Apple unveils iPhone 6, Apple Watch and iOS 8

Apple had a busy evening of announcements last night after revealing the latest iPhone and iOS, as well as its own venture into the smartwatch space.

Coming in two models, the basic new iPhone 6 features a 4.7 inch retina HD display, while the iPhone 6 plus comes with a 5.5 inch screen – Apple’s biggest ever smartphone – able to display a resolution of 1920 x 1080.

The new mobile device is powered by the 64-bit A8 chip which the firm claims offers faster performance than its predecessors while being more energy efficient. This is supported by the previously announced graphics API Metal designed to get the most out of the hardware.

Apple’s new smartphones will cost between $199 and $499 and will be released on September 19th in the US and UK.

The iPhone 6 will also come with Apple’s new operating system the iOS 8, with an SDK that features over 4,000 new APIs. Extensions include the CloudKit, that offers developers a scalable back-end solution, and the Swift programming language.

In response to increasing pressure in Europe and the US, Apple has also taken lengths to tackle the issue of in-app purchases in children’s apps by enabling parents to create Apple IDs for children, as part of its Family Sharing program. This includes an “ask to buy” option that will require parental permission for any purchases.

iOS 8 will be made available from September 17th.

As well as the new iPhone, the firm also revealed the Apple Watch. The new smart watch is expected to go on sale next year, featuring a touch screen and the Digital Crown, which lets users scroll, zoom and navigate without obstructing the display.

The Apple Watch will require and iPhone an iPhone 5 or 6 running iOS 8 to work however.

A WatchKit, featuring tools and APIs, will be released next year to developers to help them create apps for the device.