NAOMI LYNCH
Special to The Leader
As the smartphone industry grows larger, Apple has striven to keep the iPhone small and compact — but to no avail.
According to Techradar.com, the folks at One Infinity Drive conceded and announced on Sept. 6th what the world was waiting for — the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. They boast 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch screens, respectively.
Along with a new iPhone, Apple has released an improved operating system. Wired.com reported that key iOS 8 features include responding to messages from the lock screen, updated native photo editing and in-depth battery usage information. There is also an option for Family Sharing, where children below the age of 13 can now have their own separate account that needs to ask permission before items are purchased in the App Store. One of the most appreciated new features is the ability to install third-party keyboards; something that Apple has refused to do in the past. Taking yet another note from the Android OS, iPhone users are now able to type by swiping their fingers across the keyboard to create words and sentences. In addition, by double-clicking the Home button, all your recent contacts will appear above your recent apps for easy access.
Not to be outdone in the smartwatch arena, as well, Apple also announced the Apple Watch (dubbed iWatch by the media), to be released in the first quarter of 2015. While the starting price is a bit hefty at $349, features include apps such as Apple Maps, iTunes, Facebook, and Messages; eliminating the need to check your phone every few moments. A very special feature unique to the Apple Watch is the “digital crown,” which “replaces the pinch-to-zoom touchscreen mechanic used on everything from iPhones to Macbooks,” said Techradar.com To pinch on such a small screen was counterproductive, according to Apple. While the technology world lets out a collective sigh of jealousy, not everyone is impressed.
“I don’t think [the watch] is going to sell very well, especially since it’s the first version,” said student Tony Dillsworth, 22. “I bet you the screen is gonna crack.”
For those who have purchased the phone, reviews have been nothing but raving. “I got it the day it was released” said student Liz Peters-Church, 22, who upgraded from the 8GB iPhone 4S. “[There’s this] nifty little thing where you can send voice messages straight through text messages.” The iPhone 6 starts at 16GB, so the expansion of space was a big thing for her. “I had nowhere near enough space, so that’s another good change [for] somebody coming from a 4S.”
For student Carl Denlinger, however, space was not an issue. “I have the 128GB iPhone 6, which is the largest one currently offered.” This model starts at a whooping $399. Carl mentioned to me that he would be upgrading as soon as the next iPhone comes out, so why invest so much money into an object that would be replaced in a year or two? “It’s my one stop source for basically anything, so I don’t have to necessarily carry my laptop around me wherever I go,” he tells me. “With the new iOS system, you can now take all your documents that you have on your computer and you can seamlessly apply them to your iPhone; so to have all that space means that I can do just that much more on my iPhone.”
The new iPhones were released on Sept. 19, 2014, starting at $199 for the 16GB version.