The iPhone 6: Balancing Design with Deep Engineering
A year ago I posted a report wondering why Apple missed the boat on the phablet trend. I followed up with a report in May of this year wondering why there was still no word about Apple entering this explosive market that had grown 369% in the first quarter of 2014. Yet during Apple's trial with Samsung an internal slide surfaced that confirmed that Apple knew that they had missed the phablet trend. Shortly thereafter the rumors began to surface that Apple was working on a 5.5 inch iPhone for later this year. Yesterday Apple introduced the iPhone 6-Plus to cheers around the world. Apple's VP of Hardware Engineering noted yesterday that "The way people experience their iPhone has always started with the display." The reason for not releasing an iPhone phablet earlier was that they didn't have the display just right. The end result was yesterday's introduction of the Retina HD Display. While there's a lot of information about the new iPhone available to Apple fans to drill into, Jony Ive, Dan Riccio and Greg Joswiak put their collective thoughts together and pointed out the features that they thought were the ones most fans would be interested in. Along with that came Jony Ive's typical philosophy about Apple's latest iPhone designs. Our report is distinctly broken down into three segments covering only what each of the executives wanted to express about the iPhone 6. For easy reference, our report will be archived under "Apple Events" so that you can reference it at any time in the future.
Jony Ive on the iPhone 6 Design
"A truly great product is ultimately defined by the integration of its hardware and software. Developing an iPhone with a larger and more advanced display launched one of the most significant design and engineering efforts since we introduced the original product.
With a 4.7 inch display, iPhone 6 becomes taller and wider. We made the design dramatically thinner while developing a smooth continuous surface that is comfortable to both hold and use.
We're also introducing iPhone 6 Plus with a larger 5.5 inch display. And with the same continuous surfaces and seamless material transitions as iPhone 6, it's very thin.
By creating iPhone 6 and iOS 8 together we've optimized the physical design to enhance software features. The cover glass extends beyond the top surface to seamlessly join the aluminum unibody. This results in hardware and software defining a truly singular experience."
Dan Riccio Senior VP, Hardware Engineering on the iPhone's Engineering and Retina HD Display
"The way people experience their iPhone has always started with the display. So we wouldn't introduce a larger display until we could make one that was great. The Retina HD Display is the most advanced iPhone display we've ever designed. On this high resolution screen you could see deeper blacks and sharper text.
With new 'dual-domain pixels' we see more accurate color at wider viewing angles. To deliver these qualities we implemented an advanced process called 'photo alignment.' Better aligned pixels deliver a superior viewing experience.
The new state of the art Apple designed A8 chip continues our legacy of designing powerful and power efficient chips. It features a second generation 64 bit desktop class architecture. The new chip is smaller, yet it's faster. It's got better graphics while also being more energy efficient. So you could do more for more periods of time without compromising performance or battery life.
We've added an M8 motion coprocessor which works in a low-power mode to efficiently measure your fitness activity throughout the day. And with the addition of a barometer, it can even track the elevation you gain while you're doing stuff like climbing stairs.
Greg Joswiak VP, iPhone and iOS Product Marketing on the iPhone's Camera and Apple Pay
"The iPhone is the world's most popular camera. So we feel a responsibility to continually improve the experience of taking photos and making videos with iPhone 6.
The 8 megapixel iSight camera has a new sensor featuring 'Focus Pixels' which provide a better faster focus. A new exposure control in iOS 8 lets you adjust shots before you take them for improved color and detail.
The iPhone 6 Plus features 'Optical Image Stabilization.' This uses a gyroscope to compensate for the movement of your hand."
The iPhone 6 offers "software that intelligently fuses short and long exposures to create sharper images.
With more people relying on their iPhone for taking video we've added more advanced video capabilities to iPhone 6. The new camera shoots beautiful 1080p HD video at 60 fps. Continuous autofocus provides constant focus as you capture your video.
Cinematic video stabilization helps your shot remain steady. And you can capture amazing super slow motion video at 240 fps. An all-new time lapse mode allows you to create videos with one simple touch. With iPhone 6 you could shoot HD video and then watch your stunning results on a Retina HD Display.
With iPhone 6 we're introducing 'Apple Pay.' Fast, easy, secure mobile payment system. It's much better than carrying around cash and credit cards. You simply pay by placing your finger on the Touch ID. There's no need to open a special app or even wake your iPhone.
You can also make one touch purchases without having to enter your credit card or shipping information.
With iPhone 6 everything is faster. And that includes some great advancements we've made in wireless performance. Faster LTE enables much faster download speeds at up to 150 Mbps. There are 20 LTE bands, significantly more than any other smartphone. So you can connect in more places around the world while roaming."
Jony Ive, in Closing
"With iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus we've taken the time to do the deep engineering, to design and develop two entirely new iPhones. More significant than just bigger and better displays – the design has never been so compelling and doubtedly making this the biggest advance in the iPhone since we launched the original."
At the end of the day, I think that the iPhone 6-Plus model will be a huge hit around the world and end up being a lot more popular than some naysayers think. I personally put off an iPhone purchase last year hoping that Apple would finally deliver a phablet. So it's no secret that the iPhone 6 will be the model I'll be looking forward to by month's end. What iPhone model are you considering to buy when your contract is up? Send in your comments below.
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