Apple’s iPhone 6 features larger screen, revamped screen size, and hardware improvements

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Photo courtesy of Apple

Apple showed off the new iPhone 6 today in a keynote address by Tim Cook. The new iPhone was debuted alongside a new iWatch in a standard model witha 4.7 inch screen and a Plus model with a 5.5 inch screen.

For Apple fans, a prolonged iFever has finally broken.

The company unveiled two versions of the new iPhone 6 with faster processors, NFC (Near Field Communications) enabled payments, and improved displays in a keynote address today at 10 am.

The two models have different screen sizes; the iPhone 6 ships with a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus has a larger 5.5 inch screen. Both phones are equipped with Apple’s Retina Display HD, which Apple claims improves the resolution and picture quality of the original Retina Display. While the original iPhone 6 has the same resolution as the previous 5s Retina display screen at 326 ppi (pixels per inch), the Plus version sports a 23 percent increase in pixel density at 401 ppi.

In addition to improvements in screen quality, both versions of the iPhone 6 feature a thinner build and a revamped design. The device has rounded edges in contrast to the iPhone 5s’s sharp contours; according to Apple, the standard iPhone 6 cuts its width down to just 6.9 mm, while the Plus version has a width of 7.1 mm.

Exterior aside, the NFC chip featured in the Apple’s latest phone might be the most significant hardware addition from earlier models. The chip, which integrates with the iPhone’s Passbook app, allows users to pay without using a physical credit card at NFC-enabled terminals in stores.

The Touch ID fingerprint sensor introduced in the iPhone 5s has been integrated with Passbook and NFC in the iPhone 6. Coupling the two technologies, users can pay for goods securely at NFC terminals with a fingerprint and a single tap of the home button.

Other changes to hardware include the faster A8 chip CPU (central processing unit) and a dedicated M8 chip that gathers data from the phone’s onboard motion sensors. The phone’s camera has also been improved, allowing for faster autofocus and greater picture clarity.

Brandon Stoll (10) noticed changes in the phone’s design first as he looked at the pictures of the device for the first time on Apple’s website.

“It’s much different, since it’s rounded. It’s sort of like the iPhone 3[G],” Brandon said. He added that the rounded edges struck him as the most noticeable feature of the phone at first glance. “The glass is supposed to be stronger [too].”

Harry Xu (12) commented that the phone might have been overhyped by the media.

“Now, there’s the Samsung Galaxy and you have a bunch of other phones that are floating up in the market,” Harry said. “They’re competing harder with Apple, so maybe this iPhone 6 is going to be a bummer.”

The iPhone 6 will ship for $199 for the 16 gigabyte version, while the Plus version ships at $299 with a data plan. In addition, the iPhone 5s has been marked down to $99 for the 16 gigabyte version, while the iPhone 5c is free with a mobile data plan.