Apple announces the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus

Apple today revealed new iPhones during a special event held in California. The new devices have curved designs, a protruding camera module, and Apple's signature metal design. The phones have a glass front, aluminum frame, and a steel Apple logo on the back. The iPhones have Retina HD displays that measure 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, respectively. The smaller screen has 1334 x 750 pixels and the larger one has 1920 x 1080 pixels. The iPhone 6 measures 6.9mm thick, the 6 Plus measures 7.1mm - both are thinner than the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 6 Plus offers a wide array of landscape-optimized apps, such as a two-panel view in messaging, along with a wider keyboard. A double-press of the home button will move the UI elements normally positioned at the top of the screen down so they are easier to reach with one hand. Apple said content designed for the different iOS screen sizes and resolutions will now scale up to match whichever device is being used. The phones feature a 64-bit A8 processor that uses a 20nm processes that Apple says is 20% faster than the iPhone 5s' A7 chip, and provides a 50% bump in graphics performance. The iPhones also use Apple's M8 Motion coprocessor to help manage sensors for fitness apps. The sensors are able to differentiate between cycling and walking, and can calculate speed and elevation changes. The new handsets feature 20-band support for LTE networks, and include carrier aggregation, VoLTE capabilities, and Wi-Fi calling (from select carriers). The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus both feature an 8-megapixel camera with an aperture of f/2.2 and what Apple calls True Tone flash. The cameras can shoot panoramas up to 43-megapixels. Thanks to a new image signal processor, the cameras are faster to focus, and faster to detect faces/blinking. The 6 uses digital processing for image stabilization, but the 6 Plus uses optical image stabilization. The cameras can shoot 1080p HD vide at 30/60fps, as well as slow-motion video at 120/240fps. The user-facing camera, which Apple calls FaceTime, has an all-new sensor that is faster at detecting faces, allows in 81% more light than the 5s, and can capture selfies in rapid-fire bursts. The iPhone 6 will cost $199, $299, or $399 for the 16-GB, 64-GB, and 129-GB models, respectively. The iPhone 6 Plus costs $299, $399, and $499 for the 16-GB, 64-GB, and 128-GB models, respectively. Those prices are available only with two-year contracts. Both iPhones go on sale September 19, with preorders beginning September 12. The iPhone 5s will remain available for $99, the 8GB iPhone 5c will be available for free.

Update: The new iPhone 6, in 3D!