Apple Announces 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-Inch iPhone 6 Plus, Launching September 19 [iOS Blog]

At its special media event today, Apple announced the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus. Apple is touting a "Retina HD Display" on both phones, as the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 features a 1334x750 display at 326 pixels-per-inch while the iPhone 6 Plus features a 1920x1080 display at 401 PPI. The iPhone 6 is said to have more than 1 million pixels, while the iPhone 6 Plus is said to have 2 million pixels.

The new models also feature a number of hardware changes, including a chassis that is 6.9 mm thin for the iPhone 6 and 7.1 mm for the iPhone 6 Plus. Additionally, both models feature the next-generation 64-bit A8 chip, which features 2 billion transistors on a 20nm processor. Apple stated that the processor delivers 25% faster CPU performance and is 13% smaller and 50% energy efficient when compared to the A7. The device also comes with a next-generation M8 motion coprocessor which can now estimate distance and elevation changes with a new barometer.

Apple states that the iPhone 6 will get 50 hours of battery life for audio, 11 hours for video, 11 hours for WiFi browsing and 10 hours for LTE browsing. Concurrently, the iPhone 6 will get 80 hours of battery life for audio, 14 hours for video, and 12 for WiFi and LTE browsing. The iPhone 6 now also includes Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) technology, including 20 LTE bands. Also new is 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which delivers 3x faster WiFi and support for WiFi calling.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus also support a new camera system with a brand new 8 MP sensor, along with a circular true tone flash. Apple is also touting "Focus Pixel" technology, which allows the lens to move in and out to better determine autofocus points. The camera also features next-gen tone mapping and noise reduction. Apple also says the camera is complimented by a new gyroscope and image stabilization built into the A8 processor.

As for video capabilities, both devices shoot in 1080p at 30fps and 60fps, along with 240fps slo-mo video, which is up from 120fps on the iPhone 5s. The front facing FaceTime HD camera has also received a new sensor with a f2.2 aperture that lets in 81% new light. Users can also shoot single-shot HDR photos and take HDR video.

Both devices will launch on September 19, as pre-orders will start on September 12. The iPhone 6 will be available in 16GB, 64GB, and 128GB variants for $199, $299, and $399. The iPhone 6 Plus will be available in the same storage capacities for $299, $399, and $499, respectively. Both iPhone 6 models also come in the same Space Grey, Gold, and Silver variants. The iPhone 5c is now free on contract while the iPhone 5s will now be offered for $99.

Related roundups: iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 6