By: Drake Mayhew
Staff Writer
Apple made the biggest change to its iPhone line by getting into the big phone game with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, released for sale on Sept. 19. The iPhone 6 features a 4.7 inch touch screen and the iPhone 6 Plus features a 5.5 inch touch screen. The increase in screen sizes also comes with an increase to the screen resolutions. The iPhone 6 is packed with a 1334-by-750 resolution and the iPhone 6 Plus has a full 1080p resolution. Apple is calling its higher resolution screens Retina HD.
The newest addition to the new iPhone is Apple Pay. Apple Pay works in combination with the newly added near field communication chip and the Touch ID fingerprint reader. The iPhone 6 can automatically make a payment linked to a credit or debit card by simply pressing the phone against a compatible card reader at one of the 220,000 stores that support it.
Apple says they do not keep any personal information on file and keeping your cards in your wallet helps protect your personal information. Apple says Apple Pay supports most major credit card companies, including Visa, MasterCard and American Express.
Apple claims the new iPhones are not just bigger, but that they are better in every way. The two new phones went on a diet, each measuring in around 7mm. The iPhone 6 is made entirely out of anodized aluminum, stainless steel and glass. Apple says the seamless and continuous body feels better in the hand.
Apple has redesigned the iPhone around the larger size. The power button has been moved to the right side, creating an intuitive experience, according to Apple. In order to maintain one-hand usability, Apple has implemented a feature called “Reachability.” A double-tap of the home button brings the entire application on the screen down, allowing easy reach in all applications.
In addition to the usability and software upgrades, Apple has upgraded the processor and camera inside the iPhone 6. According to Apple, the new A8 chip is up to 50 times faster than the chip in the original iPhone and up to 50 percent more efficient than their A7 chip in the iPhone 5S. Apple claims the better processor gives up to 11 hours of internet browsing and HD video. The new camera is eight megapixels featuring 1080p video capture and 240 frames per second slow motion video.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus racked up over 4 million preorders in the first 24 hours of being available, according to Apple. The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus 16 GB models will start at $199 and $299 respectively. The 64 GB models will sell for $299 and $399. Finally, the 128 GB models will sell for $399 and $499.
