Apple’s Keynote Event yesterday brought us the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay and the Apple Watch.
Unlike with the iPhone 6, we really didn’t know anything about the ‘wearable’ that Apple had mentioned prior to the event, despite all of the suspicions and rumors about the then-dubbed ‘iWatch’ from various news sites.
Clearly the crowd in Cupertino were impressed, but what did everyone else think of the announcements?
iPhone 6
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have much bigger screens than their predecessors, and clearly a means for Apple to tap into the fast-growing ‘phablet’ market. There was a mixed reaction to the screen size on twitter, however…
I still prefer iPhone 5s design over iPhone 6.
— ☾女神☽ (@misfitjpg) September 10, 2014
Which iPhone 6 do I get? I’m not a fan of the bigger screened phones, but the “significantly improved battery life” may sway me
— Scott Hatley (@scotthatley87) September 10, 2014
There’s lingering concern over Apple going back on itself in terms of screen size. This might be due to the 5c being described as the ‘perfect size for your hand’ last year.
The price tag also appears to be a real turn-off for some. Yet, as ever, Apple’s design team have created a product that has no shortage of appreciation from fans. It’s going to be hard to say what the public reaction to the phone will be once people get their hands on it after September 19.
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch was the real secret of the event. After the video-presentation from Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design for Apple, the reaction from around the web seemed cautious but intrigued…
Apple is setting the tone for the future of fashion : wearable technology http://t.co/sozlzfCtKa
— Pearl Shah (@PearlShah) September 10, 2014
Apple Watch looks neat, but as is the case with all wearables, battery life is key. — Scott Lowe (@ScottLowe) September 9, 2014
Got to admit; as much as I dislike Apple, the AppleWatch makes the Android watches look cheap and plasticy. Such nice design.
— Robin Osborne (@rposbo) September 10, 2014
One thing to note is that nothing was mentioned during the initial demonstration about the battery life of the product, except that they expect you to charge it overnight.
Here’s a hands-on video via The Verge!
Some think it’s beautiful, while others think it’s too chunky. We’ve yet too see what app developers are going to do with the device. We’ve already seen a game developed for the watch in the form of an arm wrestling app.
Apple Pay
Skeptics would have thought that the reaction to the Apple Pay system was going to be largely negative and cynical. Instead, it appears to be one of the most anticipated and well-received announcement for a while, particularly among non-Apple users and investors.
@MKBHD I think still people will use paypal not everyone will be trusting google wallet or apple pay. — Andrew (@Drewbie1985) September 10, 2014
For me the big deal with the iPhone 6 is Apple Pay, if adopted widely, that will be the reason I go back to iPhone.
— Michael Kukielka (@DetroitBORG) September 9, 2014
The main worry seems to be whether Apple can get the payments system to be widely used enough for it to be worthwhile for both consumers and businesses.
However, if it is proven to be secure and starts gaining traction, be ready to scale-down your wallet in the coming few years.