iPhone 6

Apple to allow in-store pickups for iPhone 6 pre-orders

It looks like Apple will be giving folks who pre-order the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus the option to pick up their devices in-store, rather than having to wait for them to be shipped to their houses. The retail iPhone page on Apple's website invites users to pre-order the new handset, and choose to "have it shipped to you for free, or pick it up in store."

The survival guide to pre-ordering your iPhone 6

Unlike last year, Apple will let you pre-order your iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus tonight, starting at 12.01 am PT. If our recent poll is any indication, it seems that almost twice as many people will pre-order the phone rather than wait in line next Friday to buy it directly from an Apple Store or one of the authorized retailers.

Pre-ordering has both its advantages and its drawbacks, so you should carefully weight your options before making a decision. To help you out, we've created this survival guide to pre-ordering your iPhone 6 where we share some simple tips on how to prepare for tonight.

This is why the iPhone 6 won’t come with a sapphire screen

The many rumors suggesting that the iPhone 6 was going to feature a sapphire display were quelled when Apple announced both new iPhones without any mention of an extremely durable sapphire screen. Now, analyst Matt Margolis reports that Apple had every intention to ship its latest iPhone with sapphire glass, but production deadlines were missed by just "weeks."

As reported by MacRumors, the issue was not with Apple's Arizona-based sapphire supplier, GT Advanced Technologies, but rather with the iPhone 6's supply chain in China, which was unable to yield sufficient quantities of the displays produced with sapphire glass.

Poll: will you pre-order or buy your iPhone 6 in store?

Apple will start accepting pre-orders for the newly-introduced iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus tomorrow, September 12, a full week before the device is scheduled to land on store shelves the next Friday, September 19.

Busy folks may opt to have their phones delivered to their doorsteps while others may prefer the excitement of launch day festivities and mingling with like-minded fans at one of Apple's brick and mortar stores.

Are you going to pre-order your iPhone 6 from the comfort or your home or will you waltz inside your nearest carrier or Apple Store on September 19 at 8am?

Samsung ads lampoon iPhone 6 screen, battery, multitasking, Apple Watch and more

Galaxy maker Samsung on Thursday published a series of advertisements on its YouTube channel. The commercials have been designed to ridicule Apple's latest announcements.

The six-installment series, which Samsung is running under the 'Note The Difference' tagline, targets pretty much everything, from Apple's botched live stream to the iPhone 6's screen size, multitasking and battery life to  — funny you should ask — the star of the show: the Apple Watch.

I've included the videos for your viewing pleasure right after the break so watch them now and join us in comments.

Are you eligible for an iPhone 6 upgrade? Here is how to find out

Every year it is the same scenario: Apple unveils a new iPhone, and we all start wondering what we're financially able to afford. The question on everybody's lips then becomes "am I eligible for an upgrade?" If you bought your device 2 years ago, then chances are you are already eligible for an upgrade. If you're not sure what your current status is, we have a way for you to check if you're going to be able to pick up the iPhone 6 or iPhone 6 Plus at the subsidized price, or if you'll have to break that piggy bank you've been preciously keeping on your dresser for the past 15 years. 

Apple facing delays launching iPhone 6 models in China, still hasn’t gained approval

Apple informed the top-three carriers in China on Wednesday it would not be offering the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on September 19, leaving them caught off-guard, the New York Times reported. China is seen as the company's fastest growing market, so it's definitely an odd move, as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom and customers in the area are eagerly awaiting the launch alongside the US and other countries worldwide.

T-Mobile announces support for Wi-Fi calling on all new smartphones

During its 7.0 Un-carrier event today, T-Mobile announced plans for its new 'Wi-Fi Unleashed' initiative. As part of the campaign, the carrier says that it will support Wi-Fi calling and texting on all new smartphones, including the just-announced iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

This allows users to send and receive both calls and text messages over a Wi-Fi network, and is a highly sought after feature for folks in areas with poor cell service. T-Mobile says the feature will be free, and is offering upgrades to customers that don't have Wi-Fi devices.

Samsung uses Steve Jobs quote against Apple: ‘no one is going to buy a big phone’

Always eager to respond to Apple's latest moves swiftly and boldly, Samsung of South Korea took to Twitter following yesterday's iPhone 6/Apple Watch/Apple Pay press conference to share an interesting banner which uses Steve Jobs's own words as a weapon against Apple to dismiss its decision to make bigger iPhones as long overdue.

“No one is going to buy a big phone,” reads the quote on Samsung's snarky anti-iPhone Galaxy Note 4 banner. “Guess who surprised themselves and changed their mind,” another line reads.

The attached image is accompanied by the following message on Twitter: “Big improvements and innovation come with change - even they thought so”.

iPhone 6 and Apple Watch event now available in iTunes

If you weren't able to watch the live stream of the event yesterday, Apple has made the whole video available for download from iTunes. Clocking at 2 hours and 3 minutes, the HD video goes over the announcement of the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay, and Apple Watch.

Up until now, you were only able to stream the video of the event from Apple's website, which of course depends on an internet connection. Available as a standalone download, the video of the event is now available in the Podcasts section of iTunes. You can download it here.

 

Everything you need to know about iPhone 6, Apple Pay and Apple Watch

Well, that’s all folks. The 'historic' iPhone 6 event has come, and gone. All announcements have been made, all products unveiled, and we finally got to see what was in the mysterious white structure Apple built outside of the Flint Center.

A lot has happened in the last 12 hours, and we understand that it might have been difficult to keep track of everything. So, as usual, we’ve put together this awesome roundup for you of everything important that happened at today's event.

Hands on with iPhone 6, Apple Pay and Apple Watch

So you've watched Apple's keynote, and you've been keeping up with the news today, but thus far you've only seen the iPhone 6 and Apple Watch from either afar or in marketing materials. Sure, the products look good in rendered photos, but what do they look like up close and personal?

Select journalists were given the chance to go hands on with the aforementioned products after the event today, and have posted videos of their initial reactions. So naturally, we've rounded up some of those clips of folks trying out the iPhone 6, Apple Pay and Apple Watch for you below.