone will receive a $200 gift card that can be applied to the purchase of the iPhone 6. Sprint and T-Mobile Sprint and T-Mobile also are offering trade-in programs that'll match the offers of other US carriers up to $300. While Sprint is pairing the iPhone with a leasing plan that requires no money down for the iPhone 6, T-Mobile is sweetening the deal with an additional $50 bonus that'll piggyback on the trade-in amount. Target Target also is accepting trade-ins on older iPhone models, but is offering no other additional discounts. Customers have until September 18 to lock-in a price, which will be guaranteed until October 18. The retailer also will be processing iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders starting on September 12. Apple Customers who prefer to make their purchase directly from Apple can take advantage of the company's Reuse and Recycling program. The trade-in option provides customers with a gift card that can be applied immediately to the purchase of the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus.
Tim Cook: iPhone 6 to usher in "the mother of all upgrades"
Though much of the focus this week is understandably centered on Apple's new Watch, the two new iPhone 6 models Apple introduced this past Tuesday are more than noteworthy in their own right. Aside from the obvious change in design -- bigger screens -- Apple added a whole lot of interesting functionality under the hood to make its new iPhone models stand out from their predecessors in a significant way. The new iPhones not only come with Apple's blazing fast A8 processor and enhanced camera technologies, but they also come with an NFC subsystem that will enable users to make mobile payments without ever having to take out their credit cards. The iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus both go on sale on September 19 and Tim Cook this week told the Wall Street Journal that he anticipates a huge number of consumers will be chomping at the bit to upgrade. Cook said he expects the introduction of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will trigger "the mother of all upgrades." While the bigger screens will capture most of the attention, Cook said the phones are "appreciably better in every single way." He said he expects Android users to look at switching to the iPhone. The point about Android users perhaps switching over to the iPhone is intriguing, if only because one of the longstanding advantages Android handsets had over the iPhone were bigger screens. What's more, Apple was keenly aware of the fact that many consumers were pining for smartphones with larger displays. As a quick illustration, below is a slide from an internal Apple presentation that was made public during Apple's second California trial with Samsung. Titled "Consumers want what we don't have", the chart shows that the bulk of smartphone growth in the industry could be attributed to devices with displays bigger than 4 inches. Incidentally, Cook certainly loves employing the phrase "mother of" (fill in the blank). Don't be surprised if iPhone 6 demand is off the charts and Cook tells some media outlet that Apple is experiencing the mother of all backlogs -- a phrase he's already used with respect to the iPad.
iPhone 6 launch in China delayed pending regulatory approval
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will hit store shelves in 10 countries around the world come September 19. Notably, and surprisingly, China won't be one of them. According to a recent piece in the New York Times, Apple's new iPhone models for some reason haven't yet received regulatory approval from Chinese authorities. Apple has since informed its carrier partners there that the new iPhone launch will be delayed until proper approval is granted. Apple's staff in China appeared to have been caught off-guard by the last-minute change of plans, with one executive saying on Wednesday that all of the company's stores in Beijing and Shanghai had been preparing for sales to begin on Sept. 19. The executive spoke on the condition of anonymity. The delayed launch of new iPhone models will undoubtedly cause a fair amount of frustration amongst both carriers and consumers, especially given that some carriers had already been gearing up new sales promotions and advertising campaigns. From Apple's perspective, the delayed launch has the potential to have a huge impact on the company's bottom line. China represents Apple's fastest growing market and the revenue derived from China-based iPhone sales is substantial. One has to imagine that the powers that be at Apple will be doing all they can to quickly skirt around what is now a minor hurdle.
Apple may use electronic reservation system for iPhone 6 launch
Apple may be streamlining the wait for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19 with a new electronic reservation system that'll minimize a customer's line waiting time. According to training documents obtained by 9to5Mac, Apple is replacing its traditional paper passes with this new Reservation Pass system that will send customer reservation information via email or SMS. The new system reportedly allows Apple associates to check store inventory in real-time and secure an iPhone model for the customer on the spot. Once a reservation is confirmed, customers will be free to leave the line and return anytime during the day to finalize their purchase. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus go on sale starting September 19. Per-orders for the two smartphones begin September 12.
Shedding some light on iPhone 6 screen sizes and one-handed use
My wife pointed out a comment to me on a decidedly non-tech website she reads where a person commented on a blog post from last November where an "Apple Fanboi" tech blogger had exclaimed disbelief why anyone would want a large-screened phone. The commenter was irritated that the same writer was probably now standing in line for an iPhone 6 Plus. Fortunately, that tech blogger wasn't me, but it could have been. Back in October of 2011, I wrote a post called "Size matters: Why the iPhone has a 3.5-inch screen" that quoted blogger Dustin Curtis -- who owned both an iPhone 4 and Samsung Galaxy S II -- talking about how perfect the iPhone was for one-handed use. Now fortunately, I never did make any disparaging comments about large-screened phones, but I did find that 2011 post and thought I'd revisit it now that Apple has gone big. The gist of Curtis's comments was that the 3.5-inch iPhone screen size in vogue at that time was perfect for allowing a person holding a device in one hand, using a thumb to control just about anything on the screen. On the "huge" Galaxy S II with its 4.21-inch screen, that wasn't possible. With my iPhone 5s and my iPhone 6 mockups on hand, I decided to see just how much of the screen I could reach with one thumb. Since I tend to move my iPhone 5s up and down with one hand while moving my thumb around, I can pretty much reach every part of the screen -- and I have really small hands for a man. The iPhone 6 requires a bit more moving up and down, and I think I'd have issues one-handing things on the right-hand side of the screen when I'm holding it in my left hand and vice-versa. As for the iPhone 6 Plus, it's pretty much impossible to touch anything on the right-hand half-inch of the screen with my thumb when holding it in my left hand. My next question to myself was "just how much one-handed work do I currently do with my iPhone?" The answer to that? Just about none. About the only time I one-hand the device is when some notification comes in and I pick it up with one hand -- with a thumb on the Touch ID Home button -- to take a look. When I need to do some work with it, the phone instinctively goes into my left hand and I start poking at it with the right. Picking up the iPhone 6 Plus mockup, I found myself much more apt to use it two-handed, although notifications could still be perused one-handed. Now it's important to note that although the new iPhones are jumbo-sized, the devices will probably still have an edge over Android devices in terms of usability. To quote Apple on the topic: By creating iPhone 6 and iOS 8 together, we optimized the software to enhance the physical design. iOS swipe gestures were designed to be more fluid across the seamless form, making it easy to navigate iPhone with one hand. With new features like Reachability you can interact with the larger screen in different ways, too. Simply double touch the Home button and the entire screen shifts down closer to your thumb. And to easily navigate Safari or Mail, swipe left to right across the screen to go backward, or swipe right to left to go forward. With the new continuous surface of iPhone, all your gestures now feel smoother than ever. Now I'll have to wait about a week to see how "Reachability" works or if the iPhone 6 Plus ends up feeling way too big, but for the most part I think it's going to be usable. For my tired old eyes, I'm hoping the larger screen will make things easier to read and watch, and I'm using the device to replace two other Apple products -- an iPhone 5s and an iPad mini. One final note on the topic of iPhone 6/6 Plus size. A reader pointed me to an absolutely ridiculous post on The Atlantic website that breathlessly exclaims that the size of the new iPhones is "too big for women's hands". Oddly enough, they have a picture of a woman happily using an iPad mini -- quite a bit larger than the iPhone 6 Plus -- at the top of the post. Not only does the author basically call Apple misogynist (after all, no women made presentations at the 9/9 event!), but he came up with one of the most inane comments I've seen as a sub-head in a while -- "As Apple starts designing for our bodies, it will have to account for the fact that they're not all the same size." Wow, I guess Jony Ive and crew never realized that, genius. Next time, let's hope that they come to you for ideas on how to design successful products...
iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus? That is the question. Here's an answer.
Remember those days when we were all trying to get the smallest possible cell phone? If you don't, you're probably young. That all went out the window with the introduction of the iPhone and its competitors, since fairly quickly we started seeing a trend towards larger screens. Now Apple has kept the screen size growth relatively slow in the past, but the two newest iPhones have suddenly undergone a growth spurt that rivals a teenager during puberty. If you decide to go with one of Apple's new phones, how do you know if it's going to fit your hands, your pants pockets, and your lifestyle? Never fear, TUAW's here with some answers. The best way to do this is to carry around a mock iPhone 6 or 6 Plus. The folks at WonderHowTo have made a pair of exact size templates that you can download (it's a PDF file), print, and then use as your pretend play-pal iPhone 6. Almost immediately after printing out the templates, I realized just how big these new phones really are compared to the iPhone 5s I carry around now: These templates have one problem -- they're thin. So I started the search for cardboard that would approximate the thickness of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus (the 6 Plus is the thickest of the two at .28 inches). Turns out that's pretty hard to do, since most of the cardboard boxes I have were 1/8-inch thick at the most. Two layers would be required. With the help of Pippin the kitten (who inadvertently lent some of his sleek black fur to the "iPhone 6"), scissors, and tape, I quickly assembled my faux phones. The only problem was that they didn't have enough heft to feel like real iPhones. For the iPhone 6 , I needed to add about 5.47 ounces. This is where a box of coins I have sitting around came in handy ... until I realized that even quarters are pretty lightweight. 23 of them and a penny made the mock iPhone 6 Plus feel pretty real. My mockup ended up weighing about 6.2 ounces (an iPhone 6 Plus is 6.07 ounces) and was a bit thicker due to the quarters taped to the back, but I figured this would give me a better feel for the weight and size of the unit anyway. Since I'm probably going to go for the iPhone 6 Plus, I decided to stop digging through my stash of quarters and didn't add weight to the iPhone 6 mockup. My verdict? I think I can put up with the weight and size of the iPhone 6 Plus. It fits the pocket of my shorts (real men don't wear pants, amirite @jgamet?) nicely. My iPhone 5s currently wears a Mophie Juice Pack Helium that brings its weight up to 6.3 ounces -- a full .23 ounces more than an iPhone 6 Plus -- so the weight isn't going to be bad. How about holding the device? To be honest, although it looks much larger, I tend to use my iPhone two-handed anyway, except for making phone calls. Did I feel like I was holding a brick up to my head with the mockup? No -- I have fairly small hands and it fit nicely, and I think that the extra length of the iPhone 6 Plus is going to end up bringing the microphone closer to the mouth for better clarity. There are a lot of other factors to consider when deciding which of these phones to get. First, the iPhone 6 Plus is $100 more in each capacity than its smaller brethren. Next, if you're considering doing a lot of photography with the new device, you might want to opt for the optical image stabilization in the 6 Plus. Finally, if you're an old guy like me and your eyes aren't the best, I think you're going to love having the biggest screen possible. To end this post, I thought it would an interesting juxtaposition to take a photo of my mockup next to my Newton MessagePad 2100 and Mophie-enhanced iPhone 5s. Now there's a device that didn't even make phone calls, and it's much thicker and heavier. In the end, what iPhone you buy (or don't buy) is all your decision, but if the size and weight of the new phones has you concerned, I think making a similar mockup will set your mind at ease. Let me know what you made a mockup and what your feelings are about the bigger size and heavier weight. The comments are below.
How to tell if you're eligible for an iPhone 6 and how much you'll pay
For those of us in the tech blogging business, yesterday started up yet another round of the "should I or shouldn't I?" questions -- as in "Should I get a new iPhone 6 to replace my iPhone 5s that I bought last year, or wait?" The answer is that everyone can pretty much get a new phone if they really want one, it's just how much you'll have to pay for it or how long you'll have to wait to get it at the best price. With my particular case as an example, let's find out how to see just how much you'll have to pay or how long you'll need to wait. Here's my situation: I have a 32GB iPhone 5s (gold) in really good condition that I purchased last year at the launch. It's running on the AT&T network. Now I've already committed to Gazelle to sell them the phone for at least $275, so I have that "rebate" to consider. Shawn "Doc Rock" Boyd sent out a tweet yesterday with the codes that subscribers on the AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon networks can dial to get an immediate idea of their eligibility. Those codes are: AT&T: *639# Sprint: 1311 T-Mobile: #874 Verizon: #874 So, I dialed the AT&T number and within a few seconds received this text response: Great. So, they want me to switch to one of the AT&T Next 12 plans, which means that I pay an installment every month for my new phone... I needed more information, so the next thing to do was go to Apple's website, naturally. You'll want to go to the iPhone 6 "Buy" page. Down under section 3 "Choose A Carrier" you'll find a link for checking your eligibility with your carrier: Click that link, and you'll be asked to select your current wireless carrier. Note that T-Mobile isn't on the list since they provide unlocked phones at "full price" instead of at a carrier-subsidized price. So, upon clicking the AT&T button, I was asked to enter my wireless number, billing zip code, and the last four digits of my Social Security Number before clicking the big blue Check Eligibility button. While the results showed all available iPhones, I was just interested in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus. Here's what they offered: Now, since I need to start writing reviews of iPhone cases and other accessories as soon as possible, I will be sitting at my computer in my underwear at 1 AM MDT on Friday morning anxiously trying to get my device ordered. That means that the nice $250 "discount" I could get for waiting until October 5, 2015 is not an option. If I decide to get the 64GB version of the iPhone 6 Plus for $649, that means I'll be getting the phone for essentially about $374 after my Gazelle rebate. That's painful, but not too bad. Alternatively, I supposed I could see what that AT&T Next 12 package is all about... That $42.45 per month price tag apparently also activates a discount of about $25 per month on certain wireless plans, which means I'd be spending about $17.45 per month for the phone. That honestly does look like the best possible deal since it essentially drops the cost of the phone down to a bit over $200 for one year, but I'm just not sure I want to change plans. This is just my case, and I'm sure that every TUAW reader out there has a slightly different set of circumstances that they'll need to take into account. How about you? Are you going to wait until your two-year contract is officially over, or get a new phone now and start a new contract? Will the iPhone 6 make you think about one of those AT&T Next or Verizon Edge plans? Tell us about your plans in the comments below.
Game devs on board with the iPhone 6, Apple Watch
Apple unveiled its shiny new toys at a conference today, including the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, the Apple Watch and iOS 8. A lineup of game developers are already signed on to play around with Apple's new chip, the A8, which supports 64-bit and is 50 percent more energy efficient than the A7, allowing people to play games for longer periods of time, Apple SVP of Marketing Phil Schiller said during the show. See Engadget's liveblog here. Apple's new Metal API allows games to perform better than on OpenGL, Schiller said. Developers on board with Apple's new moves include Epic Games, Ubisoft, EA, Disney, Square Enix, 505 Games, CD Projekt Red and Zynga, among others shown off during today's conference. New developer Super Evil Megacorp announced its first game on the Apple stage; it's a mobile MOBA called Vainglory. "The MOBA perfected for touch," the tagline reads. It's due out in October for iPad, iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. See a trailer below. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus drop on September 19, iOS 8 is available for download on September 17, and the Apple Watch is due out early next year. The Watch requires wearers to own an iPhone 5 or newer Apple device. There's no word on any games coming to the Apple Watch just yet, but Johann Sebastian Joust designer Douglas Wilson gives us hope with one tweet: "Getting a LOT of tweets asking about JS Joust for the newly announced Apple watch. I have all sorts of tech/design q's. But, interesting!"
Apple releases two new TV ads for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Along with its announcement for the iPhone 6 and the 6 Plus, Apple released two new television ads for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on its YouTube channel. One ad, "Duo," focuses on the outer aesthetics of the devices, showcasing the pair being used in a side-by-side comparison. The other ad, "Health," is more informative with details on the health features made possible by the new M8 processor and iOS 8. The voices in both ads are those of Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon, who appear to be the new comic relief post-John Hodgman/Justin Long. I hope we'll be hearing more of them in upcoming ads.
Summarizing Apple's iPhone 6 / Watch event
Despite glitches during Apple's livestream of today's event, most of us here at TUAW were able to pick up enough of what was going on to realize immediately just how significant most of the announcements were. Here's a quick summary of some of the topics we found to be the most important: iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus The Apple team spent no time warming up, jumping right into the announcement of the two new iPhone models immediately. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will both be available on September 19, with pre-ordering starting this Friday, September 12. Prices start at US$199 for the 16GB iPhone 6 (64GB and 128GB versions available for $299 and $399 respectively), while the 16GB iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 (64 GB for $399 and 128GB for $499). Both phones feature a new CPU -- the Apple-designed A8 -- and a new motion coprocessor called the M8. The M8 builds upon the motion-sensing and capturing capabilities of the M7 in the iPhone 5 family by adding a barometer sensitive enough to tell the relative height changes you take climbing a hill or even just going up and down stairs. The A8 features 2 billion transistors, but is 13 percent smaller than the A7 that featured just 1 billion. The company says that the CPU power of the iPhone 6 is about 50 times that of the original iPhone introduced in 2007. The design of the new phones includes ion-strengthened glass, an improved polarizer, a photo-aligned IPS liquid crystal display, and an ultra-thin backlight. The screen size of the iPhone 5 family is 4 inches measured diagonally -- for the iPhone 6, that number is increased to 4.7 inches, and for the iPhone 6 Plus it's 5.5 inches. While the iPhone 5 currently features an 1136 x 640 display at 326 pixels per inch (ppi), the iPhone 6 boosts that number to 1334 x 750 at 326 ppi and the iPhone 6 Plus to 1920 x 1080 -- at 401 pixels per inch. One of the other big changes to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is battery life. The iPhone 6 can do Wi-Fi browsing for up to 11 hours (compared to 10 for the iPhone 5s), while the larger battery pack of the iPhone 6 Plus gives it a 12-hour life. If you just use your phone for plain old 3G network voice service, you'll be thrilled to know that you can talk for 14 hours on the iPhone 6, and a full day with the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 family supports over 200 LTE carriers worldwide, and these are the first phones Apple has offered to support VoLTE -- Voice over LTE. This allows for simultaneous data and voice access over LTE, rather than either shutting off browsing while you talk or moving your voice calls to 3G. Wi-FI speed has been increased -- the company says it's now 3 times faster than that available on the iPhone 5 and 5s. Speaking of Wi-Fi, the phones also support Wi-Fi calling, meaning that in certain cases your calls will be routed to the Wi-FI network you're connected to, making for crystal-clear voice quality. The camera on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus got pumped up as well. While the total number of pixels hasn't increased -- it's still 8 MP -- the camera now has larger pixels (1.5 microns), a f/2.2 lens (fast) and has faster autofocusing. Other fun things include a new "burst selfie" mode, high dynamic range (HDR) videos, and improved panoramas that can be up to 43 megapixels big. The iPhone 6 Plus also adds optical image stabilization to reduce camera shake. Videos can be full 1080p at 60 frames per second, and you can shoot up to 240 fps slo-mo at 720p. While plenty of third-party companies have announced their own cases for the iPhone 6 family, Apple is also introducing silicone and leather cases for both phones, including PRODUCT(RED) models. Apple Pay (AKA Pay) Apple announced that the new phones also have near-field communications (NFC) built in, and that they'll be introducing a new financial transaction system in October called Apple Pay. The system combines Touch ID and NFC to make secure payment a reality. How secure? The number provided to the credit card pay station and the CVV code are both different each time you use the system. To add credit cards to Passbook and hence to Apple Pay, you just need to take a photo of the card and the information is added. To pay, hold the iPhone near the pay station with your finger on the Touch ID pad, and a sound indicates that payment has been made. All transactions are not only time-stamped, but also tagged with your location as well. If your iPhone is lost or stolen, just putting it into Lost Mode using Find My iPhone will block additional transactions from being made. At launch, Apple Pay will support credit and debit cards from Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo. Soon, Barclays, Navy Federal Credit Union, PNC, USAA and USBank cards will also be added. At this point, over 220,000 retailers and restaurants around the US can take Apple Pay, including Bloomingdales, Macy's, McDonalds, Petco, Subway, Walgreens, Whole Foods Market, and even Disney Parks. Many apps will also allow Apple Pay to work. You'll be able to use OpenTable to pay for meals at selected restaurants, the MLB AtBat app to buy baseball tickets, and the Target app to buy ... well, a lot of things. Apple Watch (AKA Watch) It's been a while since we've had a "one more thing" moment at an Apple event, and this year the anticipation was high for Apple's rumored "iWatch". It's no longer a rumor -- the Apple Watch, or just "Watch" -- will be out in early 2015, and it's an amazing set of devices. There are three main "lines" of Apple Watch; Watch, Watch Sport, and Watch Edition. Think of the Watch as the "Timex" of the line, Watch Sport as a cool sports watch, and Watch Edition as a high-end fashion watch. Straps for the Watch run from "durable" plastic-like straps for the Watch Sport to high-end "Milanese Loop" straps for the Watch Edition. Many of the straps use magnets to automatically fit the Watch to your wrist. There's too much about these devices to write about here, so I suggest that you use the link in the previous paragraph and go out and read about it for yourself. Also, be sure to watch Apple's video describing the device as "Our most personal device yet." The Watches require an iPhone 5 or 6 to work, but provide some amazing capabilities. Sensors on the back can track your heart rate, and apps will let you "touch" another person with that information. There are adjustable emoji for sending personal messages, and incoming messages that ask you a selection of answers can be automatically answered with a tap. There's a Maps app built in as well. Using haptic responses, you can get walking instructions and the Watch will provide a right or left tap on your wrist to tell you which way to turn. Those same capabilities provide simple taps on your wrist for notification instead of annoying vibrations. Want to look at photos? There's a Photos app for viewing your library in the cloud. You can use Siri to dictate responses to emails or other messages, ask questions, or even find movies or restaurants. But one of the biggest features of the Watch is its health and fitness capabilities. It's more than just a fitness tracker, providing input to the Health app in iOS 8 and then motivating your activity in a number of ways through a Fitness app. It will tell you how often you should stand up to prevent sitting-related diseases and injuries, slowly goad you to build your walking and stair climbing, and so on. The UI of the Watch is incredible, using what's called the Digital Crown to scroll through items or zoom in/out. There's a touch screen to select and tap on apps, and a button that provides functionality in certain apps. And of course, developers will be able to use WatchKit to create apps to push the functionality even further. U2 There was even more! U2 came on stage to perform a song from their new album Songs of Innocence, and then Apple CEO Tim Cook and Bono announced that the album is going to be free to every iTunes customer -- that's 500 million people worldwide. While the album still hasn't shown up in iTunes for many users, it will. Conclusion As an Apple watcher since 1984, this was one of the most incredible events I've watched. That includes the 2007 intro of the iPhone, the 2010 iPad introduction, and some pretty amazing announcements and "Stevenotes" over the years. I don't think people will really understand the implications of Apple Pay and Apple Watch for many years, but they're set -- along with the new iPhones and all other Apple products -- to take us into a very interesting future.
Doing the math: Apple device pixels on parade
The new "Baby Dolphin*" iPhone 6 Plus will ship with a 1920 x 1080 Retina HD pixel display on a 5.5" screen. Compared and contrasted to a 7" iPad mini with Retina display, with its 2048 x 1536 Retina pixels, the Baby Dolphin compares favorably. It offers approximately 66% of the screen space but in a form factor that enables you to send and receive phone calls as well as read books more comfortably. As a point of comparison, my 960 x 640 pixel iPhone 4S with Retina display offers just under 20% of screen space plus is noticeably thicker than the new unit. Here's a quick rundown of some basic specs, using the 7" Retina mini as a benchmark. Only pixels are compared, and the pixels per inch count varies between devices: Device Name: Screen size, dimensions in pixels, pixel count, and relative size to iPad mini with Retina display iPad Retina mini: 7" 2048 x 1536 3145728 100% iPhone 6 plus: 5.5" 1920 x 1080 2073600 65.9% iPhone 6: 4.7" 1334 x 750 850500 27% iPhone 5s: 4" 1136 x 640 727040 23.1% iPhone 4s: 3.5" 960 x 640 614400 19.5% * -- In case you're wondering where this nickname came from, TUAW editor Dave Caolo exclaimed that the iPhone 6 Plus was as "big as a baby dolphin!" when it first appeared during the keynote.
Apple updates its website with new product pages for iPhone 6, Watch
Now that Apple's big press event is over, the company has updated its website with product information for all the shiny, new devices it just introduced. Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are now live on Apple.com and on Apple's retail store for those who want to pre-order the devices later this week. For the new Watch, Apple has added a product page with a link to the demo video and detailed information on the device. A nice gallery page showcases many of the available Watch configuration options. In a subtle change, the website's navigation bar also has been expanded to include the Watch in the header.
Apple iPhone 6 launching September 19 with 128 GB model, pricing starting at $199
Apple today confirmed that its iPhone 6 is launching September 19 with prices starting at US$199 for the 16 GB model. Though the 32GB model is no longer available, Apple is now offering a new 128 GB option for $399. The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus will cost $100 more and also will go on sale starting September 19. Pre-orders will begin on September 12. In addition to the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple also dropped the prices on its older iPhone models, offering he iPhone 5S is now $99 and the 8GB 5C is free. All prices above require a new two-year customer agreement.
iPhone 6 models come with a tweaked UI for improved usability
Apple has introduced two new iPhone models, one of which checks in with a whopping 5.5-inch display. Seeing as how Apple has always valued one-handed use, they've implemented a few UI tweaks to improve usability. On the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, users can turn the device into landscape mode and essentially use it like a miniaturized iPad Mini. What's more, the iPhone 6 will horizontally shift the home screen itself when the device is oriented in landscape mode. Without question, Apple is jumping head first into phablet territory. With the larger screen real estate, Apple has also introduced a new gesture it calls reachability. Reachability promises to make one-handed use more approachable, and to use it users simply double tap on the home button and the entire display will slide downwards. Subsequently, you can tap on items located at the top that were previously just out of reach. At first glance, this seems like a rather elegant solution.
iPhone 6, 6 Plus feature greatly increased battery life
Don't like the battery life on your iPhone 5 or 5s? Apple's new, larger iPhones -- the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus -- both feature increased battery life figures, and the 6 Plus battery stats are particularly impressive. Where the iPhone 5s battery featured 10 hours of 3G talk, 10 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing, and 40 hours of audio playback, the iPhone 6 boasts 14, 11, and 50 hours respectively. The iPhone 6 Plus, on the other hand, blows both of those numbers away with 24 hours of talk, 12 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, and a whopping 80 hours of audio playback. Standby time on the iPhone 6 is the same 10 days as on the 5s, while the iPhone 6 Plus increases that figure to 16 days. That's over two weeks of standby time without a plug-in.
iPhone 6, 6 Plus work with all 1.3 million App Store apps
The new iPhones have huge new displays of varying sizes and resolutions, but that won't prevent apps from working as intended, even if they weren't designed for the new phones specifically. Apple announced that the new smartphones come with a "desktop-class" scaler to make the apps fit as intended regardless of the device you're using. Phil Schiller showed off the scaling technology with the CNN app, which appeared identical across the new devices. Since the app largely shows text, it will be interesting to see how 3D games appear when run through the scaling software.
Apple announces 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus
Apple means business today, folks. Tim Cook today skipped over the usual listing of impressive sales figures and instead we jumped straight to two new iPhone models. As anticipated, Apple has announced a new 4.7-inch iPhone dubbed the iPhone 6 and a larger screened 5.5-inch iPhone dubbed the iPhone 6 Plus. Here's what we know so far: Apple is calling the display technology "Retina HD" and is touting it as a new generation of display technology. The respective pixels for each model are 1334 x 750 and 1920 x 1080. The glass on the new iPhone models is ion-strengthened. In other words, this baby is more resilient than previous models. As for the dimensions, it's just as thin as all the leaks made it out to be. The 4.7-inch model is just 6.9 mm thick while the 5.5-inch model is just 7.1 mm thick. By way of comparison, the iPhone 5s -- already thin its own right -- measures in at 7.6 mm. Suffice it to say, the new iPhone models are unbelievably thin. What's more, battery life on the iPhone 6 models are out of this world. The iPhone 6 sports 11 hours of Wi-Fi web browsing while the iPhone 6 Plus sports 12 hours of Wi-Fi browsing. Talk time comes in at 10 hours and 24 hours respectively. WOW. The iPhone 6 will retail for $199 while the iPhone 6 Plus will start at $299 for the 64GB model.
