STORY BY ALEX PAYNE
Apple unveiled their newest iPhone models, along with a smart watch, at an event held Sept. 9, in Cupertino, California.
The unveiling included the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, both of which are to be released Friday, Sept. 19.
The phones are both larger than the current iPhone 5s. This is the first time Apple has released two new sizes of the iPhone at once.
Current iPhone 5s models have a four-inch screen. The iPhone 6 will be the thinnest phone to-date, featuring a 4.7-inch screen while the iPhone 6 Plus will have a 5.5-inch screen.
The iPhone 6 will have 38 percent more viewing area than the iPhone 5s, while the iPhone 6 Plus will feature 88 percent more viewing area than the 5s.
Both phones will have retina HD displays to offer higher contrast for deeper blacks and dual-domain pixels for more accurate colors at wider viewing angles, according to Apple.
“iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are the biggest advancements in iPhone history,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook.
“The iPhone is the most loved smartphone in the world with the highest customer satisfaction in the industry, and we are making it much better in every way.”.
After the announcement of the new iPhone, Verizon Wireless announced a deal that would make the iPhone 6 free with a new two-year contract.
Verizon will allow customers who are eligible for a new contract to trade in their older iPhones and get reimbursed for the value of their old phone. The value of the old phone could make up for the price of the iPhone 6, according to Verizon.
Both new iPhones will also boast better battery life than the previous generations.
This is what sophomore Sarah Harman is looking forward to most about the iPhone 6 Plus that she plans on purchasing.
Harman has owned both iPhones and androids, but she has decided to stick with Apple’s iPhone franchise because of the ease of use.
“Androids annoy the crap out of me,” Harman said. “They always pop up with error messages.”
Besides the less frequent error messages, Harman enjoys the ability to connect all of her Apple devices.
Harman has a MacBook Air, iPad, iPod and her iPhone, all of which are connected through her Apple account.
Connecting Apple devices will be easier than ever with the new Apple Watch.
Apple announced the smart watch that can connect via Bluetooth to your phone.
The watch will allow users to answer calls, respond to text messages and see the latest notifications from their iPhone.
Users can also allow friends or loved ones, who also have the Apple Watch, know they are thinking of them by sending a silent, gentle tap they’ll feel on the wrist.
“It’s the most personal product we’ve ever made,” Cook said at the unveiling.
The watch will be released sometime in early 2015. Prices start at $349.
Along with the watch and iPhone, Apple announced a feature that can be used with both products called Apple Pay.
Apple users will be able to use the newest iPhone or watch to make payments, using the credit cards they put on file in their iTunes account.
“Only Apple can combine the best hardware, software and services at this unprecedented level and we think customers are going to love it,” Cook said.
