Complete coverage: Apple launches iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, Watch and ApplePay

Apple's mega iPhone 6 and iWatch launch has started as the company under Tim Cook's leadership has created bigger and better products. 

Apple's senior vice president of marketing Phil Schiller explained at the much anticipated event today that the glass front curves around the side of the phones, meeting the anodized aluminum backing.

The iPhone 6 Plus is 5.5 inches diagonally and the iPhone 6 is 4.7 inches, compared to the iPhone 5S size of 4 inches. The phones are thinner than ever: 6.9 mm for the iPhone 6 and 7.1 mm for the larger iPhone 6 Plus.

Cook said on-stage that the company is "launching the biggest advancement in the history of iPhone."

Apple fans have been waiting for weeks for the company to make its major announcement in Cupertino, California. Much of the speculation has centered on the possible release of the next iPhone and a wearable device, however Apple has kept the big news under wraps.

A performance followed post the launch: 

This month-long concert is streamed free in over 100 countries. That’s a lot of mosh pits.

Meanwhile, this group of Aussies will be the first people to receive iPhone 6

Also, Apple launched Apple watches as well: Here's how you use them

*Apple Watch requires iPhone. It works with iPhone 5, 5c, 5s, 6, and 6 Plus.

*We’ve curated Apple Watch into three collections that consider personal style and taste.

*You can track your progress over time in more detail with the Fitness app on iPhone.

*The Workout app shows real-time stats such as calories, time, distance, and pace for your workouts.

*Set goals, chart your progress, and earn awards as you track specific workouts, such as running, walking, and cycling.

 

Apple Watch measures three aspects of movement.

The Activity app shows three rings: one for Move, one for Exercise, and one for Stand.Apple Watch uses the GPS and Wi-Fi in your iPhone to help track your distance.

*Any photos you Favorite on your iPhone or Mac will automatically appear on your Apple Watch.

*Apple Watch comes with the Photos app. Zoom in on a picture with a turn of the Digital Crown.

*Dictate a message, check your calendar, find the nearest coffee shop, and more. Siri is at your service.

*Receive and send messages in amazing ways — from your wrist. 

*Send preset phrases, smart responses based on your conversation, audio messages, your location — even interactive emojis.

*Apple Watch has Siri. Press and hold the Digital Crown to activate.

*Dictate a message, check your calendar, find the nearest coffee shop, and more. Siri is at your service.

*You always have complete control of what information reaches your Apple Watch

The Mickey Mouse watch from Dan Brown's character Robert Langdon

*Swipe up on the watch face for Glances — condensed, easily scannable views of the apps you use most.

*To switch between watch face designs, just use Force Touch and swipe. To choose a watch face, tap it. 

*To get to the clock, tap the Clock app icon.

*Tim Cook back on stage. "We've been working on the watch for a long time. We've assembled an amazing team to do so, that covers every discipline at Apple."

 *There's also a smaller-sized watch for people who prefer concise versions. 

 *The first is made of stainless steel; the Sport comes with a aluminum casing; and the Apple Edition is made of 18k gold.

 * There are multiple versions of the AppleWatch.

 * There's leather, polymer, metal mesh and stainless steel strap options.

*There are six different straps and a mechanism that makes those straps interchangeable.

* You can personalize the appearance and capability of these faces.

 *Uses a magsafe inductive charger.

 *There are four LED lenses. It detects your pulse rate. There's also a gyroscope and accelerometer.

 *There's a custom-designed S1 chip that integrates many systems into one chipset.

 *It has a flexible Retina Display. Machine-polished sapphire screen.

*You can send sketches or even something as personal as your own heartbeat to another person. "This is something technology usually inhibits, rather than enables."

*We've designed a range of products so personal, you don't put them in your pocket, you put them on your wrist. We've developed the Watch as a singular product. You can't see a boundary between the materials and its software."

 *Jony Ive is on screen now, talking about the watch.The watch's crown is the control interface.

 *Scroll, zoom, and getting back to the home screen - the crown does all this and more
 
* The crown is digital now.

 *"What we DIDN'T do is shrink down the iPhone interface and put it on your wrist. That'd be a horrible experience!"

*The designs are very sharp and crisp while the crown is well-synced and thoughful. The touch screen is smarter and the sensors on the back are preferred standard ones. The Apple Watch does not look thinner than the others.

For men: 

For casual use:

 

Funky use

 

So, now lets check the features of these new smartphones: 

So, Apple CEO Tim Cook is at the event and says, "These iPhones obviously have bigger displays, but more importantly, they’re amazing products in every single way.”

Below are the features:

*Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon will be starring in Apple smartphone advertisements. 

One Twitter user tweeted her excitement as follows: Exciting to see @jimmyfallon and @jtimberlake starring in the new iPhone ads. 

*Apple plans to make wireless payments possible with ApplePay. 

*iPhone has replaced the point-and-shoot camera. Next up, the video camera. 

*New iPhone 6 has capture slo-mo video at 120 fps or 240 fps.

*iPhone 6 has incredible advances in video. Starting with a new Apple-designed video encoder.

We’ve made incredible advances in video. Starting with a new Apple-designed video encoder.

*Burst mode detects smiles and blinks, then recommends the best picture.

*iPhone 6 is better at detecting faces near and far.The new ISP helps with both shaky hands and low light.

*The A8 chip includes a powerful Apple-designed image signal processor.

*New software improvements help you take better pictures.

Faster autofocus, next-generation local tone mapping, and advanced noise reduction. It’s a mouthful that gives you a real eyeful.

*The iPhone 6 can judge distance and elevation, so you can get credit for flights of stairs in all those fitness apps

*Focus Pixels are a technology previously found only in professional DSLR cameras.

*With 802.11ac, iPhone 6 Wi-Fi speeds are up to three times faster than iPhone 5s.

*VoLTE for iPhone 6 is supported by some of the world’s top carriers. And will continue grow.

*iPhone 6 supports over 200 LTE carriers around the world. Including all three in China. 

*iPhone 6 has faster LTE than iPhone 5s. It also has more LTE bands than any other smartphone for better roaming.

*iPhone 6 has a barometer that senses air pressure to measure relative elevation.

*The M8 coprocessor continuously measures motion data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass.

*The barometer is great for fitness apps. iPhone can now tell if you’re going up molehills, mountains, and everything in between. 

Check out the camera: We were mightily impressed! 

The new landscape view for iPhone 6 Plus.

 

The new landscape view for iPhone 6 Plus.

Sleek and thinnest iPhone's from Apple: 

 

Watch what Phil Schiller has to say at the event here

 

Apple launched iPhone 6 iPhone 6 Plus:

New iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launched by Apple

Watch the LIVE here:

 

Other upgradations include 13-megapixel rear camera, bigger batteries — 1,810mAh and 2,915mAh — and a new 128GB storage variant too. A complete list of expected features can be viewed here. In addition to the iPhone 6, Apple is also rumored to be unveiling the iWatch as well as the next-generation iPad Air. The event kicks off at 10:30PM tonight. 

Who's going to be there? Apple has invited top fashion editors and bloggers in unprecedented numbers to its launch gala as it tries to forge closer ties to the fashion world that may prove crucial to the success of a wearable device.

According to CompareMyMobile, today has seen a 97.12% spike in iPhone 4 16GB trade-ins as owners rush to get the maximum money possible for the older model. Trade-ins of the iPhone 5 16GB model has risen by 57.14 %, compared with a 35.29 % spike in 4S 16GB trade-ins.

Meanwhile, as the company prepares to launch the products, the website is officially down.

Also read: All you need to know about Apple's iWatch

According to reports, specifications of Apple's iPhone 6 have been leaked:

The specifications of the iPhone 6, to be launched today, have reportedly been leaked. The specification sheet reportedly leaked from Apple's supply chain from product packaging confirms rumours that the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 will get 1,810m Ah battery while the 5.5 inch model will come with 2GB RAM. The leaked specification sheet says that the new iPhones will be available in three colours: white, gold and space gray. It is also says that the sapphire glass screen of the phone will not just be scratch resistant but also waterproof and shatterproof.

\Apple is expected to release the new iPhone at a mystery event set to take place at 10:30PM IST on Tuesday and will be live streamed on Apple's website. As per Apple tradition, the event is shrouded in secrecy and speculations are rife on what to expect. Rumours include the possible unveiling of  the iWatch and the next generation model of the iPad Air. Apple may also release its latest operating system, the iOS 8, on its new phone. 

Japanese website Macotakara says the two models that Apple will launch today are a 4.7 inch  iPhone 6 and a 5.5 inch iPhone 6 Plus. Last year, the website's prediction of the models iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C had been accurate. 

Tech website BGR has rounded up of the speculations and rumours regarding the iPhone 6. Among the features expected is an upgraded processor, the A8 quad-core. Currently, the iPhone 5S has 1.3 GHz A7 dual-core processor. BGR reports that the iPhone 6’s A8 processor may also be accompanied by an M8 coprocessor codenamed ‘Phosphorus’.

Watch the report here:

Leaked photos of the phones suggest that the new iPhone will have a have curved edges and a thinner body, unlike the iPhones so far. The power button which is usually on the top may be shifted to the right of the phone for easier access.

Rumours suggest that iPhone 6 will sport a 13 megapixel camera compared to the 8 megapixel that the current model has. Alternately, the camera may remain the same with the added feature of “Super Resolution Mode”, an optical image stabilisation technology that captures multiple image samples to create a high-density end photograph. 

It is expected that a bigger phone will mean bigger batteries and longer battery life that will last for more than a day. Reports suggest that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 may get a 1,810mAh battery, with the 5.5-inch model getting a 2,915mAh battery. Currently, the iPhone 5S has a 1,560mAh battery.

A much talked about feature that is expected is the mobile wallet for which Apple is said to have partnered with Master Card, Visa and American Express. An alternative to using your credit card for making purchases, the feature will use NFC with a TouchID sensor being used for the verification process.

The 4.7 inch model is expected to be available in markets by September 29. 

Here’s the full list of specifications for iPhone 6 as given by 9to5Mac:

Watch the video below: 

4G LTE: all models

Sim: Nano-SIM

Announcement: Sept 9th

Release: Sept 19th

Dimensions: 137.5 x 67 x 7 mm (5.41 x 2.64 x 0.28 in)

Weight: 113 g (3.99 oz)

TouchID: 500 dpi pixel density fingerprint sensor (Touch ID on all models)

Display: LED-backlit IPS LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors

Size: 960 x 1704 pixels, 4.70 inches / 5.5 inches (~416 ppi pixel density)

Multitouch: Yes

Protection: Shatter proof sapphire crystal glass, oleophobic coating – water resistant

Sound: Alert types Vibration, proprietary ringtones

Loudspeaker: Yes

3.5mm jack: Yes

Memory Card slot: No

Internal: 16/32/64/128 GB, 2 GB RAM

Data GPRS: Yes

EDGE: Yes

Speed: DC-HSDPA, 42 Mbps; HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps; LTE, Cat6, 300 Mbps DL; EV-DO Rev. A, up to 3.1 Mbps

WLAN: Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot

Bluetooth: v4.0, A2DP

NFC: Yes

USB: v2.0

Camera: Primary 8 MP, 3264 x 2448 pixels, autofocus, dual-LED (dual tone) flash. Features Simultaneous video and image recording, touch focus, geo-tagging, face detection, HDR panorama, HDR photo

Video: 1080p@60fps

Secondary: Yes

OS: iOS 8

Chipset: Apple A8

CPU: Dual-core 2 GHz

Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass

Messaging: iMessage, SMS (threaded view), MMS, Email, Push Email

Browser: HTML (Safari)

Radio: No

GPS: Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS

Java: No

Colors: Space Gray, White/Silver, Gold

- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

- AirDrop file sharing

- Siri natural language commands and dictation

- iCloud cloud service

- iCloud Keychain

- Twitter and Facebook integration

- TV-out

- Maps

- iBooks PDF reader

- Audio/video player/editor

- Organizer

- Document viewer/editor

- Photo viewer/editor

- Voice memo/dial/command

- Predictive text input

Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 1,810mAh battery (6.91 Wh)

So, is it profitable to invest in Apple's stocks? 

As the time for Apple's launch nears, the company is heading in a new direction with a tech wearable and new iPhones may also make their debut.

As per statistics, three out of four times it's been profitable to invest in Apple stock just before the company has made a product announcement, according to a new chart from the folks at Statista.

Bernstein Research analyst Toni Sacconaghi estimated that, if Apple were to sell 30 million iWatches at $250 each, it would add about $7.5 billion to the company's revenue.

Rival electronics giants such as Sony Corp (6758.T), Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (005930.KS), LG Electronics Inc (066570.KS) and Qualcomm Inc (QCOM.O) have already launched smartwatches, albeit without much success.

With agency inputs