First look: Hands-on with the new iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus, featuring Apple Pay and Reachability
Apple has gone big with its latest smartphones, with two new models set to launch on Sept. 19 sized at 4.7 inches for the iPhone 6, and 5.5 inches for the iPhone 6 Plus. Following their unveiling on Tuesday, AppleInsider went hands-on with the new iPhones to test out new features like the Apple Pay mobile wallet service and Reachability for easier one-handed use.
Apple constructed a unique temporary white building outside of the Flint Center in Cupertino, Calif., for Tuesday's event, where members of the press were able to get their first up-close look at the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, along with the Apple Watch.
As part of the hands-on demonstration, Apple Pay kiosks were set up, showing how credit and debit card transactions can be quickly authorized. The Apple Pay system uses the secure Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 6, as well as built-in near-field communications technology.
Because the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus come with larger screen sizes than their predecessor, Apple has also come up with a new way to aid in ease of one-handed use. Users simply tap their thumb against the Touch ID home button twice, without pressing the button, in order to drop content to the lower half of the screen.
Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available next Friday, Sept. 19. The iPhone 6 starts at $199 with a new two-year service contract and 16 gigabytes of storage, while the iPhone 6 Plus will start at $299. Capacities of 64 and 128 gigabytes are also available as upgrades at $100 price increments.
Apple constructed a unique temporary white building outside of the Flint Center in Cupertino, Calif., for Tuesday's event, where members of the press were able to get their first up-close look at the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, along with the Apple Watch.
As part of the hands-on demonstration, Apple Pay kiosks were set up, showing how credit and debit card transactions can be quickly authorized. The Apple Pay system uses the secure Touch ID fingerprint sensor on the iPhone 6, as well as built-in near-field communications technology.
Because the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus come with larger screen sizes than their predecessor, Apple has also come up with a new way to aid in ease of one-handed use. Users simply tap their thumb against the Touch ID home button twice, without pressing the button, in order to drop content to the lower half of the screen.
Both the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will be available next Friday, Sept. 19. The iPhone 6 starts at $199 with a new two-year service contract and 16 gigabytes of storage, while the iPhone 6 Plus will start at $299. Capacities of 64 and 128 gigabytes are also available as upgrades at $100 price increments.
Comments
Thanx for showing that. I was wondering about reachability.
That was the larger of the two phones in the videos, right?
The Plus dimensions are 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm. For comparison with an already available and relatively easy to find phablet the Galaxy Note 3 is 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm (5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in).
The 4.7" 6 is 138.1 x 76.0 x 6.9mm. Again for comparison purposes the 4.7" Moto X comes in at 129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm)
The front is beautiful but the back is ugly. Why didn't they go with an iPad like design for the antenna.
Probably because there is not enough space for the antennas.
What are the physical dimensions (length and width)?
Seriously? I suggest you visit Apple.com. There are a TON of beautiful pages describing the new watches and plenty of additional information about the various iPhones.
Looks big, but I'll deal with it.
Seriously? I suggest you visit Apple.com. There are a TON of beautiful pages describing the new watches and plenty of additional information about the various iPhones.
My bad. I should not have been so lazy. I just spent the last few minutes there looking at the specs and dimensions on the Apple site.
I am leaning toward the 6. The 6+ is almost as tall as my iPad Air is wide! It seems too large for a pocket. Or I could get one of those nifty belt holsters that all the Phablet users seem to have. I haven't used one since my Blackberry days (1999 through whenever the iPhone 3GS came out)!
As a one-handed phone devotee, it's a compromise--but one I can live with.
The Plus dimensions are 158.1 x 77.8 x 7.1mm. For comparison with an already available and relatively easy to find phablet the Galaxy Note 3 is 151.2 x 79.2 x 8.3 mm (5.95 x 3.12 x 0.33 in).
The 4.7" 6 is 138.1 x 76.0 x 6.9mm. Again for comparison purposes the 4.7" Moto X comes in at 129.3 x 65.3 x 10.4 mm)
Thanks! I'll visit my local cell phone shop and try them out for size comparison purposes. The 6+ seems just to big for me personally (for the in-the-pocket test), but my aged eyes require either larger screens, fonts, and/or longer arms. Maybe they will make an Apple Watch with a magnifying screen... my arms are too short for me to read my Pebble.
Seriously, thanks again for pointing out that the Galaxy Note 3 and Moto X are in the ballpark for length and width size purposes.
Samsung astroturfers will no doubt say that volume and thinness (which their cheap plastic has not delivered) don't matter for easy pocketability, only length... because it's the only dimension they've gotten smaller. Of course the reverse is true. Even the biggest phone is not long enough to stick out of my pockets--not even close. But thinness in a pocket is important.
I know they're never going to please everyone, so I'll just have to get over it, but I wish they were releasing the new 6 "stuff" in the old size as well. I'll be interested to see the 6, but my current 5s is just tremendous. I like everything about it, and find the size the sweet spot and if I had my druthers, my next phone wouldn't be any bigger than the one I have.
I'm totally excited about the NFC and mobile payments though, so I'll end up with the 6.
For comparison the iPhone 3G/3GS was 115.5 × 62.1 × 12.3 mm for a box volume of 88,222 mm3, which is well over than the iPhone 6 and even a slightly higher box volume than the iPhone 6 Plus. Also, all iPhones from the original through the iPhone 4S weighed more than the 4.7" iPhone will. So when you consider the slightly thicker side bezel of the earlier models, the squared off design of the iPhone 4, 4S, 5 and 5S compared to the more natural feeling curve, and higher weight the 4.7" model should not be an issue for anyone who comfortable with the current or older iPhones in those key areas.
Now the 5.5" model that's seems way to large for me even with Reachability looking solid (as compared to Samsung's shrinking to edge option). For me to get the 5.5" model they would have to offer ReachAround as a feature, not just Reachability.
iPhone 6 Plus = 87,331 mm3
Galaxy Note 3 = 99,393 mm3
Galaxy Note 3 has a larger box volume by 12,062 mm3*
iPhone 6 = 72,420 mm3
Moto X = 87,810 mm3
Moto X has a larger box volume by 15,390 mm3*
* I don't know if your dimensions of thickness include the bezel for the lens. I assume they don't but it's perfectly reasonable to include them for this type of volume measurement so that would likely remove some of the difference but no where near enough to make the box volume not be in Apple's favour in terms of size.
Meh, since the voice in one of the videos mentioned that it is the gold ring that you tap twice, dragging across it as you say might actually work. I think it'll take some getting used to, but then you won't realize you're doing it.
What happens is, we're not used to tapping the button. Particularly if you have a iPhone 5 or lower.