Apple CEO Tim Cook said the new iPhone 6 models unveiled overnight might look the same, but the difference is under the cover.
He’ll be hoping Apple fans take the hint – because on the face of it, the new model released is underwhelming. There was none of the groundbreaking innovation of previous model launches, such as the introduction of Siri, the virtual assistant you can talk to, or anything especially visual, such as new look screens or shape design.
The new model – as widely predicted – includes a multi-touch interface which senses the pressure with which it is being touched to create different responses.
The phones feature Retina displays covered in the “strongest glass on any smartphone” and a new generation aluminium case using “the same alloy used in the aerospace industry” and in different colours, which now include rose gold.
The camera has been “upgraded” to 12 megapixels, which is still a specification considerably less than handsets from rival manufacturers which sell for a fraction of the cost of an iPhone.
Inside the case is a new “Apple-designed A9 chip described as “the most advanced chip ever in a smartphone, delivering faster performance and great battery life”.
“The only thing that has changed with iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus is everything — 3D Touch lets users interact with iPhone in entirely new and fun ways, and the innovative Live Photos brings your pictures to life,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior VP of worldwide marketing. “These are the most advanced iPhones ever, with 7000 series aluminum, ion-strengthened glass, the new 64-bit A9 chip, 12-megapixel iSight and 5-megapixel FaceTime HD cameras, faster Touch ID, LTE and Wi-Fi. Customers are going to love them.”
We’ll await the verdicts from reviewers in coming weeks. In the meantime, the superficial statistics, such as camera and processor, appear very much to be catching up to rival handsets like the latest Samsung Galaxy and HTC One models – rather than a leapfrog in technology or performance.
In Asia-Pacific, the new models will be available in Australia, China, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand and Singapore from September 25.