Much to nobody’s surprise, Apple has officially announced the iPhone 6. Not just the 6, though. An even fancier (and costlier) model, the iPhone 6 Plus, is also on its way.
So, what’s this new iPhone all about?
To start with, it’s sleeker than the 5 and 5s. The entire phone is rounded off, with no real corners to speak of. It holds more of a charge - or is at least said to - for a 50% increase in energy efficiency. It’s also even thinner, with the iPhone 6 Plus coming in at 7.1mm and the iPhone 6 at 6.9mm - both narrower than the 5s’ 7.6mm. In other words, you’ll be even more likely to freak out and think your iPhone fell out of your pocket now.
The screen is “ion-strengthened,” and uses a new Retina HD display that shows the full sRGB color range. The iPhone 6 has a screen size of 4.7”, with a 720p Retina display at a resolution of 1334x750 - and 326 pixels per inch. The iPhone 6 Plus is, naturally, bigger and fancier. It sports a 5.5” screen at 1920x1080, 401 pixels per inch, and uses a 1080p Retina display. Both phones use the new A8 chip, which will result in even faster processing and graphics when compared to the 5s. Couple that with Metal, and it’s going to be interesting to see where iOS gaming goes from here.
And how about the service? Apple says the iPhone 6 will have wifi speeds that are significantly faster than the 5s, using 802.11ac. It will also have faster LTE, and supports over 200 LTE carriers. Perhaps most interesting is the addition of wifi calling, which will come in handy for those awkward moments when you lose cell service but still have a wifi connection. Don’t laugh, this actually happens to me a lot.
The iSight camera is still alive and well inside the iPhone 6, along with several enhancements. It now utilizes a new sensor (it can judge distance and elevation now), ƒ/2.2 aperture, 1.5µ pixels, and clocks in at 8MP. The new iSight also incorporates Focus Pixels, which are typically found in high-end DSLR cameras. Heck, the thing can even detect when subjects are smiling and blinking while in Burst Mode, and will automatically recommend shots based around that info.
The iPhone 6 will be available in silver, gold, and space gray, and sell for $199 (16GB), $299 (64GB), and $399 (128GB). The iPhone 6 Plus, meanwhile, is available in the same colors and will sell for $299 (16GB), $399 (64GB), and $499 (128GB). Both models’ prices include a two-year contract, and both will be available for sale on 9/19 - preorders begin on Friday, 9/12.
So what do you all think? What iPhone 6/Plus features are you most excited about?
