iPhone 5S
Manufacturer	Apple Inc
Slogan	Since April 2014: "You're more powerful than you think." Until April 2014: "Forward thinking"
Series	iPhone
Compatible Network	GSM, CDMA, 3G, EVDO, HSPA+, LTE
First released	September 20, 2013
Unit sold	10 million in opening weekend
Predecessor	iPhone 5
Successor	iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus
Related	iPhone 5C Apple Watch
Type	Smar tphone
Form factor	Bar
Dimensions	123.8 mm (4.87 in) H 58.6 mm (2.31 in) W 7.6 mm (0.30 in) D
Weight	112 g (3.95 oz)
Operating system	Original: iOS 7.0 Current: iOS 8.0.2, released September 25, 2014
System on chip	Apple A7, Apple M7 motion coprocessor
CPU	1.3 GHz dual-core processor
GPU	PowerVR G6430 (four cluster@450 MHz)
Memory	1 GB LPDDR3
Storage	16, 32 or 64 GB
Battery	5.92 Whr (~1560 mAh)
Data inputs	Multi-touch touchscreen display, triple microphone configuration, Apple M7 motion coprocessor, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, Touch ID fingerprint reader
Display	4 in (100 mm) diagonal (16:9 aspect ratio), multi-touch display, LED backlit IPS TFT LCD, 640×1136 pixels at 326 ppi, 800:1 contrast ratio (typical), 500 cd/m2 max. brightness (typical), fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating on front
Rear camera	8 MP back-side illuminated sensor, HD video (1080p) at 30 frame/s, HD video (720p) at 120 frame/s, IR filter, dual warm/cool LED flashes, aperture f/2.2, facial recognition (stills only), image stabilization burst mode
Front camera	1.2 MP, HD video, burst mode(with iOS 8 update) (720p)
Connectivity	All models UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n) (802.11n: 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS & GLONASS. GSM model (A1533) LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25: 2100, 1900, 1800, AWS, 850, 900, 700c, 700b, 800 MHz, 800 DD). CDMA model (A1533) UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (1700/2100 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), (except China model:)LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 19, 20, 25: 2100, 1900, 1800, AWS, 850, 900, 700c, 700b, 800 MHz, 800 DD). CDMA model (A1453) UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (1700/2100 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26: 2100, 1900, 1800, AWS, 850, 900, 700c, 700b, 800 MHz, 800 DD). GSM model (A1457) LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20: 2100, 1900, 1800, 850, 2600, 900 MHz, 800 DD). GSM model (A1518) TDD-LTE, TD-SCDMA GSM model (A1528) LTE (unofficial) GSM model (A1530) LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 20, 38, 39, 40: 2100, 1900, 1800, 850, 2600, 900 MHz, 800 DD, TD 2600, 1900, 2300), (with software operator version China Mobile 15.6 or above:) TD-SCDMA
Website	www.apple.com/iphone-5s

The iPhone 5S (marketed with a stylized lowercase 's' as iPhone 5s) is a smartphone developed by Apple Inc. It is part of the iPhone line, and was released on September 20, 2013. Apple held an event to formally introduce the high-range phone, and its mid-range counterpart, the iPhone 5C, on September 10, 2013.

As with the principle of the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4S, the iPhone 5S is a revised version of its predecessor, iPhone 5. The phone maintains a very similar design to its predecessor, aside from the introduction of a new home button design using a laser-cut sapphire cover surrounded by a metallic ring, Touch ID, a fingerprint recognition system built directly into the home button which can be used to unlock the phone and authenticate App Store and iTunes Store purchases, and an updated camera with a larger aperture and a dual-LED flash optimized for different color temperatures. It also introduced the A7 dual-core processor, the first 64-bit (ARMv8-A) processor to be used on a smartphone, accompanied by the M7 "motion co-processor", a dedicated processor for processing motion data from its accelerometer and gyroscopes without requiring the attention of the main processor. It was also the first Apple device to ship with the newest version of the iOS mobile operating system, iOS 7, which introduced a revamped visual appearance and other new features.

Reception towards the device was generally positive, with some outlets considering it to be best smartphone available on the market due to its upgraded hardware, Touch ID, and other changes introduced by iOS 7. However, others criticized iPhone 5S for being too similar to its predecessors, while others showed security concerns about the Touch ID system. The iPhone 5S, along with iPhone 5C, sold nine million units on their weekend of release, breaking Apple's sales record for iPhones. The iPhone 5S was the best selling phone on all major US carriers in September 2013.

On September 9, 2014, the iPhone 5S was discontinued as Apple's flagship mobile phone and was succeeded by the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but continues to be sold in 16 & 32 GB models.

History

Before its official unveiling, media speculation primarily centered around reports that the next iPhone would include a Fingerprint Scanner; including Apple's July 2012 acquisition of AuthenTec, a developer of mobile security products, references to a fingerprint sensor on the home button in the beta release of iOS 7 and leaked packaging for an iPhone 5S showing that the traditional home button now had a metallic "ring" around it. Similar ring-based imagery was seen on the official invitation to Apple's iPhone press event in September 2013, where the new device was unveiled. Shortly before its official unveiling, The Wall Street Journal also reported the rumor.

Apple announced iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S during a media event at its Cupertino headquarters on September 10, 2013. While iPhone 5C became available for preorder on September 13, 2013, iPhone 5S was not available for preorder, however was released on the same day as the 5C, September 20, 2013. While most of the promotion focused on Touch ID, the 64-bit Apple A7 was also a highlight during the event:

This is the first-ever 64-bit processor in a phone of any kind. I don’t think the other guys are even talking about it yet. Why go through all this? The benefits are huge. The A7 is up to twice as fast as the previous-generation system at CPU tasks, and up to twice as fast at graphics tasks, too.

—Phil Schiller, Apple keynote at 4 Infinite Loop on September 10, 2013

Schiller then showed demos of Infinity Blade III to demonstrate the A7's processing power and the device's camera using untouched photographs. The release of iOS 7 on September 18, 2013, was also announced during the keynote.

On September 20, 2013, iPhone 5S was released in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, China, France, Germany, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore. It was released in 25 additional countries on October 25, 2013, and in 12 countries on November 1, 2013. Indonesia was the last country to receive the iPhone 5S with its release date being January 26, 2014.

Specifications

Design

The 5S maintains a similar design to the iPhone 5, with a 4 in (10 cm) LCD touchscreen, with a screen resolution of 640×1136 at 326 ppi. Its home button has been updated with a new flat design using a laser-cut sapphire cover surrounded by a metallic ring; the button is no longer concave, nor does it contain the familiar squircle icon seen on previous models. The phone itself is 0.30 in (7.6 mm) thick and weighs 112 grams (4.0 oz). The phone uses an aluminum composite frame. The device is available in three color finishes; "space-grey" (replacing black with slate trim), white with silver trim, and white with gold trim.

Hardware

iPhone 5S is powered by the Apple A7 system-on-chip, which the company proclaimed to be the first 64-bit processor ever used on a smartphone. The device's operating system and pre-loaded software were optimized to run in 64-bit mode, promising increased performance; third-party app developers would need to optimize their apps to take advantage of these enhanced capabilities. The A7 processor is manufactured by Samsung, and is accompanied by a new M7"motion co-processor", a dedicated processor for processing motion data from its accelerometer and gyroscopes without requiring the attention of the main processor, which integrates with iOS 7's new CoreMotion APIs.

The phone includes a 1560 mAh battery, which provides 10 hours of talk time and 250 hours of standby time.

While the camera is still 8 megapixels in resolution with the image capture size of 3264 × 2448 (4:3), the lens has a larger aperture (f/2.2) and larger sized pixels in its image sensor than previous iPhone models, and has dual "True Tone" flashes—consisting of an amber LED and a white LED, which are variably used based on the color temperature of the photo to improve color balancing. The camera also includes automatic image stabilization, dynamic tone mapping, 10 fps burst mode, "best shot" mode and slow motion video at 120 fps.

The home button on iPhone 5S incorporates a fingerprint recognition system known as Touch ID, based on technology from AuthenTec, a company which Apple had acquired in 2012. The sensor uses a capacitive CMOS-based sensor which can detect the "sub-epidermal layers" of fingers at 500 pixels per inch, and uses a 360-degree design that can read the print at any angle. The sensor itself is activated by a touch-sensitive metallic ring surrounding the button. Touch ID can be used for various authentication activities within the operating system, such as unlocking the device or authenticating App Store and iTunes purchases instead of an Apple ID password. The sensor can be trained to recognize the fingerprints of multiple fingers and multiple users. Fingerprint data is stored in an encrypted format within a "secure enclave" of the A7 chip itself, and is not accessible to any other apps or servers (including iCloud).

Several problems were experienced with iPhone 5S's hardware after its release. The most widely reported issue is that the angle reported by the phone's level sensor had drifted by several degrees, so that the gyroscope, compass, and accelerometer and reports suggested that this is a hardware-induced problem. Some encountered other problems like Blue Screen of Death, the power button making a rattling noise when the phone was shaken, overheating, the microphone not working, and Touch ID not working for iTunes purchases. However, some of these issues had been already fixed by software updates.

Operatin system and software

iPhone 5S is supplied with iOS 7, released on September 20, 2013. Jonathan Ive, the designer of iOS 7's new elements, described the update as "bringing order to complexity", highlighting features such as refined typography, new icons, translucency, layering, physics, and gyroscope-driven parallaxing as some of the major changes to the design. The design of both iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks (version 10.9) noticeably depart from skeuomorphic elements such as green felt in Game Center, wood in Newsstand, and leather in Calendar, in favor of flat, colourful design.

iOS 7 adds AirDrop, an ad-hoc Wi-Fi sharing platform. Users can share files with the iPhone 5 onwards, the iPod Touch (5th generation), iPad (4th generation) onwards, or iPad Mini (1st generation) onwards. The operating system also adds Control Center, a control panel accessed by swiping up from the bottom of the screen. Control Center contains a number of commonly-used functions, such as volume and brightness controls, along with toggles for enabling Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Airplane mode, and for using the rear camera's flash LED as a flashlight.

iTunes Radio, an internet radio service, is also included on iPhone 5S. It is a free, ad-supported service available to all iTunes users, featuring Siri integration on iOS. Users are able to skip tracks, customize stations, and purchase the station's songs from iTunes Store. Users can also search through their history of previous songs.

An update to iOS 8, the next major revision of the operating system, was released on September 17, 2014.

Accessories

Earphones known as Apple EarPods are included with iPhone 5S. According to technology commentators, the design of the earphones is aimed to improve sound quality by allowing air to travel in and out more freely. Apple states that the design of their earphones allows it to "rival high-end headphones that cost hundreds of dollars more". Reviews by Gizmodo and TechRadar reported that although the earphones sounded better than its predecessor, reviewers felt that quality of sound produced is poor. TechRadar further opined that the EarPods are inferior to other earphones of a similar price.

Exterior official accessories

Apple announced during the keynote a case for iPhone 5S that is made of soft microfiber on the inside and leather on the outside. This case was announced along with iPhone 5C's case, both of which are the first cases Apple has announced since the iPhone 4 Bumpers.

Docks for both iPhone 5S and 5C were found on the Apple Online Store after the announcement. Because of the casing difference between the iPhone 5S and 5C, they have separate docks, each made specifically for each respective phone. This is also the first time Apple has released a new dock since the iPhone 4 Dock back in 2010.

Design and Hardware of iPhone 5S
iPhone 5S's home button has been updated with a flat design to feature Touch ID.	The camera has a larger aperture (f/2.2) and larger sized pixels in its image sensor than previous iPhone models and has dual "True Tone" flashes.	The "iPhone" wordmark on the back of an iPhone 5S is now set in a thinner version of the Myriad typeface.

Reception

The iPhone 5S was announced during a keynote at 4 Infinite Loop on September 10, 2013.

Critical reception

iPhone 5S received a mostly positive reception from reviewers and commentators. Walt Mossberg of All Things Digital gave the phone a favorable review, saying that Touch ID "sounds like a gimmick, but it’s a real advance, the biggest step ever in biometric authentication for everyday devices," and labeled it "the best smartphone on the market." David Pogue of The New York Times praised Touch ID, but said that the innovation of the smartphone market has been saturated, and "maybe the age of annual mega-leaps is over." He focused much of his review on iOS 7, which he believed was the biggest change of the device over previous generations, eulogizing new Siri features, Control Center, and AirDrop. In an editorial, Pogue stated that iOS 7 was the biggest change in the iPhone series, citing utilitarian interface changes as the main contributor to this. Myriam Joire of Engadget found that the iPhone 5S could benefit significantly from the A7 if developers created applications optimized for the 64-bit processor and said that iOS 7 was the most notable updat e of the release.

Darrell Etherington of TechCrunch also thought that iPhone 5S was the best smartphone available. He said "looks may not be different from the iPhone 5, but the internal components have a dramatic impact on day-to-day activities normal for a smartphone user," and went into detail explaining the impact of the improved camera and specifications on the phone and argues that the 64-bit A7 processor will not reach its full potential until developers create applications supporting it. Scott Stein of CNET said that although iPhone 5S "is not a required upgrade, but it's easily the fastest and most advanced Apple smartphone to date". He criticized the lack of design change over iPhone 5.[59] Anand Lal Shimpi of AnandTech praised the phone's A7 processor, describing it as "seriously impressive", and stated that it was the most "futureproof of any iPhone ever launched. As much as it pains me to use the word futureproof, if you are one of those people who likes to hold onto their device for a while - the iPhone 5s is as good a starting point as any."

Scott Lowe of IGN praised the 5S as being "one of the best looking, most well-constructed smartphones on the market," also speaking highly of its 64-bit processor, "which has a substantial lead in processing power over the HTC One and Samsung Galaxy S4, accounting for a graphics boost of up to 32% and 38% in CPU benchmarks." Criticism was directed towards the fingerprint scanner as well as the battery life of the 5S. Another criticism was directed towards software bugs, but felt that they were owed to a lack of "patched support for the A7's 64-bit architecture or lingering issues with iOS 7, but in either scenario, should be resolved easily with future updates."

Apple's share price fell 5.4% after the launch to close at a month low of $467.71 on the NASDAQ. Although reviewers praised the new iPhone for its camera, 64-bit A7 chip, M7 motion-chip, and fingerprint scanning capabilities, some investors thought that the iPhone 5S, although a notable improvement over the 5, was still relatively unchanged from its predecessor, and worried that the iPhone line had become a stagnant, dull product.

Commercial reception

iPhone 5S and 5C sold over nine million units in the first three days, which sets a record for first weekend smartphone sales, with the 5S selling three times more units than iPhone 5C. After the first day of release, 1% of all iPhones in the US were iPhone 5Ss, while 0.3% were iPhone 5Cs. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray reported that the line at the Fifth Avenue Apple Store contained 1,417 people on release day, compared to 1,300 for the iPhone 4 in 2010, and 549 for the iPhone 3G in 2008 on their respective release days. This was the first time that Apple has simultaneously launched two models. The first-day release in China also contributed to the record sales result.

iPhone 5S was the best selling phone on AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile in September 2013 in the United States, outselling the 5C and Samsung Galaxy S4. According to Consumer Intelligence Research Partners, iPhone 5S outsold the 5C by a two-to-one margin during its September release, confirming Tim Cook's view that the high-end smartphone market was not reaching a point of market saturation. While commentators viewed iPhone 5C as a flop because of supply chain cuts signifying a decline in demand, iPhone 5S was viewed as a massive success. Tim Cook opined in response, "I suggest it's good to question the accuracy of any kind of rumor about build plans. The supply chain is very complex, and we have multiple sources for things. There is an inordinate long list of things that can make any single data point not a great proxy for what is going on".

On launch day, major stock shortages were reported in most stores, across all countries where iPhone 5S initially went on sale. A great many customers in line outside Apple Stores worldwide were left disappointed due to severe shortages across all 5S models, with the gold model in particular being in highly limited supply. While this situation eased in the US in the days following the launch, other countries have reported receiving very little restocks. Some commentators have questioned how Apple have handled the initial release, as online pre-orders were not offered for iPhone 5S, meaning large numbers of people queuing outside physical stores, with most in line not receiving a unit. In the US, Apple has offered an online reservation system, so customers can keep checking units available at their local Apple Stores, and order for pickup. Online orders have also been in short supply on launch day, with the shipping date across all model sizes and colors, changing from "7-10 working days" to sometime "October" in all countries, within hours of online orders being taken. The (Gold) Variant was in a great demand.

Six months after the release of the iPhone 5S, on March 25, 2014, Apple announced that sales of the iPhone brand has crossed 500 million units.

Touch ID impact

A number of technology writers, including Adrian Kingsley-Hughes and Kevin Roose of New York believed that the fingerprint scanning functionality of iPhone 5S could help spur the adoption of the technology as an alternative to passwords by mainstream users (especially in "bring your own device" scenarios), as fingerprint-based authentication systems have only enjoyed wider usage in enterprise environments. However, citing research by biometrics engineer Geppy Parziale, Roose suggested that the CMOS-based sensor could become inaccurate and wear out over time unless Apple had designed the sensor to prevent this from occurring. Brent Kennedy, a researcher of the United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team, recommended that users not immediately rely on the technology, citing the uncertainty over whether the system could properly reject a spoofed fingerprint.

Following the release of iPhone 5S, the German Chaos Computer Club announced on September 21, 2013 that they had bypassed Apple's new Touch ID fingerprint sensor by using "easy everyday means." The group explained that the security system had been defeated by photographing a fingerprint from a glass surface and using that captured image to make a latex model thumb which was then pressed against the sensor to gain access. The spokesman for the group stated: "We hope that this finally puts to rest the illusions people have about fingerprint biometrics. It is plain stupid to use something that you can't change and that you leave everywhere every day as a security token." However, in 2013, 39% of American smartphone users used no security measures at all to protect their smartphone. Others have also used Chaos Computer Club's method, but concluded that it is not an easy process in either time or effort, given the user has to use a high resolution photocopy of a complete fingerprint, special chemicals, and expensive equipment, and takes some time to achieve.

Timeline of models

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Last updated on 9 October 2014 at 01:28.


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The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are iOS smartphones developed by Apple Inc. The devices are part of the iPhone series, and were released on September 19, 2014. The iPhone 6 series jointly serves as a successor to the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C. The iPhone 6 series includes a number of major changes over its predecessor, including a streamlined design, models with larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays, a faster processor, upgraded cameras, improved LTE and Wi-Ficonnectivity, and support for a near-field communications-based mobile payments offering.

Pre-orders of the iPhone 6 series exceeded 4 million within its first 24 hours of availability—an Apple record. More than 10 million iPhone 6 series devices were sold in the first three days, another Apple record. Critical reception of the iPhone 6 was generally positive.

iPhone 6 / iPhone 6 Plus
Manufacturer	Apple Inc
Slogan	“Bigger than bigger”
Series	iPhone
Compatible Network	GSM, CDMA, 3G, EVDO, HSPA+, LTE
First released	September 19, 2014
Unit sold	10 million in opening weekend
Predecessor	iPhone 5S iPhone 5C
Related	Apple Watch
Type	Smartphone / Phablet (6 Plus)
Form factor	Bar
Dimensions	iPhone 6: 138.1 mm (5.44 in) H, 67.0 mm (2.64 in) W, 6.9 mm (0.27 in) (7.1 mm (0.28 in) inc. lens) D iPhone 6 Plus: 158.1 mm (6.22 in) H, 77.8 mm (3.06 in) W, 7.1 mm (0.28 in) (7.3 mm (0.29 in) inc. lens) D
Weight	iPhone 6: 129 g (4.6 oz) iPhone 6 Plus: 172 g (6.1 oz)
Operating system	Original: iOS 8.0 Current: iOS 8.0.2, released September 25, 2014
System on chip	Apple A8
CPU	1.4 GHz dual-core ARMv8-A
GPU	PowerVR Series 6 GX6450 (4 clusters)
Memory	1 GB LPDDR3
Storage	16, 64 or 128 GB
Battery	iPhone 6: 1810 mAh iPhone 6 Plus: 2915 mAh
Data inputs	Multi-touch touchscreen display, triple microphone configuration, Apple M8 motion coprocessor, 3-axis gyroscope, 3-axis accelerometer, digital compass, iBeacon, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor, Touch ID fingerprint reader, barometer
Display	Retina HD Display, LED-backlit IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16:9 aspect ratio, 500 cd/m2 max brightness (typical), and oleophobic coating iPhone 6: 4.7 in (120 mm) 1334x750 pixel resolution, 326 ppi pixel density, 1400:1 contrast ratio (typical) iPhone 6 Plus: 5.5 in (140 mm) 1920x1080 pixel resolution, 401 ppi pixel density, 1300:1 contrast ratio (typical)
Rear camera	8-MP, Dual LED flash, autofocus, 1080p video capture@60fps iPhone 6: digital image stabilization iPhone 6 Plus: optical image stabilization
Front camera	1.2-MP (1280×960 px max.), 720p video recording, Burst mode, Exposure control, Face detection, Auto-HDR
Sound	Stereo speakers, 3.5mm stereo audio jack
Connectivity	All models: UMTS/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), CDMA EV-DO Rev. A and Rev. B (800, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100 MHz), GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n/ac) (802.11n: 2.4 and 5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, GPS & GLONASS 6/+ models A1549/A1522: LTE (Bands 1 to 5, 7, 8, 13, 17 to 20, 25, 26, 28, 29) 6/+ models A1586/A1524: LTE (Bands 1 to 5, 7, 8, 13, 17 to 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 38 to 41, TD-SCDMA 1900 (F), 2000 (A)
Hearing aid compatibility	M3, T4
Website	www.apple.com/iphone-6

History

Many rumors surrounding the next iPhone centered around the device's size; the majority of iPhone models have used small, 3.5-inch displays—which are smaller than the larger screens used by flagship phones from competitors. The only major change in size for the iPhone series came with the iPhone 5(continued with the iPhone 5S and 5C), which featured a display that was taller, but the same width as prior models, measuring 4 inches diagonally. Following Apple's loss in smartphone market share to companies producing phones with larger displays (such as Samsung, whose popular Galaxy S4 model featured a 5-inch screen), reports as early as January 2014 suggested that Apple was preparing to launch new iPhone models with larger, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays.

Reports prior to its unveiling also speculated the possibility that Apple would use a new iPhone model to introduce a mobile payments platform using near-field communications—a technology that has been incorporated into many Android phones, but has a low adoption rate among users.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were officially unveiled during a press event at the Flint Center for Performing Arts in Cupertino, California on September 9, 2014. The event featured other major, previously-rumored product announcements by Apple alongside the new iPhone models, including the Apple Pay mobile payment platform, and the company's entry into the wearable computing market with the Apple Watch smartwatch.

The iPhone 6 line was released on September 19, 2014; pre-orders began on September 12, 2014. In China, where the iPhone 5S and 5C were the first models in the iPhone series to be released in the country on the same day as their international launch, Apple notified local wireless carriers that it would be unable to release the iPhone 6 line in China on the 19th because there were "details which are not ready"; local media reported that the devices had not yet been approved by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, and earlier in the year, a news report by state broadcaster China Central Television alleged that iPhone devices were a threat to national security because iOS 7's "frequent locations" function could expose "state secrets".

Specifications

Hardware

The design of the iPhone 6 line is influenced by that of the iPad Air, with a glass front that is curved around the edges of the display, and an aluminium rear that contains two plastic strips for the antenna. Both models come in gold, silver, and "space gray" finishes. The iPhone 6 has a thickness of 6.9 millimetres (0.69 cm), while the iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1 millimetres (0.71 cm) in thickness; both are thinner than the iPhone 5S, with the iPhone 6 being Apple's thinnest phone to date. The most significant changes to the iPhone 6 line are its displays; both branded as "Retina HD Display" and "ion-strengthened", the iPhone 6 display is 4.7 inches in size with a 16:9 resolution of 1334x750 (326 PPI, minus one row of pixels), while the iPhone 6 Plus includes a 5.5-inch 1920x1080 (1080p) display (401 PPI). To accommodate the larger physical size of the iPhone 6 line, the power button was moved to the side of the phone instead of the top to improve its accessibility. The iPhone 6 features a 1810 mAh battery, while the iPhone 6 Plus features a 2915 mAh battery. Unlike the previous model, the rear-facing camera is not flush with the rear of the device, and has a slight "bulge" around the lens.It has a Dual-core 1.4 GHz Cyclone Processor (ARM v8-based).

Both models include an Apple A8 system-on-chip, and an M8 motion co-processor—an update of the M7 chip from the iPhone 5S. The main difference between the M8 and the original M7 coprocessor is that it also collects data from the barometer to measure altitude changes. Phil Schiller touted that the A8 chip would provide, in comparison to the 5S, a 25% increase in CPU performance, a 50% increase in graphics performance, and less heat output. Early hands-on reports suggested that the A8's GPU performance might indeed break away from previous generations doubling of performance at each yearly release, scoring 21204.26 in Basemark X compared to 20253.80, 10973.36 and 5034.75 on respectively the 5S, 5 and 4S.

LTE support is expanded on the iPhone 6 line, with support for over 20 LTE bands (7 more than the iPhone 5S), up to 150 Mbps download speed, andVoLTE support. Wi-Fi performance has been improved with support for 802.11ac specifications, providing speeds up to 433 mbps—which is up to 3 times faster than 802.11n, along with Wi-Fi Calling support where available. The iPhone 6 line adds support for near-field communications (NFC), which is used exclusively for Apple Pay—a new mobile payments system which will allow users to store their credit cards in Passbook for use with online payments and retail purchases over NFC. NFC support is restricted to Apple Pay only, and cannot be used for any other purposes (such as sharing content with other iPhone users).

While still 8 megapixels in size, the iPhone 6's rear-facing camera includes a new sensor which, like the camera in the iPhone 5S, has 1.5 micron pixels, an f/2.2 aperture lens, and the ability to shoot 1080p video at either 30 or 60 frames per second. The camera also includes phase detection autofocus. It can also record slow-motion video at either 120 or 240 frames per second. The iPhone 6 Plus camera is nearly identical, but also includes optical image stabilization. The front-facing camera was also updated with a new sensor and f/2.2 aperture, along with support for burst and HDR modes.

Software

The iPhone 6 line ships preloaded with iOS 8, the latest major release of the iOS platform. Apps are able to take advantage of the increased screen size in the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus to display more information on-screen; for example, the Mail app uses a dual-pane layout similar to its iPad version when the device is in landscape mode on the iPhone 6 Plus. As it uses an identical aspect ratio, apps designed for the iPhone 5 and 5S can be upscaled for use on the 6 and 6 Plus. To improve the usability of the devices' larger screens, an additional "Reachability" gesture was added; double-touching the Home button will slide the top half of the screen's contents down to the bottom half of the screen. This function allows users to reach buttons located near the top of the screen, such as a "Back" button in the top-left corner.

Reception

Sales

Apple Inc. announced that within 24 hours of availability, over 4 million pre-orders of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were made, exceeding the supply available. More than 10 million iPhone 6 series devices were sold in the first three days.

Critical reception

Both iPhone 6 models have received generally positive reviews; TechRadar praised the iPhone 6's "brilliant" design, improved battery life over the 5S, iOS 8 for being "smarter and more intuitive than ever", along with the quality of its camera. However, the plastic antenna strips on the rear of the phone were criticized for resulting in poor aesthetics, the display for having lower resolution and pixel density in comparison to other recent smartphones - including those with the same physical screen size as the iPhone 6, such as the HTC One, and for not having a sufficient justification for its significantly higher price in comparison to similar devices running Android or Windows Phone. The Verge considered the iPhone 6 to be "simply and cleanly designed" in comparison to the 5S, noting that the phone still felt usable despite its larger size, but criticized the antenna plastic, the protruding camera lens (which prevents the device from sitting flat without a case), and the lack of additional optimization in the operating system for the bigger screen. Improvements such as performance, battery life, VoLTE support, and other tweaks were also noted. In conclusion, the iPhone 6 was considered "good, even great, but there’s little about it that’s truly ambitious or truly moving the needle. It’s just a refinement of a lot of existing ideas into a much more pleasant package."

In regards to the 6 Plus, Engadget panned the device's design for feeling uncomfortable to hold and harder to grip in comparison to other devices such as the Galaxy Note 3 and LG G3, but praised its inclusion of optical image stabilization and slightly better battery life than the 6.

Timeline of models

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Last updated on 13 October 2014 at 21:24.


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