back to article Apple's big bang: iPhone 6, ANOTHER iPhone 6 Plus and WATCH OUT

After an eternity of hype, Apple has finally confirmed at a bash in Cupertino, California, two new iPhones, a smartwatch and a mobile payment system. The 4.7in iPhone 6 with an A8 processor. $199 for 16GB, $299 for 64GB, and $399 for 128GB, with a two-year contract. The 5.5in iPhone 6 Plus. Costs $100 more. Both mobes out on …

  1. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apple announcements restricted to Apple owners?

    It's a company-wide disease. I thought they had learned after iTunes.

    OK. I'll pass.

    1. Timmay

      Re: Apple announcements restricted to Apple owners?

      Not only "Apple owners" - didn't even work via Firefox on my work-supplied MacBook, had to use *spit* Safari

      1. Dan 55 Silver badge
        Facepalm

        Re: Apple announcements restricted to Apple owners?

        Well I don't know what I've changed but Safari doesn't work for me either.

        Oh dear.

    2. NoneSuch Silver badge
      Megaphone

      Re: Apple announcements restricted to Apple owners?

      I can hear Steve Jobs screaming "That #$%ing Watch is too thick. The interface needs work. It's too damned complex and who the hell picked those bands."

      I suppose it's OK if it's a fashion item rather than an electronic device. As the missus would say, "These shoes are really uncomfortable, but they look cute."

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Apple announcements restricted to Apple owners?

      Owners who don't care about prices?

      Neat trick to omit giving actual prices in keynote, only mentioning promotion deals as part of very expensive carrier contracts. Poor journalism to quote this verbatim without commenting on the $2000+ contracts involved or actual retail prices.

      Which range from 16Gb entry level £539 to 128Gb with larger screen £789. Including VAT. According to apple.co.uk.

  2. Annoyed Grunt

    Would be able to watch if the stream didn't keep failing and the presenters weren't over shadowed by a loud Chinese ladies voice!

    1. W.O.Frobozz

      What, the big screen behind Jobs Jr started playing that "HAHAHA AMERICA" video from youtube? Somehow that would be fitting.

  3. smartypants

    Apple Marketing misses a beat.

    I thought I'd check the apple website:

    Oh dear:

    Access Denied

    You don't have permission to access "http://www.apple.com/" on this server.

    Reference #18.b3ff4317.1410284331.7237be64

    WHERE IS MY PRECIOUS?

    1. Simon Harris

      Re: Apple Marketing misses a beat.

      Isn't it standard form at Apple to take parts of their website offline during their product announcements?

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apple announces wind up watch for fatties

    LOL. Get out and buy it fanbois

  5. Only me!
    Coffee/keyboard

    Well I never

    New bigger phone ....check

    New even bigger phone .....check

    NFC......how 2010

    Watch.......still trying to solve a problem that is not there.

    GOLD.......wow I did wonder why these things cost so much.

    Case........grab a piece of that market £££££

    Well time to all go mad and buy the things.........

    Wake me up when September comes.......hang on I might be on to something there.......

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well I never

      NFC......how 2010

      Yeah and a lot of people are still waiting for it to take off. I've got it on my Galaxy S4 don't have an app that can use it, so can't make a payment with it. All the implementations of it in the UK and on phones at the minute are so half baked it is unbelievable. At least this will be a kick up the arse to other companies and will be a good thing in the long run as more places will now be willing to install payment scanners

      1. eSeM

        Re: Well I never

        Bollox, I have been using EE's CashOnTap almost every day for the past year without any problems whatsoever.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Well I never

          Yeah on EE, but not everyone is on EE

        2. Vehlin

          Re: Well I never

          I've used it and it's half baked, you have to top it up (minimum amount £20) and it acts like a credit rather than a debit card which means there are places that won't take them (Aldi for example).

          I'd much rather have it linked to one of my debit cards instead.

    2. Van

      Re: Well I never

      "Watch.......still trying to solve a problem that is not there."

      Bullshit. Are you a Jeweller? Tech is getting smaller, the wrist is the obvious place to store it for those who don't want a slab of glass in the pocket to reach for. Just like what happened with pocket watches, altimeters and depth gauge funnily enough.

      The watch needs to be allowed to evolve just like the mobile phone was.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well I never

        "The watch needs to be allowed to evolve just like the mobile phone was."

        Or - like the dinosaurs - it should be allowed to die out :-)

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Well I never

      Not just ANY gold.

      A NEW type of gold, invented by Apple!

      From Apple's Watch website:

      "The Edition collection features six uniquely elegant expressions of Apple Watch.

      Each has a watch case crafted from 18-karat gold that our metallurgists have

      developed to be up to twice as hard as standard gold."

      Wooooweeee!!!

      1. pepper

        Re: Well I never

        So it's not gold but alloy'd gold. Great, seems redundant really.

        Also, I've been heavily underwhelmed with Apple, seems like they are a year behind all the other flagship phones nowadays.

      2. bigphil9009

        Re: Well I never

        God, that website makes me want to vomit diamond cutting-wire harvested crystals.

        They have finally reached the point where they are a parody of themselves. It's incredible.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Well I never

        Hard 18 carat plate has been around for many years. If they are making the same alloy out of solid good for them but yes, they do make a lot of fuss about things that are not that extraordinary.

  6. Dazzz

    Can I be first...

    I'm calling for owners to be referred to as Watcholes...

    1. J__M__M

      Re: Can I be first...

      If Watchholes isn't already taken, to say I'm surprised would be an understatement.

      1. Dazzz

        Re: Can I be first...

        It is taken... :-(

  7. Sir Alien

    The watch is a gimmick but...

    Although I think the watch is a gimmick I kind of like it for one reason. Unlike the failed Samsung attempts it does not look like someone has just strapped a small phone to your wrist. In the streaming video it actually looks thin and um.... watch-like.

    So purely in terms of hardware Apple are ahead of the game. Won't know much about software until it is in active use by the populous for a while.

    - SA

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: The watch is a gimmick but...

      It looks like someone has just strapped an iPod Nano 6th generation to your wrist. In 2010.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: The watch is a gimmick but... (@ AC)

        ...see? Despite looking like 2010 product it's still better looking than Samsung...

        Just teasing. This is definitely a "meh" moment. Still, the strength of Apple lies in integration and marketing, not necessarily in the device spec, so at least it may stir the wearables market, which has been comatose lately.

        In order to make it more lively you need volume and this is something anyone else failed miserably in. Apple may, but just may, be able to kickstart it. Technical parameters are largely irrelevant to the mass market, marketing is king there.

  8. Eddy Ito

    So the watch is going to be like the iPod sneaker dongle only with a screen, on your wrist, a shorter battery life and most likely a bit warmer. Does anyone else take their watch off when they exercise because it's uncomfortable and might be damaged or is that just me?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      > Does anyone else take their watch off when they exercise because it's uncomfortable

      Yes it can get uncomfortable very quickly. Come to think of it I can't think of having seen anyone at my gym wearing a wristwatch while they're working out. Or playing soccer for that matter.

      Hmmm there's a thought. Playing soccer with an Apple Watch on. Things will get messy very quickly.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Great Cameo

    Great cameo from U2 there. Don't blame them for ripping off Gary Glitter he's not in a position to complain at the minute...

  10. Dan 55 Silver badge
    Mushroom

    Can I just repost a comment from the Reg's Twitter feed which about sums it up?

    "Jesus fucking fuck. This company got it's shit hacked last week, can't host a stream this week, and wants to record your life next week"

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Can I just repost a comment from the Reg's Twitter feed which about sums it up?

      Yep, all the walled garden sins of Microsoft with all the pathological surveillance sins of Google. Which explains their market cap.

  11. Carl W
    FAIL

    So square

    Watch should have been round. Square watches went out in the 1970s. Although I wouldn’t say no to a Jaeger Reverso.

  12. ItsNotMe
    FAIL

    Yawn...

    Whoopty dooo............

    And to all of those Lemmings camping out in front of Apple's stores right now...you've got another TEN DAYS to wait you losers before you can buy anything.

  13. Sander van der Wal
    Trollface

    Hehehe. The Irish Tax Tweet is actually quite funny.

    Anyways, pop bands way past their due date always went to Vegas to entertain the other dead people. Apparently that role has been taken over by the device makers. Nokia did it, now Apple's doing it.

  14. Bob Sanders

    Dick Tracy calling Doc Hump, Putty Puss and Mr. & Mrs. Pruneface

    I'm going to refer to it as "AWatch".

    Not out until 2015 so no Xmas gifts for the appasses

    Though Microsoft will probably come out with a pocket watch.

    Let the wrist wars begin!!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Dick Tracy calling Doc Hump, Putty Puss and Mr. & Mrs. Pruneface

      "Let the wrist wars begin!"

      Well with the amount of ego w*nking happening at Apple, I'm sure they have very muscular wrists !

  15. Lost In Clouds of Data
    WTF?

    Good God!

    Without even trying to pretend otherwise, this so far feels horribly laclustre.

    Let's see - new features : NFC, Barometer, bigger screen, higher resolution, wearable.

    All these are Android features available for sometime now.

    What scares me, as an Android user, is that there's nothing here that'll force the Android vendors to innovate further since now the iPhone is basically playing catchup. I really wanted (honestly, I did) to see Apple's new wearable be something that would blow anything away in the Android camp. As it is, it's 'just another wearable'.

    And don't get me started on the price - starting at $299 for a phone with less memory than the LG G3.

    Good God!

    That all said, there's going to be Apple folk who'll happily pay the price simply because it's a new flashy shiny Apple. Good luck to them and well done Apple for creating a business model that is seemingly designed to part fools from their money.

    1. Andrew Jones 2

      Re: Good God!

      But the watch is revolutionary.....

      instead of having a grid of square app icons, they have a grid of round app icons - that's world changing stuff right there!

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Good God!

        Microsoft just called - they want their win mobile 6.5 ui back right now.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Good God!

      You know that's $299 PLUS contract... Quite obviously closer to $1000

  16. RainForestGuppy

    Copyright

    A big phone and a watch, didn't they just copy the Samsung launch from last week.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Holmes

      Re: Copyright

      That iPhone 6 looks eerily similar to a Galaxy.

      Just sayin...

    2. Oninoshiko
      Joke

      Re: Copyright

      those samsung bastards and their preemptive copying again!!

  17. ratfox

    Not convinced by the crown thing

    After years of touch screens, using a secondary control method seems a bit off.

    Apart from that, looks all right, but I still don't see the killer use for watches.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not convinced by the crown thing

      You mean the KGB watch with the handy Po-210 dispenser in the crown?

    2. Timo
      Facepalm

      Re: Not convinced by the crown thing

      And using the crown for input relegates the iWatch to a right-handed only device.

      Unless lefties are expected to put the thing on upside-down in order to get the crown on the usable side? (Damn, I bet I will regret not patenting that idea.)

    3. Maldax

      Re: Not convinced by the crown thing

      I loved the "So you can see the screen (honest)"

    4. Eddy Ito

      Re: Not convinced by the crown thing

      It does seem a bit of an afterthought. Sort of an "oh shit" moment when they realized the touch screen was a tad small. To me it seems the elegant solution totally passed them by because, as Carl W mentioned above, they made the silly thing square. My dive watch has a rotating bezel which they could easily have implemented with a touch sensor around a circular face. It would have been instantly familiar to anyone who has used the click wheel on an iPod and been unobtrusive unlike the largish knob they currently have. What, they couldn't do two sizes with a round dial?

      Since we're on the design topic, how the hell does this watch band work? It looks a bear to put on.

  18. hammarbtyp

    its not what you say

    Its what you don't.

    No iphone 6c.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: its not what you say

      That particular market is best served with just more of the same, no? Price up the new stuff instead, and offer the existing for the same price (which works out as price hikes in both directions, but subtly hidden).

  19. Darryl

    So now that Tim has informed the iPublic what size phone screen they want, will there be a rash of official retractions from all of the fanboys ridiculing 'huge' phones from other vendors?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So now that Tim has informed the iPublic what size phone screen they want, will there be a rash of official retractions from all of the fanboys ridiculing 'huge' phones from other vendors?

      I'm not a fanboi, but I do use iPhones and I can tell you now that I will /not/ buy an iPhone 6 for myself. I still might end up with one because of a project, but I do not WANT a bigger phone - I think the 5 was already getting too big. I use a tablet for stuff that needs a screen. I'm not interested in the watch thing either - it has nothing I want, so I'll stick to my normal Swiss watch :).

      What made my jab drop was Apple talking about games. I suggested that as a joke, I wasn't expecting them to actually go into just that. I'm glad it crashed solidly - I had other things to do and there is only so much waffle I can handle. Stuff like "this is the best phone we ever made" makes me puke - as if you're going to tell "actually, the previous one we did was better", duh.

      Anyway, I'll check tomorrow what excuses the pundits have come up with to explain how they were completely wrong. The design of the Apple watch is an example, I have seen FAR more beautiful designs like the CK-style bracelet someone did.

      Oh, last but not least - Apple, get some people to present that can ACTUALLY get "excited" when they use that oh-so-rusty word again and again. And again. Did I mention that you use it a lot? Camera closeups are great for spotting mismatches between words and facial micro expressions..

      Just release iOS8 and Yosemite already, that's all I care about - and that's free :)

      Anyway, laterz.

    2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge

      I've been a solid fan of smaller phones, and thought some of the monsters were getting ridiculous. Even though i'm one of the same people, who realises that other people's technology needs can differ from my own. My favourite smartphone case design was the HTC Desire and Wildfire.

      But then I persuaded a friend to get a Galaxy Note 2. A stylus happened to suit him as a professional designer. The combination of hugeness but thinness is absolutely amazing. I've been jealous ever since, particularly whenever I try to look something up online on the iPhone.

      However I can see very little justification for spending much over £200 on a phone, given the great stuff you can get for that money. Next time I'm in the position that the company isn't picking up the bill. So I'd probably still take smaller over pricier. But then I'm barely ever parted from my tablet. When this iPad dies, I really want something with a stylus.

  20. Number6
    Coat

    Watch Plugins

    Is it true that they're going to offer a BBC timesignal plug-in that gives you six pips every 15 minutes?

    Mine's the one with the core technology...

  21. smartypants

    Was shocked at the amazingly low prices...

    ...till I realised they meant you to pay that *plus* sign a 2 year contract.

    I dug out the projected prices off-contract prices including VAT from the independent (link at bottom):

    4.7" phone: 16GB=£539, 64GB=£619, 128GB=£699

    5.5" phone: 16GB=£619, 64GB=£789, 128GB=£789

    No surprises that there's no memory card slot (again!). (A 128GB microSD card is just over £60 right now)

    http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/iphone-6-and-iphone-6-plus-apple-launches-two-dramatically-thinner-smartphones-9721859.html

  22. Chris G

    The IT angle is Fashion

    Here is an excited article at the BOF (Business Of Fashion) online mag.

    http://www.businessoffashion.com/?p=93821&preview_id=93821&utm_source=Subscribers&utm_campaign=bb5d0969e0-&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_d2191372b3-bb5d0969e0-416948765

    It seems that the new iWatch is more a lifestyle/fashion item now than simply a communications device and it will be more so once the new head of retail Angela Ahrendts of Burberry fame.

    Overall it doesn't have any startlingly new tech but the multi level pricing, lifestyle and health sensors and the fact they are going to push for developers to make the iWatch synonymous with a bevy of apps for the IoT is useful useful for sales in bringing every thing together more. I am sure the notion has already been patented: 'A wrist worn device for linking electronically to other things'.

    Oh and it's got rounded corners.

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      Re: The IT angle is Fashion

      Oh and it's got rounded corners.

      But strangely, no sign of that Swiss train clock face they had to cough up for a few years ago :)

      1. Kunari

        Re: The IT angle is Fashion

        That was for the clock face on the iPhone.

  23. armyknife

    Titles are for toffs.

    Apple invent the long rumoured wristwatch, might these catch-on and replace fob watches ? :unsure:

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Titles are for toffs.

      I can tell you one thing - with that motion sensor around your wrist they will be able to tell what you're watching on the Net..

  24. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Few questions

    Is it Waterproof?

    Expandable memory ?

    Replaceable battery?

    Most importantly, Does it make phone calls?

    Is it revolutionary ?

    I've been using a 4.7 inch Android for years.

    Am I missing something?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Few questions

      "Am I missing something?"

      Yes, but you may never understand what if you don't try the alternative...

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Few questions

      Nope, it's basically a Nexus4 with less features and WAY more expensive.

      1. Lusty

        Re: Few questions

        Really, I didn't realise the Nexus 4 now had a separate low power processor which monitors movement even when there are no apps running. Does it have optical image stabilisation in the camera too alongside the white balance flash? And an integrated payment system which uses fingerprints to confirm identity while storing no card details in the phone and allowing configuration of new cards by simply taking a photo?

        Maybe I will look at Android alternatives when my contract is up after all...

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Few questions

          I would rather NOT have a Apple phone that is "iSkim" enabled, where you can take a picture of someone card and then use it...

          Given how flakey iCloud security is, I wonder how many people will trust their banking with Apple?

        2. pepper

          Re: Few questions

          Not sure the Nexus 4 has those, havent seen the fingerprint bollocks on any phone at all really. Most android flagship phones of last year did already have all of those features though, not sure the camera things are such a big deal, it looks more like marketing speak. If you do enjoy good camera's you can always check the HTC or Nokia phones, they are lovely.

  25. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Apple Pay? Not if they use the current iTunes approach..

    Apart from the issue that Apple is actually solving the wrong problem (I've been in payments for a couple of years), there's also this problem I alluded to before:

    try moving country or living in more than one country. Apple's store will only accept a credit card from the country your store is set to (ditto for value vouchers that you would like to give someone) - there is no way AT ALL to give Apple any money from another country than your iTunes account is set to. You are thus forced to choose between risking your investment in Apps (and let's not forget, that includes all you have on OSX which can be quite a large amount) or, at a minimum accepting that they will no longer upgrade, or somehow keeping a credit card alive in the country you just left. It's as if like they've never heard of the fact that quite a lot of people who can afford their gear move around - almost like the MPAA who divided the world into regions so you were forced to choose between sponsoring the child molesting drug peddling terrorists of this world (I'm paraphrasing here slightly) by buying a pirated but otherwise good quality copy of a movie or the original which would only play until you got home.

    If they don't fix this pronto they will end up with massive problems, more so if they try to get this into the jet setting fashion world where *everyone* travels around the planet and has multiple residences.

    1. Number6

      Re: Apple Pay? Not if they use the current iTunes approach..

      They're not the only company that has problems coping with people who move across international borders. That doesn't make it right, though.

      1. BristolBachelor Gold badge

        Re: Apple Pay? Not if they use the current iTunes approach..

        I'm in this boat(but have 2x iTunes accounts). I also have the same fchsking problem with Google and their app store too - even for FREE apps. It makes me want to do illegal things to some commercial manager at Google.

        Microsoft is even worse though. For Win7 /Office 2010, we have 8 different versions that are all enterprise - but for different countries. We coukdn't even just use the English plus language packs, because changing the language screws some things up, and even then parts of Excel don't work

        However there is only ONE version of OSX - just install and set language (haven't bought anything from the app store - everything direct from Adobe, etc.)

  26. Nathan 13

    Google glass

    Is on the right track with wearables, watches are not. All in my humble opinion!

  27. Ken Darling

    And the most revolutionary announcement was...

    .... dropping the 'i' from the iWatch.

  28. 101
    FAIL

    Why all the HYPE about an unbreakable SAPPHIRE screen when there simply is not such an animal? I blame MEDIA for spreading the rumors which now appear to be no more than bullshxt. Indeed the screen isn't even Gorilla glass...it's some kind Apple glass with "ions".

    A lot of media were talking about a waterproof model, much improved batteries and so on.

    More BS. It's irresponsible reporting if you ask me.

    Why not hype the iPhone 7 as having a built-in anti-gravity device? Telekinetic powers? Indestructible by any known means? Bulletproof?

  29. Al Jones

    And yet the crowd goes wild....

    A comment heard across the office "Wow - you can set your thermostat at home from your watch!".

    And this encapsulates what Apple is managing to achieve. The person who made this statement a) never had any interest in setting her thermostat when she isn't at home before, and b) is totally unaware that she has been able to do it from the phone that is never more that 12 inches from her person for at least the last 3 years, and that there are "Android Wear" tools to control Nest devices from the like of the Galaxy Gear and LG G watches for about 6 months now, if she really needs the phone form-factor to do this.

  30. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Nuff said/.

    all you need to know is here: http://s27.postimg.org/j7wnr7shf/i_Phone6.jpg

    What's so sad, is the disproportionate press than a product with only 10% of the market (and shrinking) gets.

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    iBonk surely

    Apple Pay, not very catchy, wonder why they haven't called it iBonk

    as in

    just iBonk that

    haven't you iBonked yet

    do you want to iBonk it or shall i?

    1. diodesign (Written by Reg staff) Silver badge

      Re: iBonk surely

      AppleCart!

      They should have called it AppleCart.

      C.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: iBonk surely

        yeah I think they already had that as part of the codeword for the internal project AppleCartel

      2. I ain't Spartacus Gold badge
        Devil

        Re: iBonk surely

        Does this mean that when they produce the inevitable sports sensors built into a pair of pants, they won't go for iFronts, but for AppleCheeks?

      3. Vic
        Joke

        Re: iBonk surely

        They should have called it AppleCart.

        Are you trying to upset someone?

        Vic.

  32. Phoenix50

    If you want a chuckle

    I urge you to stop by Engadget and The Verge - they are collectively creaming themselves over Apple's latest announcements. It's absolutely hilarious.

    To paraphrase:

    "Never in the history of mankind has so much been made of so little that cost so much".

    I'm just happy to see everyone slagging Apple off and giving Microsoft a break. I'm sure it'll resume tomorrow once the usual El Reg suspects decide to "comment" on the latest news from Redmond. Oh well, enjoy it while it lasts.

  33. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    From article: "what not".

    This is one word: whatnot.

  34. ukgnome

    I guess that

    I am the only person that wants a watch.

    1. Darryl

      Re: I guess that

      I already have a watch.

      1994 Timex Expedition. I think it was $49.95 Canadian

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