New Delhi: Apple's going big and the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus represents the biggest screen size boost in iPhone history.
While the original iPhone in 2007 had a screen that was 3.5 inches, measured diagonally, the new iPhone 6 comes with a 4.7-inch screen size and the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5-inch. The iPhone 6 measures 5.44 x 2.64 x 0.27 inches (138.1 x 67 x 6.9mm) and weighs 129g, the Plus measures 6.22 x 3.06 x 0.28 inches (158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm) and weighs 172g.
In Pic: Apple unveils iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
The iPhone 6 Plus has a resolution of 1920 x 1080 with 401ppi.
Both new iPhones have ditched the glass backs and hard angles of their predecessor, in favour of a more rounded, unibody anodized aluminium chassis available in silver, gold or ‘space gray'. The company has also embossed Apple logo on the back in stainless steel.
The biggest miss of the new announcement yesterday was the much touted sapphire display. Instead Apple spoke of “Ion-strengthened glass.”
The new handsets are powered by a new A8 processor. The new chip has 2 billion transistors and is built using a 20nm process. Apple's claims for the upgraded system-on-chip include up to 25 percent faster CPU performance and up to 50 percent faster graphics. This means as compared to the original iPhone, the new processor in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus is 84 times faster.
Apple also says the new A8 is up to 50 percent more power-efficient and will be able to sustain power-intensive tasks for longer while generating less heat.
Apple has augmented the A8 processor with an M8 motion co-processor, just like the HTC did with the HTC One. The chip is dedicated to continuously monitor incoming motion data from the phone's accelerometer, gyrosope and compass. The sensor can now measure stairs, a nod to the iPhone 6 Plus' health-metric measuring capabilities. The devices now offer new Voice over LTE calling support, NFC with Secure Element for mobile payments, and a barometer.
Apple is further offering new color cases in leather and silicone for both the devices, including one for (RED). Leather cases (black, soft pink, olive brown, midnight blue and red) start at $49 for the iPhone 6 Plus, while silicone cases (black, blue, pink, green, white and red) start at $39.
The iPhone 6 Plus comes with the same 16:9 aspect ratio as the iPhone 5S and 5C from last year, meaning older apps designed for the 4-inch screen won't be distorted running on the larger screen.
At the same time, Apple has said it has managed to cram a longer-lasting and bigger battery into the new iPhone 6 Plus. The phone gets 24 hours of 3G talk time, up to 16 days on standby (384 hours), up to 12 hours of internet use on LTE/WiFi, and up to 14 hours of video playback.
Both the device run the new iOS 8 which will be available beginning on September 17th for all devices going back to the iPhone 4S.
The iPhone 6 also offers support for Apple Pay, an all-new NFC mobile payments system that lets you pay for things with your phone instead of your credit card at checkout counters. To operate you only need to hold the phone up to a checkout reader while holding the Touch ID sensor/home button. It will roll out first in the US with participating companies American Express, MasterCard, and Visa, as well as the biggest six banks in the country.
One the imaging front, both the iPhone 6 and the new iPhone 6 Plus come with a new front-facing iSight camera. It's still 8 megapixels but comes with a new "Focus Pixels" a system allowing faster autofocus and advanced noise reduction. The video capturing capability has also improved, with the camera now capable of recording 1080p video at 30 or 60 frames-per-second, and Slo-Mo video at 240 frames-per-second. The iPhone 6 Plus front camera features optical image stabilization, while the iPhone 6 features digital image stabilization. Panoramas have been increased to up to 43 megapixels now from 28 megapixels on the iPhone 5S.
In addition, the FaceTime HD camera (rear-facing) has also received an also upgrade with a new sensor and f/2.2 aperture, which Apple says allows it to capture 80 percent more light. Other added features include Burst Mode and HDR video.
The iPhone 6 Plus costs $299 for a 16 GB model, going up to $499 for the 128 GB model.
