Get ready, Apple fans: A new report appears to confirm the tech giant will not only unveil two new iPhones at an event on Sept. 9, but will also debut its long-awaited, long-rumored smartwatch.
Apple is still officially mum on what it’s announcing, but a New York Times report — citing unnamed Apple employees and others knowledgeable about the products — addresses a heap of iPhone and so-called iWatch rumors that have trickled out over the last few days, weeks and months.
Here’s the meat and potatoes:
iPhone (Likely “iPhone 6,” but name unconfirmed)
- Two different sizes, 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches, a first for the company. Both are bigger than previous iPhones, and the 5.5-inch model will be more expensive than its smaller brethren.
- The new, bigger iPhones will have a new one-handed typing feature to better accommodate the smaller-pawed among us.
- Near-Field Communication (NFC) is coming to the new iPhones, along with a mobile payment system for which Apple is partnering with Visa, MasterCard and American Express. Some top Android phones have long had NFC, but the tech hasn’t really taken off just yet.
iWatch (Name also unconfirmed)
- It’s geared towards fitness, with footstep and heart-rate monitors built in and a version of Apple’s HealthKit software.
- It’s covered in “sapphire glass,” which is tougher than your average glass (and already used in parts of previous iPhones).
- Wireless charging! That’ll make the smartwatch easier to recharge than most other smart fitness bands on the market. Interestingly, the Times says Apple experimented with solar charging, “but that experiment failed.”
- It’ll work with Handoff, a new OS X/iOS feature that makes it super-simple to start working on a task on one Apple device and seamlessly switch to another.
Stay tuned for more Apple coverage this weekend and on the day of the event.
[NYT]
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