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iPhone unveiled its much anticipated devices today: iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and of course, the all new Apple Watch. The event took place at Cupertino’s Flint Center for the Performing Arts and we covered the event live here which gives us all we need to know about the new devices. So many rumors flew around tech blogs and news websites and in fact, the leaked images we reported were actually real. The new iPhones appeared as rumored.
Here are things to know about the new iPhones.
Physical size and display
Apple finally accepts people love big screens and for the first time, we’re seeing a 4.7″ iPhone 6 and the much bigger 5.5″ iPhone 6 Plus. Obviously, Apple is trying to catch with Android devices already in the market with huge screens.
The iPhone 6 Plus is actually a phablet and this has been met with mixed reactions but if you’re the type that love, not just big screens, but extra big screens, you’ll definitely like the new iPhone 6 Plus. iPhone 5S has a resolution of 640 x 1136 pixels, and the new models pack 1334 x 750 and 1920 x 1080 pixels for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus respectively.
iPhone 5s was thin, but iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are much thinner and very slim. Here are the sizes compared:
iPhone 5s: 123.8mm x 58.6mm x 7.6 mm – weighs 112g
iPhone 6: 138.1mm x 67mm x 6.9 mm – weighs 129g
iPhone 6 Plus: 158.1mm x to 77.8 x 7.1mm – weighs 172g
Both devices come with Retina HD display, an improvement over Retina Display. From 326 ppi (pixels per inch) on the outgoing iPhone 5s, iPhone 6Plus has 426ppi and a Retina HD ppi of 326 on the iPhone .
Sapphire Display?
No, sorry to burst your bubble. There was no mention of Sapphire display when Phil Schiller came to announce the new iPhones. There are speculations that the devices use Gorilla HD.
If that Marques Browlee’s video on Youtube we talked about the other day is anything to go by, we probably should be expecting an iPhone 6s (or somthing) with the rumored sapphire display but for now, there’s nothing on that.
Processor, RAM & Storage
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus both use Apple’s new A8 processor (Quad-core). It also has a new M8 motion co-processor with barometer. Both devices have 1GB RAM.
The iPhone 5s comes with 16, 32 or 64Gb memory while the new iPhone 6 models will be available in a 16, 64 and 128Gb. There’s no 32Gb model.
Camera
Surprisingly, Apple sticks with 8MP camera but there are a few improvements here and there. Both devices sport 8-megapixel iSight camera. The new sensor has phase detection technology called Focus Pixels that makes it easier and faster to autofocus.
Thanks to a lens that can move up and down and side to side, the iPhone 6 Plus come with optical image stabilization and this will help capture steady video and better pictures in low light while the iPhone 6 has digital image stabilization. The camera can record 1080p video at either 30-fps or 60-fps. It also does slow motion at 120-fps or 240-fps.
Connectivity
Apple fans were disappointed when iPhone 5 launched without Near Field Communication (NFC) already popular with other Android flagship products and it was a relief today when Apple announce it comes shipped with both variants of iPhone 6. It even gets better: You can make payments with NFC using Apple Pay, the new mobile payment service from Apple that will be widely adopted (in the US, I think).
Apple announced the WiFi is 3x faster but then, what does this mean? The iPhone 6 includes 802.11ac WiFi for internet connectivity up to 3 times faster than what it used to be. The device boasts of LTE speed up to 150Mbps. The new iPhone 6 will also have Voice over LTE and Wi-Fi calling for some selected carriers.
Operating System
As expected, the new devices come with iOS 8 which will be available as upgrade for existing devices from September 17.
Battery
Despite the increased size, the new iPhone models seem to have more battery power and last longer than the previous iPhone 5s. iPhone 6 Plus boast of a 80 hours of audio and 14 hours of video and Apple also claims it has 24 hours of 3G talk time. On the other hand, iPhone 6 has 11 hours of Wi-Fi browsing, 10 hours on LTE, and 14 of 3G talk time.
Price with and without contract
With contract the iPhone 6 will cost $199 for the 16Gb model, $299 for 64Gb and 399 for 128Gb. As expected, its more expensive without a contract with the 16Gb model going for $649, and the 64Gb and 128G models selling at $749 and $849 respectively.
For the bigger iPhone 6 Plus, it’s $299, $399 and $499 for the 16Gb, 64Gb and 128Gb models respectively with a contract. Also, the three models without contract will sell at $749, $849, $949 in ascending order.
Availability and price in Nigeria
The devices will be available in the US by September 19 but pre-order starts from September 12. It should be available in Nigeria before the end of September.
How much will iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus cost in Nigeria?
For the three models of iPhone 6 Plus, the range should be between ₦120,000 to ₦150,000. All three models of iPhone 6 should be between ₦105,000 to ₦130,000.