Apple has announced the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus at a media event in the company’s home town of Cupertino, California.
The handset was unveiled on stage by company chief executive officer Tim Cook. Running the company’s new iOS 8 mobile OS, the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen which is larger and sharper than that used by the year-old iPhone 5s.
The iPhone 6 has an aluminium bidy with curved edges and a protruding rear camera lens.
The iPhone 6, which has a 4.7-inch display, is joined by a larger 5.5-inch model called the iPhone 6 Plus. The 4.7-inch model has a screen resolution of 1334 x 750 and the 5.5-inch version has a resolution of 1920 x 1080.
Thinner than the 7.6mm iPhone 5s, the regular iPhone 6 measures just 6.9mm, while the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1mm. Having s much larger screen than any previous iPhone, the 6 Plus has a nmber of software tweaks to make the most of the extra space, including the ability to show the home screen in landscape as well as the regular portrait.
At 5.5 inches, the iPhone 6 Plus is the same size as the LG G3, while the 4.7-inch regular iPhone 6 has exactly the same sized screen as the Samsung Galaxy Alpha, which goes on sale in the UK tomorrow.
Both models of iPhone 6 are powered by the new 64-bit Apple A8 processor, which promisses a 20% faster CPU ad 50% faster graphics over the original model.
Both the new iPhones have a new M8 chip which measures not only footsteps and running, but also how many flights of stairs you climb; it does this using a new built-in barometer.
Both phones offer LTE 4G speeds of up to 150Mbps, up from 100 in the iPhone 5s. Further LTE improvements mean the two phones both work with more than 200 4G networks around the world – more than any other handsets on sale today.
Further improvements to how the iPhone 6 handles calls mean both handsets can receive and make calls over a Wi-Fi connection, which then automatically switches to the local 3G or 4G network without dropping the call. Apple says it is working with EE in the UK to offer this feature.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus Camera
The iPhone’s rear camera remains the same as 8-megapixels, but Apple has worked to improve the camera; it can focus twixe as fast as the iPhone 5s, while there is improved noise reduction to improve photos taken in low light.
There is difital image stablisation in the iPhone 6, while the 6 Plus takes advantage of optical image stabilisation, which helps to make videos smoother and improves low-light photos by letting you keep the shutter open for longer, capturing more light.
Meanwhile, video shooting is Full HD 1080p at 30 and 60 frames per second on both phones; both can also do slo-motion video at 120 or a massive 240 frames per second.
Price and release date
The iPhone 6 starts at £539 for the 16GB model, with storage options ranging through 64 (£619) and a new 128GB version (£699). The iPhone 6 Plus starts at £619 for the 16GB model and goes up to £699 for the 64GB model and £789 for 128GB.
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will be open for pre-orders from 12 September, with both going on sale on 19 September.
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