Updated | There had been weeks of rumors and speculation about what Apple would announce. On Tuesday, we got a glimpse of the company’s new offerings, which included two bigger versions of the iPhone, as well as a smartwatch, dubbed Apple Watch.
During the announcement, readers submitted their questions on everything from how Apple’s new payment system will work to when the new phones would be available.
Below are responses to select questions, answered by Times reporters and editors:
Keith from Denver asks, “Is there a left-handed version of the watch, with the crown on the left side of the watch?”
The Apple event only featured watches for right-handed users and we may not know definitively if there will be a left-handed watch until it becomes available early next year. Apple co-founder Steven P. Jobs was ambidextrous so one would hope Apple would cater to lefties as well, but an Apple employee tells us there is currently no left-handed version.
Several readers asked about the pricing for non-contract, unlocked phones.
The new iPhone pricing presented by Apple today featured the cost of the devices when combined with a two-year cellular service contract. The iPhone 6 starts at $199 and goes to $299 and $399 depending on memory. The $199 offers 16 GB of memory; the $299 offers 64 GB of memory and the $399 model has 128 GB of memory, double the previous maximum of 64 GB. The iPhone 6 Plus starts at $299 with a two-year contract for 16 GB of storage and is $399 and $499 for 64 GB and 128 GB of storage, respectively.
Non-contract phones are significantly more expensive. Without a contract, the iPhone 6 costs $649 for 16 GB; $749 for 64 GB; and $849 for 128 GB. Without a contract, the iPhone 6 Plus costs $749, $849 and $949.
Both devices will become available on Sept. 19, and can be preordered on Sept. 12.
A reader asks, “As a petite woman I find that my old iPhone 4 is the maximum size that will fit in many of my pants pockets. The 5 is really stretching things (literally). Will Apple continue to provide smaller phones for smaller people? Would the health tracking features of the 6 work if the phone is in a bag rather than a pocket? Would I look like a kid trying on mommy’s watch even with the smaller iWatch?”
Unfortunately for us petite women, it doesn’t appear Apple is going to make smaller phones any time in the near future. They will, however, continue to sell the iPhone 5C, but as my colleague Brian X. Chen reports, Apple is catering to the growing appetite for bigger smartphones.
IDC, the research firm, estimates that at least 20 percent of all smartphones shipped last year in China, the world’s largest smartphone market, were five inches or larger. IDC predicts that manufacturers this year will ship more “phablets”– smartphones with screens measuring more than 5.5 inches diagonally — than laptops.
To deal with concerns that a bigger phone will make typing with one hand difficult, some changes to the design of the iPhones’ user interface will allow people to type or use apps with just one hand; there will be a one-handed mode that can be switched on and off, two employees said.
As for the Apple watch, the watch case ranges from 38 mm to 42 mm, or about the size of a quarter and postage stamp.
Similarly, a reader in New York asks, “What are the actual dimensions of the new phones? I’m trying to get a sense of how tall/ wide they are. For example, I am trying to assess if the 5.5″ iPhone 6 Plus will be comfortable to hold!”
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are thinner and larger than the previous iPhone 5 models. Compared with the iPhone 5S display, which measures 4 inches diagonally, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus measure 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches diagonally, respectively.
Tess asks, “Do I need to carry my iPhone with me if I’m using the watch? Or is it independent of the watch?”
Good question. Apple was pretty vague in its announcement. The Apple Watch pairs with the newer iPhones — including the iPhone 5, 5S, 5C and iPhone 6 — and pass information back and forth. If you don’t have your iPhone with you, basic watch functions like time and health and fitness tracking will work, but users will have limited functionality without their iPhones as far as messaging, music and other features.
A reader in Portland, Oregon asks, “Any sense of why Apple Pay won’t launch until October?”
Since Apple Pay appears to only work with the latest versions of the iPhone — the 6 and 6 Plus — the delay is likely to give the phone time to propagate throughout the market and possibly also to give its merchant partners like Disney and Whole Foods time to implement the necessary near-field communication terminals and payment systems.
Bono, apparently.
Chris from Connecticut writes, “What ever happened with all the talk about sapphire screens?”
So, about those sapphire screens. One publication reported that the new iPhone 6 models would incorporate sapphire screens that would be harder to shatter than glass. Not so. The new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are made with old-fashioned glass. However, the displays for the most basic Apple Watch and Watch Edition models will be protected by polished sapphire crystal. Apple chose the material because, next to diamond, it is the hardest transparent material on earth. The Apple Watch Sport, however, will be protected by Ion-X glass, which is lighter and makes more sense for running and other exercise.
David from New Jersey asks: “Does the new watch allow for NFC transactions? There’s a Passbook App on the watch, but the keynote was blank about it. If the watch does do NFC transactions, will it work with older iPhones. For example, if someone has an iPhone 5C or 5S, could they do NFC via the watch?”
The iPhone 6 models and the new watches support near-field communication, or NFC, which allows devices to send information wirelessly over very short distances. Apple teamed up with American Express, Mastercard and Visa to support the NFC payment system, so that iPhone users can use their phone as a digital wallet.
Apple Pay will only work with the iPhone 5 models if the user has one of the newer watches, but won’t work until the watches are available early next year.
Security experts are cheering Apple’s move to NFC because it incorporates the chip-based smart card standard known as EMV — for Europay-Mastercard-Visa — the companies that first backed the technology. Security gurus say EMV is more secure than the magnetic strips on credit cards, because it uses a unique code for each purchase, making it exceedingly difficult — albeit not impossible —for hackers to use stolen card numbers for future purchases, or to counterfeit cards.
The influx of NFC-enabled iPhones could help jump-start mobile payments, which has yet to take off. Google released a digital wallet in 2011 with little success. And the unfortunately named Isis — a mobile wallet backed by three major carriers which was recently renamed Softcard — never caught on either.
Jordan Moore in Los Angeles, “Does the watch have an altimeter, like FitBit One, so you know how many flights of stairs or their equivalent you’ve climbed?”
Apple did not specifically mention an altimeter. The company only said the watch will include all the capabilities of an all-day fitness tracker and a highly advanced sports watch. Here’s what Apple said it will measure specifically: An accelerometer that measures total body movement, a heart rate sensor, and an Activity app which shows how often you’ve stood up. The watch will use the GPS and Wi-Fi in your iPhone to track how far you’ve moved.
Sam from Boston writes, “Is watch water resistant or waterproof? They didn’t mention it, but if a $350 device I’m supposed to wear all day and through workouts isn’t, it seems like a deal breaker.”
Apple did not mention whether its new watches will be water resistant or waterproof, but if Apple ads featuring hot models dripping sweat onto their new Apple Watch are any indication, then one hopes they will be! Otherwise, some models just broke a lot of brand new Apple Watches.
John from New York writes, “What’s the anticipated timing of a refresh on the iPad line? Is it reasonable to expect something before the 2014 holiday season? Thanks!”
Apple typically upgrades their iPads once a year. The company has not upgraded the iPad since last October, so the rumor is we can expect an iPad upgrade before the holiday season.
Jon C from Albuquerque, New Mexico asks, “Will the iWatch have an ambient light sensor, like the Moto 360, to dim the display?”
Apple didn’t mention an ambient light sensor, but we can expect some kind of sensor that detects motion or light to turn the device on.
Mike from New York asks, “Can it be that the lowest capacity iPhone 6 will have only 16 GB capacity, two GBs LESS capacity than my current iPhone 5? Will this make a noticeable difference to someone who does not view many videos or play any games on the phone?”
No. If you don’t watch videos or download games on your phone, you will only have to worry about photo storage. And you definitely don’t have to worry about app sizes growing. As Phil Schiller noted on stage Tuesday, the current 1.3 million apps that work on earlier iPhones will automatically work on the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models.
John from Massachusetts asks, “Apple mentioned nightly charging requirement; how long does it take to charge? How long will it run with minimal use?”
Great question. Apple executives did not mention battery life or charging times, possibly because the company is still trying to figure it out.
One reader from New York asks, “The Watch obviously doesn’t have a lock screen or require a passcode — so what happens if I lose my watch or it’s stolen? Won’t thieves have access to my apps, and my Apple Pay?”
Great question. Several reporters asked Apple executives this very question at the event and the company did not offer any answers. If Apple does not offer any authentication on the Watch, the device will be ripe for theft and hacking.
Will Larche, a reader from the East Village asks, “Is it true that if I sprinkle lemon juice on them, they won’t brown so fast when cut?”
Will, I believe you are looking for the NYT Cooking site.