Whew! It’s been a bit of a roller-coaster ride today by all accounts, and as we finally catch our breath as the world reacts to the major announcements made by Apple earlier on this morning, we take a quick check back at everything that was discussed. If you missed out on the coverage due to work or other commitments, come join us after the break for a recap!
iPhone 6
Usually, Apple spends the first 25 or so minutes of an event waxing poetic about its numerous achievements, giving itself an extended pat on the back that draws rounds of applause from attendees. However, with only two hours scheduled for the keynote and an exhaustive list of announcements, Tim Cook cut straight to the chase in unveiling the iPhone 6.
As expected, it’s a 4.7-inch device offering a brand-new, iPad Air-like design. Perks include a brand new A8 processor with 64-bit architecture, an improved 8-megapixel iSight camera, and NFC.
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
iPhone 6 Plus
We thought that Apple might save the iPhone 6 Plus until after the announcement of the entry-level model, but alongside the iPhone 6 arrived the almighty iPhone 6 Plus. With a 5.5-inch display and similar design, it offers more than just a bit more real estate, and with OIS, a much larger battery with supposedly longer battery life and an iPad-esque interface throughout, the iPhone 6 Plus is a beast.
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
Apple Pay
Both aforementioned devices have been equipped with NFC, or near-field communication, meaning that Apple’s long-awaited mobile payments push can finally commence. With iWatch integration to boot, it’s clear that Apple is not going in half-heartedly here, and although there’ll be a bit of skepticism given the recent iCloud hacking scandal it’ll be intriguing to see whether the Digital Age will finally signal the end of traditional credit and debit cards.
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
Apple Watch
The “iWatch” was rumored for many a year, and today finally manifested itself as the Apple Watch. It certainly appears slick enough to rival the myriad of offerings available on Android Wear and Samsung’s Tizen, and although it’s not ready for prime time just yet – it won’t launch until “Early 2015” – it has certainly whet the appetites of the Apple community.
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
iOS 8 GM
Customarily, iOS 8 GM has been rolled out to developers, and as such, the end-user release of iOS 8.0 will follow in a week’s time. Announced at WWDC, Apple’s next-gen software packs a bunch of exciting new features, and after what we’ve seen today with the iPhone 6-specific quirks, we’ll have plenty more to look at once the latest and greatest smartphones hit the retail market.
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
- Download iOS 8 GM Release For iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
- Download iOS 8 GM And Install On iPhone 5s, 5c, 5, 4S, iPad, iPod touch [How-To Tutorial]
U2’s New Album Free on iTunes
Although the U2 encore that closed proceedings today at the Flint Center mightn’t have meant much to those who aren’t fans of the Irish band, it meant a great deal to Apple. So much so, in fact, that ‘Songs of Innocence’ – U2’s latest album – has just released exclusively on iTunes.
Oh, and did I mention that it’s free?
For full details, please check our extended coverage:
If you want to relive the whole keynote on video, then simply point your browser to: apple.com/live/2014-sept-event/
And that concludes today’s big event. We hope you enjoyed our coverage, and although, from an official point of view, we know what’s in store for now, some of the finer details will continue to trickle through over the next few days, weeks and months.
So, to keep in the loop with all the latest releases and goings on within the tech industry, stay tuned to our coverage here at Redmond Pie!
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