Apple gave everyone a preview of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple Watch, and their newest feature, Apple Pay, yesterday and everyone here at SolutionBuilt is excited, to say the least. During the event, Apple unveiled three new Apple products with an overwhelmingly positive response from fans and audience members alike.
Apple began the live event by announcing two new phones: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Both phones will be released in stores on September 19, but are available for preorder on September 12. The highlights of the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus include Apple’s 64-bit A8 chip and an M8 next-generation motion coprocessor. The extra processing power makes the iPhone 6 and 6 plus 84 times faster that the original iPhone. The iPhone 6 comes with a new Retina HD display and a 4.7” screen. The iPhone 6 Plus is a fairly larger version of the iPhone 6 with a 5.5” screen featuring a special one-handed mode.
Other exciting new features of the iPhone 6 and 6 plus include:
- 150 Mbps LTE technology and VoLTE (voice over LTE), which will result in clearer sounding phone calls in addition to synchronized voice and data transmission.
- Faster Wi-Fi, and the option for Wi-Fi calling.
- Advanced 8MP iSight camera that can capture 1080p video as well as slow-motion video.
- Apple’s new iOS 8 software will be available for both phones
- The phones are available in various colors: Silver, Gold, and Space Gray.
The cool new feature that Apple revealed was a new payment solution called Apple Pay. Apple CEO Tim Cook said, “Apple Pay will forever change the way all of us buy things.” Apple Pay requires you to tap your phone on a payment terminal and place your finger on the home button for touch ID. The goal is to eventually eliminate the need to carry around a wallet.
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Apple Pay was built to be secure, so once your credit card has been verified, Apple will create a device-only number so each payment has a one-time payment number and dynamic security code. Also, Apple does not collect your payment history, so everything you purchase will not be tracked. In addition, the “find my phone” app can now be used to suspend your cards on your phone if it is lost or stolen.
Six major US banks have agreed to support Apple Pay, and users will be able to add their AmEx, MasterCard and Visa payment cards. Over 220,000 merchant locations will support Apple Pay 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.
Finally Apple announced that “there was one more thing” and this was the introduction of the highly anticipated Apple Watch. The Apple Watch is a precise and customizable timepiece that provides an intimate way to connect and communicate directly from your wrist. The Apple Watch is compatible with the iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus; and is built to work seamlessly with iOS 8 devices. The watch is currently priced at $349 and will be available for purchase in early 2015.
The Apple Watch includes social media updates, simplified apps, fitness trackers, health sensors, tap notifications, calls, texting, and Siri. The Apple Watch comes in a multitude of colors with interchangeable bands and three different styles:
- Apple Watch
- Apple Watch Sport
- Apple Watch Edition
The most noted feature of the Apple Watch is the digital crown. Apple has put a modern day spin on the Digital Crown’s twist functionality. The digital crown feature allows for ease of use and eliminates the pinch-to-zoom touch screen that is currently used on phones and tablets.
One of the coolest features of the Apple Watch would have to be the Friendship button. This allows the user to connect with friends by bringing up all their contact info photos. Once you find a friend that you would like to contact, the fun really begins. You can draw and send pictures to friends, you can “tap” your friend and they will receive a slight tap on the inside of their wrist, or you can even send your friend your heartbeat and they will feel taps on their wrist corresponding with your heartbeat.
The SolutionBuilt Team enjoyed watching the live feed and we are very excited about the launch of these three products and the release of iOS8, we can’t wait to see what is in store for mobile apps in the future! Contact us today if you are interested in learning more about the website and mobile app solutions we offer.