Apple unveiled the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch on Tuesday, stirring chatter among the tech-savvy.
Apple CEO Tim Cook said in a press release the new devices are “the biggest advancements in iPhone history.” With this, students are left wondering how the latest technology applies to them and how the technology-infused world can affect them.
The iPhone 6 will be available in two sizes — one with a 4.7-inch screen and the other with a 5.5-inch screen. The phoneswill also have better software, with sharper and faster focusing cameras, the latest operating system, larger memory, with the option of either 64 GB or 128 GB. The iPhone 6 will also be faster, have high definition screens and offer more accurate screen coloring, according to the press release.
Apple Watch will have multiple watch interfaces and connect to the user’s iPhone to give notifications or updates. The watch will allow users to receive texts or calls and has navigation services.
“With Apple Watch, we’ve developed multiple technologies and an entirely new user interface specifically for a device that’s designed to be worn. It blurs the boundary between physical object and user interface,” said Jony Ive, Apple’s senior vice president of Design in the press release.
Heidi Campbell, communications associate professor said Apple has always been ahead of the curve in knowing what users want and providing new versions to capture new audiences. Campbell said technological devices have moved past day-to-day utility and now help define identities and values.
“[The watch] is just an example of media convergence where our phones are becoming less about becoming phones and more about becoming digital devices that help us run our everyday lives more efficiently and more creatively,” Campbell said.
The iPhone 6 will cost $199 for a 16 GB phone and both it and the 6 Plus will launch on Sept. 19. The iWatch is projected to start at $399 and will be likely be released sometime early 2015.