Apple is holding one of its signature keynote events today in its hometown of Cupertino, Calif. Its latest iPhone, some sort of wearable device, and a payments system are expected. Here's how to tune in:
Apple will once again live stream video from the event. It is already advertising the live stream link, which can be accessed from its homepage at apple.com.
The event is scheduled to begin at 10am Pacific time, 1pm Eastern time, 6pm London time, 1am Hong Kong time & 8pm Tanzania time.
There's a catch: Apple's live stream requires semi-recent Apple technology. As its site explains, "Live streaming video requires Safari 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later; Safari on iOS 6.0 or later. Streaming via Apple TV requires second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later."
If you can't watch the live stream-or don't have the bandwidth-many tech news sites provide elaborate live blogs, including photographs. The Verge, Recode, Macworld, and Ars Technicausually do a good job.
Quartz will provide fast and thorough analysis. Stay tuned to our Apple index page for the latest.
We've been staring intently at the countdown timer for the Apple event, which starts in a few hours' time but before Apple exec take the stage it's time to summarize what we've seen of the upcoming handset and what (little) there is left unknown.
[h=3]iPhone 6, the 4.7" one[/h] We're most certain of this one – the new iPhone 6 will have a 4.7" screen and will look like a large iPod Touch. After so many leaks of various devices – both real components and even some convincing knock-offs. Last year we saw knock-offs nail the iPhone 5c design way before it came out so it won't be surprising if they nail the new design too. In fact with all the leaks aligning so perfectly, it will be more surprising if they don't.
At any rate Apple uses a design twice (original and S version) before moving no to the next one and it's right on schedule. The iPhone 5 brought a bigger, higher-res screen and now the iPhone 6 will make it even bigger. It will bump up the resolution to 960 x 1,704, 50% more pixels on the horizontal and the vertical, which will push the sharpness to the 400+ ppi range.
The new aluminum unibody is slated to be thinner – 7mm claim rumors (down from 7.6mm) but will remain light (virtually the same weight). From videos we've seen the new-found thinness will leave the camera module sticking out of the back.
Speaking of the camera, the most common rumor is of an 8MP shooter – for a fourth time in a row. When Sony uses its 20.7MP camera three times in a row we don't complain much, but 8MP is too low for a 2014 flagship, even HTC gave up on its low-resolution approach.
And there's no hint at 2160p video capture. True, it's not very useful right now but with UHD TVs becoming cheaper and cheaper Apple can't afford to wait much longer. A 128GB storage option is on the cards – it didn't pan out in previous years but this time it's quite likely and it could have easily handled the increased video storage demands.
For a while there it seemed like Apple might drop the 32GB option and go for a base 16GB model and a premium 64GB version, presumably with a single $100 price bump in between.
The chipset will naturally get upgraded – no boastful numbers, a dual-core 2GHz processor is most likely but Apple makes its own high-performance beasts and optimizes iOS specifically for them. Interestingly the new iPhone 6 might bring 2GB RAM, which might turn out more important than CPU speed.
Yet another dedicated co-processor, Phosphorus, might debut with the new chipset. It will replace the M8 and focus on collecting health-statistics.
Apple will naturally take the opportunity to increase battery capacity to 1,810mAh (supposedly) to feed the bigger screen and faster chipset. The company has the luxury to optimize for battery life more so than Android manufacturers but Sony managed to cram a 2,600mAh battery in its 4.6" super mini while Samsung went with a 1,860mAh battery for the premium Galaxy Alpha.
So, what's left? Apple has steered clear of NFC, preferring its own Air Drop tech instead. Tech publications have been abuzz with talk of an Apple payment system though – turning your phone into your credit card and while the likes of Google haven't had much luck with that, Apple might pull it off. That will require NFC though. Waterproofing is another big question – we've seen plenty of allusions to it but it will be a first for Apple. In terms of durability, there's some uncertainty if Apple will pull off the rumored sapphire glass protection for the screen or not.
[h=3]iPhone 6, the 5.5" one[/h] Apple has said it won't release a phablet but it said much the same thing about small tablets before announcing the iPad mini and about increasing the smartphone scree size before debuting the iPhone 5. The iPhone 6 with a 5.5" screen, the iPhone 6 Pro according to some, might take on the role of an even smaller tablet with apps that are optimized for landscape mode.
The resolution on that one will be 2,208 x 1,242 compared to 2,048 x 1,536 for the iPad Air – definitely sharper but at 16:9 aspect ratio rather than iPad's traditional 4:3. The sapphire glass protection might be exclusive to the big iPhone, leaving the 4.7" model with traditional Gorilla Glass.
A separate chipset is likely for the 5.5" iPhone 6 than its smaller sibling – more GPU cores almost certainly to deal with the extra pixels. Another big iPhone 6 exclusive might prove to be the 128GB storage, while the smaller one is capped at 64GB.
With some extra room in the chassis Apple might implement its first optical image stabilization for the camera. So far the company has used digital stabilization (one of the best, but still with plenty of limitations) but there's no beating the real deal. There's no information to suggest the camera resolution will be higher, though.
From all this it becomes clear that the 5.5" iPhone 6 will be positioned as the premium offering. With the first 4.7" rumors it seemed like Apple is finally ready to embrace the big screen but if the 5.5" model is its top citizen it's bound to send shockwaves across the iPhone world.
Rumor has it that the big iPhone will launch at the end of the year, a couple of months after the 4.7" model. This will give it some breathing room when the initial buying frenzy occurs.
But it might also be due to manufacturing issues – sapphire glass, OIS cameras, bigger aluminum unibodies are not easy to pull off. So it might not all be pure business strategy from Apple.
[h=3]iWatch[/h] If you've been reading tech blogs recently you'll have read plenty of claims that the iWatch will insta-kill Android Wear. One thing is for sure though, if Apple puts out a smartwatch Jony Ive will have designed an absolute beauty.
But it's not looks that proved to be the biggest issue with Android Wear – the Moto 360 and LG G Watch R have looks in spades. What caused a collective groan was poor battery life, the Motorola smartwatch just about makes it through a day.
Apple is known for its perfectionism though and a battery life is essential to a smartwatch. Worryingly, we've heard that Apple employees aren't talking up great battery life, it might prove little better than what the Androids are getting.
Still, with Apple's push towards a health ecosystem a watch is vital – it counts your steps, it measures your heart rate, it goes everywhere with you. Health is a big part of the smartwatch promise, Samsung is certainly pushing hard.
The big question is what will the iWatch look like – there are concepts of bands, round watches, square watches but there's no certainty about the design like there is about the iPhone 6. Again, industrial design is Apple's bread and butter so we're not worried, just curios what all the hype is about.
One thing you can bet on though – the iWatch will only work with iOS devices. Even normally open Android is restricted in that sense, Android Wear works only with Android devices. It all has to do with how notifications are pulled from the phone and pushed to the watch.
Apple certainly showed off some impressive syncing between iOS and OS X – start a message on your Mac, finish it on your iPhone. Even Microsoft has failed to pull that off despite its dominance on the desktop. Such seamless transition to the iWatch from other devices could be its ace in the hole, not the design.
There's going to be a dedicated section of the App Store just for iWatch apps. It remains to be seen how much control Apple will give developers (if we had to guess, not much).
[h=3]What will be announced[/h] As we said, the 4.7" iPhone 6 is all but certain – the mountain of leaks is too big to be wrong. As for the 5.5" iPhone 6 – we're sure Apple is experimenting with it but it remains to be seen if the factories can put it together. If Apple unveils its first phablet it's more than likely that it will ship later than the smartphone.
Info from Russia suggest the 4.7" iPhone 6 will cost RUB 30,000 ($810), while the 5.5" model will start at RUB 35,500 ($940). The top-specced 128GB model can be a whopping RUB 45-50,000 ($1,210-$1,350).
The iWatch is the least likely – it's not the first time we've heard such rumors and the rumor mill has very little to show. Keep in mind the rumors might have been misinterpreted – Apple Health proved to be a collaboration with other companies rather than an Apple device or hardware feature. Could the iWatch be the same?
The iWatch might launch between the two iPhones in October. The rumored price is $300, the higher-end of the Android Wear scale.
Washafanya yao.. Simu 2. iPhone 6 yenye kioo cha 4.7" na iPhone 6 plus yenye kioo cha 5.5" na mbaya zaidi hii iWatch. iPhones hazijafanya any real innovations zaidi ya minor upgrades tu. Ila iWatch naona ina specs nzuri sana. Hapa Android wearable zitaisoma namba.
Washafanya yao.. Simu 2. iPhone 6 yenye kioo cha 4.7" na iPhone 6 plus yenye kioo cha 5.5" na mbaya zaidi hii iWatch. iPhones hazijafanya any real innovations zaidi ya minor upgrades tu. Ila iWatch naona ina specs nzuri sana. Hapa Android wearable zitaisoma namba.
The Apple iPhone 6 Plus is now official. It's built around a 5.5" IPS LCD display with an Retina HD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels or, in other words 1080p). The pixel density is 400 ppi and iOS 8 has been tweaked to take full advantage of the larger display.
The back of the iPhone 6 Plus is made of anodized aluminum and the stainless steel frame of the phone ensures its rigidity.
The user interface has been optimized to take advantage of the larger screen and offers split-screen mode in several apps like earlierleaks suggested.
The new 64-bit A8 chip that powers the Apple iPhone 6 Plus is built using the 20nm manufacturing process. Thanks to this it's more power efficient, while still offering 25% more CPU power and 50% GPU boost.
The iPhone 6 Plus supports 20 LTE bands, but only 150Mbps cat4 LTE, rather than the latest 300Mbps Cat 6. On the positive side the phablet comes with VoLTE and Wi-Fi 802.11ac, which promises 3x faster Wi-Fi compared to the iPhone 5s. Wi-Fi calling is also a new feature, which will work on T-Mobile in the US and EE in the UK.
Further on, the iPhone 6 Plus packs NFC, another first for the company. Thanks to it, you'll be able to make payments by using Apple Pay - Apple's own NFC payment system.
At the back, the iPhone 6 Plus uses a 8MP iSight camera with a True Tone dual LED flash. The pixel size is slightly larger than the iPhone 5s at 1.5μ and the aperture is f/2.2. Most importantly, the iPhone 6 Plus has an optical image stabilization - a first for the company.
There's phase-detection autofocus that should improve focusing speed twice. It is part of the A8 chip, which also includes powerful image signal processor designed by Apple.
The Apple iPhone 6 Plus camera records 1080p video at 30 and 60fps. There's a slow-mo shooting available, too, at 240fps, but its resolution hasn't been specified.
The Apple iPhone 6 Plus will start at $299 for the 16GB version, while the 64GB and 128GB will retail for $399 and $499, respectively.
iPhone 6 Plus pre-orders commence on September 12 and shipments being a week later, on September 19.
Tim Cook took the stage at the start of today's event and almost immediately announced the new iPhone 6. The Apple iPhone 6 is based on iPod touch looks and has a 4.7" screen.
The screen is protected by "Ion-strengthened glass", which is curved around the edges for a more seamless experience when swiping. The screen itself is an LCD with "Retina HD," which translates to 750 x 1,334 pixels. This pushes the pixel density to 348ppi.
Despite the new resolution, apps will "just work" thanks to a desktop-class scaler. This will only be needed until devs update their apps to support the new resolution.
The 8MP iSight camera is back for a fourth year in a row. Apple claims the sensor is slightly larger now - it has a 1.5µ pixels, features phase detection autofocus and sits behind an f/2.2 aperture. There's no OIS though, it relies on digital stabilization. The camera can shoot panoramas up to 43MP.
The video resolution is kept at 1080p but the 60fps has now been promoted to the max FullHD resolution (up from 720p @ 60fps). Slo-mo video can shoot at 120fps and 240fps, but at a lower resolution.
The chassis is made of anodized aluminum with a stainless steel Apple logo. The body is just 6.9mm thick.
The Apple iPhone 6 is powered by a second-generation chipset, the Apple A8. It offers 25% more CPU power and 50% extra GPU oomph. The chipset is built on a power-efficient 20nm process, which also makes it 13% smaller physically than its A7 predecessor.
Apple promises the battery life for the new iPhone 6 will be equal or better than the 5s. It will do up to 14 hours of talk time. Aside from the regular GSM calling, it supports VoLTE (Voice Over LTE) and Wi-Fi calling (for T-Mobile in teh US and EE in the UK). LTE has been updated to support up to 150Mbps downlink (Cat. 4) and supports up to 20 bands.
Other connectivity upgrades include Wi-Fi 802.11ac for three times faster Wi-Fi speeds. Finally, there's also NFC now, which enables Apple's new Apple Pay service for wireless payments.
The M8 co-processor succeeds the M7 and is coupled with a barometer. The two accurately track changes in elevation and can even count the steps you've taken.
The Apple iPhone 6 will cost $199 for the base 16GB model (with two-year contract). There's no 32GB model this year, $299 buys you 64GB instead and there's a $399 128GB version. Pre-orders start on September 12, the phones will ship on the 19th.
One more thing! The Apple Watch is real – with a square screen and comes in 38mm and 42mm cases. There will be an 18 karat gold version but more affordable stainless steel and aluminum versions will be available too. The steel version will be called Watch Sport, the gold one will be Watch Edition.
All will have changeable wristbands, ceramic backs and sapphire screens. Six different bands will be available at launch.
The screen will not be always-on, it activates when you lift your wrist. The Glances feature lets you can swipe through pages of information on the touchscreen (hello, Android Wear).
The touch-screen is force-sensitive and you can add custom gestures (with swipes and presses). Apple Watch
Alternatively, you can use the digital crown to interact with the watch, including zooming in on the maps application.
Siri will of course work with the Apple Watch. The watch won't have you typing in answers, it will recognize questions from incoming messages and offer appropriate responses. Or you could use Siri for voice dictation.
Yet another way to communicate is with emoji or quick sketches on the touchscreen. Apple Watch
The watch can monitor your heart rate but relies on the iPhone for GPS positioning (for when you go on a run).
Similar to Android Wear, notifications from your iOS device will just show up on the phone. The upcoming WatchKit will allow developers to create custom apps for the watch too.
A potential killer feature is that it will work with Apple Pay.
The Apple Watch will be charged with a Magsafe wireless adapter. A magnet will guide the charger to just the right place.
The Watch will cost $350 and will be available only in early 2015. iPhone 4S and below owners need not apply.
Confirming rumors and leaks, Apple announced this morning that the new iPhone 6 devices will support mobile payments. The feature, which also uses Apple's Touch ID, will take advantage of NFC technology. That means users will be able to pay for goods and others services in the real world using the payment information already associated with their iTunes accounts.
That, in fact, is Apple's biggest advantage in entering the mobile payments market where competitors like PayPal, Google and the mobile carriers themselves already offer their own mobile payment solutions, some of which also involve NFC technology.
Today, Apple has over 800 million registered users, some portion of which will upgrade to the iPhone 6 devices. Though that shift may not happen overnight, eventually users will upgrade as their contracts expire and Apple continues to release new features that draw users in.
Apple CEO Tim Cook today said that there are $12 billion in daily U.S. transactions, illustrating the size of this business Apple is now stepping into with the launch of Apple Pay.
"Apple Pay will forever change the way all of us buy things," says Apple CEO Tim Cook. "We've created an entirely new payment process, and we called it Apple Pay."
How It Works
The feature works as the rumors predicted: based on NFC, you just need to tap your phone on a payment terminal and put your finger on the home button for Touch ID.
In Apple's payments solution, NFC is located at the top of the iPhone, and users will be able to see all their credit cards in the Passbook application which already includes access to things like tickets and loyalty cards. The card information is stored in the iPhone 6's new Secure Element chip.
Users will be able to use the iPhone's iSight camera to take a picture of the card and add it to Passbook. Then Apple will verify the card. When you add a new credit card, Apple doesn't store the credit card on its own servers, or give it to the merchant, and each time you pay you use a one-time payment card.
In other words, Apple creates a device-only number so that each payment has a one-time payment number and dynamic security code. Apple stresses that it doesn't collect payment history – meaning, it's not tracking what you've purchased. In addition, the "Find my iPhone" feature can now be used to suspend your payment cards.
This focus on privacy plays to Apple's strengths in that it's not interested in collecting user data in the same way that other payment providers do.
Merchants also will never see your card numbers, because of the way this solution is implemented – they just get a transaction number and receive the money.
6 U.S. banks are supporting the technology at launch, and users will be able to add their AmEx, MasterCard and Visa payment cards. 220,000 merchant locations are also supported, including Macy's, Bloomingdales, Walgreen's, Duane Reade, Subway, McDonald's, Panera Bread, Whole Foods, Staples, The Disney Store, Target, Sephora, and of course the Apple Store. MLB, Instacart, and OpenTable are also supporting Apple Pay, as is Groupon.
Uber has a "Ride Now" feature that will let you buy a ride using Apple Pay, without even creating an account.
Starbucks is another partner for Apple Pay, which is especially interesting because the coffee chain had previously invested in and was implementing Square's mobile payment technology in their stores. But that rollout did poorly, and we've heard a number of rumors that Apple and Square were in M&A discussions (which failed) prior to today's Apple announcement.
Apple Pay will be available in the U.S. in October 2014. And work is underway to take it worldwide in the near future.
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