Live: Apple launches two new iPhones and yes there is a watch too

Apple iWatch is significant because of recent questions about whether Apple still has a knack for innovating following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

Apple launches iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Apple iWatch is significant because of recent questions about whether Apple still has a knack for innovating following the 2011 death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

Apple on Tuesday introduced two new phone, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, both bigger but sill thinner that anything the company has offered so far.But the real stunner was the new Apple Watch, a stunning new device that will take the wearables race to a whole new level.

Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 2014, in Cupertino, Calif. The iPhone 6 will have a screen measuring 4.7 inches, while the iPhone 6 Plus will be 5.5 inches. (Source: AP photo)

The iPhone 6 will have a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus will have a 5.5-inch screen. The two new phones will also usher in the next generation of Retina HD displays. That is 1334 x 750p for the smaller phone and 1920 x 1080p for the larger one. The phones are also among the thinnest Apple has ever made, at just 6.8mm and 7.1mm, compared to the 7.6 inches on the 5S.

Apple CEO Tim Cook introduces the new Apple Watch. Apple’s new wearable device marks the company’s first major entry in a new product category since the iPad’s debut in 2010.

The phones will also feature new, better cameras. They will shoot better video for instance at 60 fps and offer slow motion too.

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The phones will be powered by a new 64-bit A8 chip. Apple claims this processer, despite being smaller than A7, will be 20 per cent faster and have 50% better graphics. All this will make the iPhone 6 up to 84 times faster.

Apple is also entering the mobile wallet space. Called Apple Pay, the new feature will initiate NFC transaction based on credit card details saved in the phone. The ‘blink and miss’ feature as CEO Tim Cook calls it, will however need companies and retailers around the world to be as excited about the feature as Apple.

Remember, NFC is not new and it has not picked up in most markets as a payment solution, the only exception being Japan. This might be the boost this technology needed. Apple Pay will initially be available in the US, covering about 83 per cent of credit card volume, according to the company.

The Apple Watch rethinks the smart watch concept by using the winder on the side to zoom in and out and flip through screen. You can almost hear other smart watch makers say, why didn’t we think of that.

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Apple Inc