Apple iPhone 6: 4.7-inch 1334 x 750 Retina HD display, A8 processor, NFC for $199 on September 19

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Apple, Smartphones, Handhelds

During it's We Wish We Could Say More event, Apple unveiled the iPhone 6. The updated smartphone sports a new 4.7-inch Retina HD display with a resolution of 1334 x 750, resulting in a pixel density of 326 pixels per inch. Apple is calling this a Retina HD display, and aside from the increased size and ppi, it also has the full sRGB wide color gamut. On front is ion-stengthened cover glass that is curved at the edges--so, no sapphire crystal display after all. Apple has developed the new A8 processor to power the device, bringing with it a 25% speed bost. A new M8 coprocessor can now measure distance and steps climbed thanks, in part, to a barometer. It can also decipher between running and cycling to better track your movements. The iPhone 6 measure in as just 6.9mm thin, which makes it the thinnest device Apple has ever made.

LTE is updated to 150 Mbps, and it supports 20 LTE bands, which is the most in any smartphone. VoLTE is also built-in, which will allow voice call data over an LTE network. 802.11ac Wi-Fi finally comes to the iPhone 6, giving it a 3x faster wireless connection. Wi-Fi calling, allowing you to place calls when connected to a Wi-Fi network. The first networks to support VoLTE will be T-Mobile in the US and EE in the UK.

As for the camera, Apple is staying with 8 megapixels (this is the third iPhone to feature an 8 megapixel sensor) with True Tone flash. Apple says that the sensor is newly-designed and features larger pixels. Digital image stabilization is included, as is cinematic video stabilization for video, both of which will help with shaky hands. The new slo-mo feature can now capture 240 frames per second, which is double the 120 fps that the iPhone 5s has.

One important part in all this is battery life. Apple says that the iPhone 6 will get a 40% increase in battery life talk time, and a 10% increase when watching video. Web browsing on a cellular network is still rated at 10 hours, similar to the iPhone 5s.

Anorther major feature of the iPhone 6 is the built-in NFC technology that will allow for making mobile payments. Apple announced its new mobile payment system, Apple Pay, which will allow you to use Touch ID along with the embedded NFC chip to make payments at various retailers and restaurants, right from your phone.

Of course, Apple will ship the iPhone 6 with iOS 8, which launches September 17th.

The iPhone 6 will be available in three colors: Gold with white, Silver with white, and Space Gray with black. Pricing starts at $199 for 16GB, with 64GB costing $299, and 128GB at $399 with two-year contract. Pre-orders begin on September 12, and the phones go on sale September 19th.