Apple Announcements

Apple lovers world-wide tuned into the live coverage of yesterdays media event, sadly the broadcast didn’t run as smoothly as expected though with constant freezing and loss of picture! However despite these problems it was still as promised another Apple event to remember.

First up from Tim Cook was the much leaked iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus

 

The 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and the even larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus handsets are powered by the new A8 processor, which is a 64-bit engine, delivering 25% faster CPU performance, is 13% smaller, and is 50% more energy efficient than the A7 it replaces. The new handset also boasts a next-generation M8 motion coprocessor, which can sense elevation changes via its new built-in barometer. Both handsets boast a “Retina HD” display, with the 4.7-inch model sporting a 1334 x 750 display at 326 pixels-per-inch for over 1 million pixels, while the iPhone 6 Plus features a 1920 x 1080 display at 401pixels-per-inch for two million pixels.

Camera Specs-

• New 8-megapixel iSight camera with 1.5µ pixels
• Autofocus with Focus Pixels
• ƒ/2.2 aperture
• Optical image stabilisation (iPhone 6 Plus only)
• True Tone flash
• Five-element lens
• Hybrid IR filter
• Backside illumination sensor
• Sapphire crystal lens cover
• Auto image stabilisation
• Auto HDR for photos
• Improved face detection
• Exposure control
• Panorama (up to 43 megapixels)
• Burst mode
• Tap to focus
• Photo geotagging
• Timer mode

Video Recording Specs –

• 1080p HD video recording (30 fps or 60 fps)
• True Tone flash
• Slo-mo video (120 fps or 240 fps)
• Time-lapse video
• Cinematic video stabilisation
• Continuous autofocus video
• Take still photos while recording video
• Improved face detection
• 3x zoom
• Video geotagging

The FaceTime Camera also gets an upgrade-

• 1.2-megapixel photos (1280×960)
• ƒ/2.2 aperture
• 720p HD video recording
• Backside illumination sensor
• Auto HDR for photos and videos
• Improved face detection
• Burst mode
• Exposure control

Batttery life is always an issue for iPhone users and Apple seem to have at last taken notice of these concerns

iPhone 6 –

• Talk time: up to 14 hours on 3G
• Standby time: up to 10 days (250 hours)
• Internet use: up to 10 hours on 3G, up to 10 hours on 4G LTE, up to 11 hours on Wi?Fi
• Video playback: up to 11 hours
• Audio playback: up to 50 hours

iPhone 6 Plus –

• Talk time: up to 24 hours on 3G
• Standby time: up to 16 days (384 hours)
• Internet use: up to 12 hours on 3G, up to 12 hours on 4G LTE, up to 12 hours on Wi?Fi
• Video playback: up to 14 hours
• Audio playback: up to 80 hours

“What about apps that aren’t updated for these bigger screens?” I hear you say, well you can all rest easy! These app will simply ‘scale up’.

The iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus will both ship with iOS 8, however the next incarnation of iOS will be made available to the public on September 17th 2014.

Apple have now also dropped its previous 32GB capacity for the iPhone 6’s so this is reflected in the pricing once you go to 128GB-

Both iPhones will be available to order from Apple’s online store here in Ireland from September 26th 2014.

The least leaked bit of news at Apple’s event was the launch a potential wallet-killer Apple Pay. One important note tho, in Apple’s press release here I noticed the sentence Apple Pay is only available in the US.

It’s a new payment system that works using NFC (near-field communication technology). The idea is that you’ll be able to hold your Apple phone up to a sensor at a shop’s cash register, then use TouchID to complete the purchase.

To start using Apple Pay, you’ll need either a credit card on file with iTunes or a card that you photograph with your new iPhone. Either way, you verify the card, then store it to Passbook. Apple has built a couple of different security features into the process. Perhaps most importantly, it doesn’t store your card number on your phone or in iCloud. Instead, Apple uses encryption to disguise your payment information.

Furthermore, when you hold your phone up to a shop’s NFC sensor, the cashier can’t see your card number, security code, or even your name.If you lose your phone and are worried about someone using your Apple Pay details you can shut down payments from that device using Find My iPhone.

“One more thing” oh those magic words, even tho most people knew it was coming, that phrase can still get the heart beating a little faster (well for us Sheeple anyway). The iWatch, nope! its an Apple Watch 🙂

While the appearance of wearable tech wasn’t a huge surprise, the new Apple Watch will sport some interesting features when it finally ships in early 2015. Perhaps the most intriguing is its support for Apple’s new Apple Pay system as mentioned above, which means you’ll be able to quickly purchase items at select retail stores without even taking your iPhone out of your pocket.Hopefully this feature will become available outside the US. Its “taptic” feedback system can notify you of incoming phone calls or help you navigate by applying pressure to your wrist.

Otherwise, the Apple Watch does stuff that other smartwatches do: It can track your steps and heart rate, it displays smartphone notifications, and so on. But it does have that vital Apple logo. To navigate through its apps, you use the crown (or winder as we used to call it).Ned Flanders may not appreciate that particular bit of UI 😉

Apple Watch will come in three different models—from a baseline version to an ultra-luxe 18K gold edition—with two case sizes (38mm and 48mm thick) and six different bands will allow a wide degree of personal customization.

What better way to wind up (see what I did there?) a media event than to have the worlds greatest rock band live on stage? Up next are U2 who perform a song from their newest album Songs of Innocence.

Once the performance is finished there follows some painfully awkward and totally unrehearsed banter between Bono and Tim Cook! This banter boils down to Apple giving away U2’s new album for free to all iTunes subscribers, more than 500 million customers. The album is exclusive to Apple’s platforms until October 13th 2014.

So, are you happy with Apple’s latest announcements? let us know in the comments section.