Fresh Fruit: Apple unveils new phones, watches

Apple Inc., the consumer electronics giant widely known for their popular computers, phones and other devices announced several new products at their annual Apple Live event on Sept. 9. For more news related to technology, fill free to visit sites such as compspice.com.

First among those products were two new phones. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were introduced to the public as a continuation of Apple’s flagship smartphone. As with every new revision, these phones boast a hefty increase in processing and graphics capabilities, with a 25 percent performance increase overall.

For the first time Apple has introduced an iPhone in two different sizes: the iPhone 6 at 4.7 inches and the iPhone 6 Plus at 5.5 inches. The larger model was created to compete with larger phones such as the Samsung Galaxy Note, and features a full HD 1080p display. Additionally, while battery life for the smaller model has remained the same as the previous generation, the iPhone 6 Plus boasts a 60% increase in battery life under certain circumstances.

Both phones now sport a new 8 Megapixel camera that is capable of taking high-resolution photographs and 1080p video at 60 frames per second, or slow-motion video at 240 frames per second. Both phones also have enhanced image stabilization technology, with the 6 Plus making use of mechanical image stabilizers inside the lens. This feature has been seen in other smartphones before like the LG G2, but this is the first time it has appeared in an Apple product.

Apple also introduced an entirely new product line, the Apple Watch. This is Apple’s first attempt to break into the smartwatch market, a growing trend of designer watches built to interface with a smartphone to deliver notifications and content directly to the user’s wrist. Claiming to have created the most customizable smartwatch available, Apple has created two differently-sized watches in three finishes, with a choice of two colors per finish. Each watch will be compatible with a wide variety of different bands and users will be able to customize their watch’s face with eleven different pre-installed skins. Apple’s personal assistant, Siri, is also integrated, allowing the watch to take voice commands.

A new service, Apple Pay, will allow users to use their iPhone 6, 6 Plus, or Apple Watch as a replacement for credit and debit cards by tapping the device against a card reader. Apple Pay will be supported by over 22,000 retail establishments at launch and will be compatible with Visa, American Express and MasterCard, as well as several other major banks.

To close out the event the rock band,U2, played a short concert before giving away a copy of their newest album “Songs of Innocence” to everyone with an iTunes account.

The new iPhones are slated to go on sale Sept. 19, while the Apple Watch is expected early next year. iOS 8 will be available for compatible devices on Sept. 17. For more Apple information, click here.

Edited by Jessica Carr