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Taking Apple Pay for a spin: Hands-on with Apple's mobile payment service
Rumors of Apple working on a wireless payment service have been droning on for years, so when the company introduced a mobile wallet-like feature called Passbook more than two years ago, it seemed at the time that such a service was inevitable in the very near future -- perhaps the iPhone 5 would have it? It took a while, but come October Apple will be ready to utilize the Near-Field Communications chip built inside the new iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch. The service, simply known as Apple Pay, wants to do exactly what every other payment service on the planet wants to do: Make it possible for you to ditch your wallet (aside from Driver's Licenses and other forms of ID).
Sprint's new $50 unlimited plan is only for iPhone 6 (and 6 Plus) owners
Not in a framily yet? If you're in the market for one of Apple's new iPhones, perhaps it's time to jump on the Sprint bandwagon. The carrier's rolling out a new individual rate plan: $50 gets you unlimited talk, text and data (and yes, that data is of the high-speed Spark LTE variety). Plus, Sprint will pay the ETF should you be breaking up with another carrier. Of course, that rate is exclusive to owners of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, so all you small-screened iPhone owners need not apply. And, should you struggle with up-front hardware costs, Sprint's new iPhone for life initiative lets you pay just $20 a month with no money down and you get a new Apple handset every two years.
The iPhone 6 hands-on
One iPhone model. Two sizes. Aside from a suite of feature and software improvements, the iPhone 6 is also getting upgraded in screen size -- the smaller version at 4.7 inches, with the Plus option at 5.5 inches. The more petite iteration is what I'll focus on here, though you'll be able to take a look at the larger size here. Aside from the difference in diagonal screen size, there's very little to tell these two versions apart until you start looking deeper; the Plus comes with a bigger battery, better display, one-handed mode and an extra stabilization feature on the camera, but everything else is essentially identical. Take a look at the photos and video below, along with a few thoughts from my first encounter with the new iPhone.
Apple aesthetics: a look at the iPhone's design history
In order to properly appreciate the brand-spanking-new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, you first have to examine its lineage. 2007's OG iPhone introduced iOS to the masses, and 2013 saw the release of two separate models for the first time. Today, the long-rumored successors to those 5s and 5c handsets was unveiled, and with them comes new aesthetic tools that continue Apple's lineage of design prowess. Let's take a gander back at the full line, and examine the finer points that made each one unique.
The iPhone 6 Plus preview (hands-on)
An iPhone with a 5.5-inch display? A few years ago, it seemed as though Apple would never relent to doing such a thing -- after all, a 3.5-inch display was more than sufficient at the time. In 2014, however, it's a bit of a different story. There's a wide variety of phone sizes out there, and a lot of different markets that Apple could appeal to by offering a large device. With the iPhone 6 Plus, Apple is now able to address those who don't mind using a big phone for its extra screen real estate and larger battery. We had the opportunity to play with the Plus for a spell after Apple's keynote this morning, and it's got a bright future ahead. Check out our photos and video below as we continue to bring you our thoughts on the giant iPhone.
The iPhone 6 vs. the competition: Can it stay ahead?
By now you're aware that there's an iPhone 6 and you've seen what it has to offer. But are all those new bells and whistles (like Apple Pay) enough to make you choose it above other phones? It's always hard to tell what features will work out, but in the meantime there's always cold, hard specs to look at. We've stacked up the new iPhone against the latest and greatest its competitors have to offer, so check out the numbers and other internals of the iPhone 6 versus the Samsung Galaxy S5 and the HTC One (M8) for Windows. Of course, you can also pick whatever devices you want and pit them against the iPhone 6 with our compare feature!
Apple Pay comes to the iPhone for handling mobile purchases, NFC in tow
For years, Apple has resisted including NFC connectivity inside its iPhone handsets... until now. With the arrival of the new iPhones, the folks in Cupertino are finally including the option that will sort mobile payments. What's more, it's doing so with a process it built for use on its handsets: Apple Pay. The new feature is included on both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus and uses NFC, Touch ID and a Secure Element chip to keep that precious info under lock and key. So how does it work? Well, you add a card to your iTunes account, which then adds it to Passport. You can also suspend payments with Find My iPhone if your card gets lost or stolen without the need to make a phone call. In terms of security, Apple doesn't know what you're buying, and cashiers won't even see your name. Instead, a one-time payment number and a dynamic security code complete the transactions.
iPhone 6 features powerful new A8 chip
Today at Apple's live iPhone 6 event, Phil Schiller announced the phone will feature a brand new A8 chip. It's 13 percent smaller than the previous generation, has 2 billion transistors, and features 64-bit support. It's a 20nm process. Of course, what matters is speed. The new chip boosts CPU performance by 25 percent and is 50 times faster than the original iPhone. The new A8 chip is also 50 percent more energy efficient than the previous generation, meaning playing process-heavy games won't kill your battery instantly when you're playing on the go. Rather than the traditional OpenGL platform normal 3D chips use, Apple is introducing its own platform call Metal. Epic, Ubisoft, Gameloft, EA, Disney, and other developers are already working with Apple to get the most out of Metal. During the live event Schiller brought out Super Evil MegaCorp co-founder Stephan Sherman, who showed off his company's Vain Glory multiplayer game. Utilizing the Metal platform they're able to feature over a 100 fully animated characters interacting at once. We're looking forward to seeing more of what this chip can do.
Apple's new iPhones are 25% faster than last year's thanks to the A8 chip
Ah yes: another year, another new iPhone with another new chip at its heart. This year, there are two iPhones -- a 4.7-incher and a 5.5-inch model -- and they're both powered by what Apple's calling a "next-generation" A8 chip. But what can it do for you? Apple's saying it brings a 25 percent speed boost over the iPhone 5s' A7 chip, with a 13 percent size decrease (assuredly helping to keep the duo of iPhone 6 phones so svelte). As much as we like performance, we also like our phones to last longer than five hours -- what does the A8 offer in energy conservation? A 50 percent increase over last year, apparently.
Apple unveils the 4.7-inch iPhone 6
You were expecting it, and here it is: Apple has unveiled the smaller of its two new super-sized smartphones, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. As the leaks suggested, it centers around a larger (by 0.7 inch) 1,334 x 750 Retina HD display in a body that is decidedly slimmer and curvier than its already svelte 5s predecessor, at 6.9mm thick. It's not all about looks, though. The new handset is also running a beefier A8 chip that's claimed to be about 25 percent faster than the A7 you saw the last time around, even as it's up to 50 percent more efficient -- Apple estimates up to 14 hours of talk time, 11 hours of video and 10 days of standby.
Meet the iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch, 1080p Retina HD display
Well folks, the time for wild-eyed rumors and clandestine reports is finally over -- Apple CEO Tim Cook just officially revealed the hefty new iPhone 6 Plus and its 5.5-inch screen in Cupertino alongside a long-rumored (and handier) 4.7-inch model. This thing won't seem all that foreign if you frequent the geekier corners of the web, but it's a sure sign that Apple wants to give all those other pocket-stretching phablets out there a run for their metaphorical money. The company's live press event is still chugging along (with a sketchy stream, no less), but here's what we know so far.
Working next-gen iPhone reportedly spotted with payment support built-in (update: video)
We've seen way, way too many leaks of the next iPhone's design, but none of them have shown a truly functional device -- until today, apparently. With the help of cnBeta, Chinese leaker zzray has posted photos and video that reportedly show off a fully functional 4.7-inch iPhone. On the surface, it's exactly what you'd expect: it's the iPhone 5s on a grander scale, with more real estate for icons and other content.
What to expect when you're expecting an iPhone 6 (or iWatch)
Look, going off the sheer number of leaks we've seen the past few months, there's no way you didn't know Apple was planning to unveil a horde of new gadgets next week. Hell, the folks in Cupertino are even counting down to the event (and the livestream that goes with it) on Apple.com. If all those rumors and reports hold true, two iPhones and two wearables will take the stage next week, so let's take a moment and dissect what we know (and what we think we know) about Apple's newest batch of gear.
Apple is reportedly teaming up with American Express on iPhone payments (update: MasterCard too)
Those longstanding rumors of Apple building a mobile payment service may be coming true sooner than you think. Recode's sources claim that the folks in Cupertino have struck a deal with American Express to work on an iPhone payment system, hot on the heels of The Information's report of a similar agreement with Visa. Details of the system aren't clear beyond a tie-in with the next iPhone (and likely your iTunes account), but Apple is supposedly ready to spill the beans at its September 9th event -- if the leak is accurate, you're going to get the full story pretty quickly.
Apple's next iPhone event confirmed for September 9th
We've been hearing rumblings about an iPhone 6 event next month for some time now, but Apple has made it official: the company's next affair will indeed be held on September 9th. While there aren't the usual clues as to what we can expect -- the invite merely states "Wish we could say more" -- the change in seasons this time of year usually signals the arrival of a new iPhone. And of course, there's been some talk of a wearable, too. As always, you can bet we'll be there to bring all the news as it happens starting at 10AM PT/1PM ET in Cupertino.
Apple's new iPhone might really, seriously have NFC this time (maybe)
Smartphone prognosticators have claimed for years that the next iPhone would have NFC for mobile payments, and for years they've written follow-ups explaining why it never happened. As always, there's plenty of NFC smoke in the air, but is there actually a fire? A new report from Wired's Gadget Lab says yes - according to the usual unnamed sources, Apple's going to show off a shiny new mobile payments platform at its September 9 event (we're still waiting for our invite) and NFC is expected to play a part. Just how big a part remains shrouded in mystery -- after all, Apple SVP Phil Schiller said at an AllThingsD event that NFC wasn't a solution to any current problem consumers faced.
This is not the iPhone 6
We're almost completely done with summer, and as fall approaches we expect football, TV premieres (and cancellations), the turning of the leaves and of course one more thing: iPhone leaks. Apple's next gen phone is just weeks away from its debut and as usual, the rumor mill is running at full steam with parts, rumors about parts, and the inevitable blurrycam pictures of vague rectangles flying around the internet. As a (self) reminder to not take any of it too seriously we present this video from The Second City Network, providing the exclusive first look at a device that our sources in the manufacturing chain have confirmed is definitely not the iPhone 6.
Leaks, lies and the bottom line
"The iPhone 6 will be released globally on September 19th," an email in my inbox reads. I don't know who the tipster is, nor how they came across this nugget of information. The communication came from an email service called Leak, which allows anyone to send emails anonymously so the receiver can't trace it or reply to it. It could've come from Apple CEO Tim Cook himself and I'd have no way of knowing. (Though I doubt it.) Leaks like this not only show up all the time, they've increased in number over the years -- and now that it's easy to start anonymous rumors without accountability, our inboxes will simply give up. We are becoming a leak-obsessed culture. Nearly everyone wants to know about tomorrow's devices, today, and few (if any) smartphones get launched without someone spilling the beans. The next iPhone hasn't even been announced yet, but millions of people already think they know what it looks like and what it will do, thanks to images of its supposed chassis, casing and sapphire display. Even if the leaks aren't accurate, it's too late -- there are likely plenty of folks who have already (bizarrely) decided whether to buy it or not.
Apple will reportedly announce its next iPhone on September 9th
Grab that box of sodium chloride, folks -- it's rumor time. Re/Code is reporting that Apple will hold its next iPhone event on September 9th. And while any publication can pull a date out of the hat and report on it, this particular entity has a good track record predicting Apple events (even when it was AllThingsD). This date places it just a few days after Samsung's upcoming product launch at the IFA trade show in Berlin; traditionally, this is where the Korean manufacturer announces its next Note flagship smartphone, so it's not too hard to see Apple taking on its arch rival with a similar-sized product. According to rumors, the company plans to introduce a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version of its next iPhone. Still, nothing's set in stone, so we'll let you know as soon as we get official word from Cupertino. Update: Both Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal are also corroborating the September 9th report with their own sources.
Supposed iPhone 6 parts surface on Twitter, hint at a larger screen on the way (update: likely fake)
Lately it seems like Apple can't build anything without a few prototype cases leaking into public view, and now we're seeing pictures of what could be the next iPhone. Posted by a Twitter user earlier today and addressed to several Apple-focused websites, the "iPhone 6" shells look very close to current models, but are thinner and have space for a larger edge to edge-style display, which has been rumored before. Sonny Dickson, who has previously obtained iPhone and iPad parts prior to the launch of new devices, has also apparently received the same pictures and tells MacRumors they came from a source in China. Based on the ports, MacRumors says the parts here are 2.6-inches wide, compared to the iPhone 5s which is 2.31 inches. Are these pics the real thing, and if they are, do they represent what we'll likely see from Apple later this year? Without any details to back them up we can't be sure, but you can check out a few more pictures for yourself after the break. Update: Forum posters at MacRumors have taken a closer look at the images and found several reasons to believe they're rendered fakes, including textures that repeat and the usage of an out-of-date font.
