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What Apple announced and what matters
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There’s a new iPhone out — you may have noticed. Last night Apple announced the iPhone 6 , a larger iPhone 6 Plus and an Apple Watch . Read on for all the UK prices, details and extra information you need to know.
The Apple iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have arrived (pictures)
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The iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen, while the iPhone 6 Plus is Apple’s first phablet, measuring 5.5-inches. They’re slimmer and lighter than the current iPhone 5S and 5C , boasting 64-bit processors and 8-megapixel cameras.
When can I buy a new iPhone?
The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus then hit shops on 19 September, a week on Friday. You can place your pre-order from 12 September, this Friday.
In the Republic of Ireland, the new iPhones go on sale from Meteor and eMobile on 26 September.
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iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
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If you have an iPhone in your pocket right now, you can enjoy Apple’s latest software for iPhone and iPad without buying the new device. iOS 8 will be available to download to your current phone or tablet for free on 17 September, a week today.
Where can I buy a new iPhone?
As usual, the new iPhone will be on sale from all the major UK networks and retailers: EE, GiffGaff, O2, Three, TalkMobile, Virgin Media, Vodafone, Carphone Warehouse, and Phones 4U. Click the links to register for updates on deals from each outlet. Oh, and your friendly neighbourhood Apple Stores of course.
How much does a new iPhone cost?
Aaaaand here’s the important bit: the prices. For an unlocked, SIM-free phone without a phone contract, the iPhone 6 starts at £540 for the 16GB model, then £620 for the 64GB version, or £700 for the biggest 128GB model.
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The larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus starts at £620 for 16GB of storage, £700 for 64GB of memory, and £790 for 128GB of space.
The networks will come up with deals over the next couple of days so you can bag yourself an iPhone and spread the cost over a year or two, although that’s likely to work out more expensive than simply buying the phone and getting a separate SIM-only contract for it.
Meanwhile the existing models drop in price. The current iPhone 5S now costs £460 — down from £550 at launch — for the 16GB model; the 32GB version is £500 — down from £630 at launch. The 64GB 5S is no longer on sale, but for comparison it cost £710 at launch. That means comparable models of the new iPhone 6 are £10 cheaper than the 5S was.
Meanwhile the colourful 5C now only comes with 8GB of storage for £320, ditching the 16GB and 32GB models. An iPhone for £320 may sound like a good price, but we’d hesitate to recommend you buy a smartphone with 8GB of memory unless it has a memory card slot: that’s not a lot of memory for photos and HD videos, especially as the phone’s own operating system software takes a up a chunk of that. There’s no memory card slot so you can’t add extra space if you need it.
What about the Apple Watch?
Apple’s long-rumoured iWatch was also unveiled last night. It comes in three flavours: the Apple Watch, the durable Apple Watch Sport, and the 18-karat gold Apple Watch Edition.
Sadly for British horologists, there are no details yet on when it will wrap around wrists outside the US. While Apple often releases updated versions of existing products to shops around the world at roughly the same time, it does have a history of only selling brand new devices like the first iPhone and iPad on its home turf. With luck, it won’t take long for the Apple Watch to cross the pond.
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Even if it does come to these shores soon after its US launch, that’s still a way off: the Watch isn’t on sale in the US of A until 2015. For comparison, the US price starts at $349, which converts to around £220 or AU$380.
What else do I need to know?
Having announced reduced prices for iCloud storage for our US chums earlier this year, Apple has now slashed the price for Brits too. 5GB of online storage is still free, 20GB now costs 79p, 200GB costs £3, 500GB costs £7 and a new option for 1TB of storage costs £15. Just be careful with your naked pics.
Click here for all our coverage of last night’s Apple event, including closer looks at the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, Apple Watch, iOS 8, Apple Pay, and much more.
