Apple is famous for unveiling its new smartphones during September, and today, the company kept up with its tradition: two new phones are coming soon.
Apple will be releasing two new iPhones in September: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. Click the image to view it in a higher resolution.
The first phone, simply known as the iPhone 6, is the main successor to last year’s iPhone 5s. The phone is slightly larger than its predecessor, with a 4.7-inch 1334×750 screen versus the 5s’ 4-inch 1136×640 display. In addition, as with last year, Apple also announced a second phone, this time known as the iPhone 6 Plus. As its name suggests, the phone is even larger than the iPhone 6, wih a 5.5-inch 1920×1080 display.
Aside from form factor and resolution, the two phones share many similarities. Both phones are powered by Apple’s new 64-bit A8 processor, which enables better overall performance over previous models as well as potentially better visuals in downloadable games. The phones also include an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera which can be used for FaceTime messaging. In addition, the Touch ID home button first introduced with the iPhone 5s is making a return, and while it can still be used as an alternative to a lock screen passcode, it is also a key component of one of the phones’ biggest new features.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will allow users to pay for physical transactions by pressing their finger against the home button. Click the image to view it in a higher resolution.
Competing with the Google Wallet app seen on Android devices, Apple has announced that the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will introduce a new feature called Apple Pay. Apple Pay will be integrated into the existing Passbook app, and will allow users to pay for real-world transactions with a credit or debit card by holding their thumb against the Touch ID sensor and holding the phone to the merchant’s wireless reader. Users can add new cards by entering the card’s information or taking a picture of it. Apple Pay will initially support cards from Bank of America, Capital One, Chase, Citi, and Wells Fargo, and will be usable at any location with a wireless NFC pay reader. The feature will be enabled sometime in October.
Both phones will be released on September 19, and will be available in three different color options: silver, gold, and space gray. With a two-year contract on AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, or Verizon in the United States, the iPhone 6 will be available at $199 with 16GB of storage, $299 with 64GB, or $399 with 128GB. Meanwhile, the iPhone 6 Plus will be available at $299 with 16GB, $399 with 64GB, or $499 for 128GB.
