Apple lifts the lid on its Watch and iPhone 6
APPLE last night unveiled a new smartwatch, two larger iPhones and a mobile payments service, as chief executive Tim Cook set a bold new direction for the technology giant taking it into a host of new markets.
At an event in San Francisco, the company took the wraps off a larger, 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, which bring even higher quality screens and better cameras to Apple’s hit smartphone range.
But the star of the show was a long-rumoured wearable device called Apple Watch that lets users send and receive messages, answer calls to an iPhone and much more.
Cook described the smartwatch, to be launched in early 2015, as being part of “the next chapter in Apple’s story… It’s the most personal device we’ve ever made,” he added.
Topping off the event, Apple entered the mobile payments space with Apple Pay, launching in the US this year.
It allows iPhone 6 and Apple Watch users to ditch bank cards in favour of contactless payments using just their Apple device in shops. Apple Pay works with the American Express, MasterCard and Visa platforms issued by the most popular US banks, including Bank of America, Chase and Citi.
“Everyone wins,” said JPMorgan Chase chairman and chief executive Jamie Dimon, adding that the system would be more secure than traditional card payments due to Apple’s use of fingerprints to authorise the payments.
APPLE WATCH
Apple’s smartwatch will go on sale in “early 2015”, starting at $349 (£216) and will come in two different sizes. It will also feature a host of different watch straps. As well as replying to text messages and pulling up maps on the go, the Watch will be open for developers to build a variety of apps.
iPHONE 6
The 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and its larger brother the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus, are available to pre-order this Friday and go on sale next Friday on EE, Three, O2 and Vodafone. The iPhone 6 starts at £539 off-contract while the iPhone 6 Plus starts at £619. Both devices will likely be cheaper when bought on-contract.