Apple has officially unveiled the latest iteration of its popular smartphone line during a special event in the US (Cupertino, California), confirming many of the rumours that were floating around.<\/p>\n
Speaking to attendees at the Flint Centre, Apple\u2019s head of marketing Phil Schiller revealed that the next version of the iPhone would come in two variants: the iPhone 6, and the iPhone 6 Plus.<\/p>\n
As rumoured, the devices feature larger screens than their predecessors, with the iPhone 6 boasting a 4.7-inch display, and the iPhone 6 Plus a 5.5-inch display.<\/p>\n
Both phones also feature higher resolution displays which Apple is calling \u201cRetina HD\u201d.<\/p>\n
On the iPhone 6, the resolution is 1334 x 750, while the iPhone 6 Plus boasts a full HD display at 1920 x 1080.<\/p>\n
Apple has long held that phones with larger screens make it difficult to reach user interface elements near the top of the screen.<\/p>\n
To address this issue on their large-screen devices, Apple has introduced a gesture it calls \u201creachability\u201d. When you double-touch the home button, the whole display slides down, bringing the top edge in reach.<\/p>\n
The new iPhones also run on a new processor Apple is calling the A8.<\/p>\n
According to Schiller, it features second-generation 64-bit technology, and is based on a 20-nanometer process.<\/p>\n
Thanks to the new hardware, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also have improved support for Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology, Schiller said, including Voice Over LTE (VoLTE).<\/p>\n
Apple also announced improvements to its new iPhones’ cameras. Both devices will have an 8 megapixel camera with phase detection autofocus.<\/p>\n
This will offer faster, DSLR-grade autofocus, Schiller said.<\/p>\n
The iPhone 6 will have digital image stabilisation, while the iPhone 6 Plus will boast optical image stabilisation.<\/p>\n
Their improved camera hardware will also provide full HD (1080p) video recording with slo-motion video at 120 or 240 frames per second, Schiller said.<\/p>\n
As one might expect, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will ship with the latest version of Apple’s iOS – iOS 8, which has yet to be released to the public.<\/p>\n
The new devices will also support Apple’s new payment system it calls “Apple Pay”.<\/p>\n
For this, the new iPhones support near field communications (NFC), a technology Apple has long eschewed despite most other high-end smartphones supporting it.<\/p>\n
Using NFC, Apple Pay lets users make payment at points of sale by holding their phone up to a sensor and touching their finger to the device’s fingerprint sensor.<\/p>\n
The iPhone 6 will be available in three variants, at the following pay-in prices in the US (on 2-year contracts):<\/p>\n
Similarly, the iPhone 6 Plus will be available at the following price points:<\/p>\n
Pre-orders will open on 12 September 2014, and the devices will ship out from 19 September, Schiller said. \u00a0Apple aim to ship the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to\u00a0115 countries by the end of the year.<\/p>\n