WINDHOEK – All the techno-crazies in Europe and the USA were in a frenzy yesterday, awaiting for the much anticipated launch of the iPhone 6, along with another new smartphone and Apple’s first wearable device for the wrist.
It was a big thing for iPhone and Apple disciples, who have waited for the launch of new products since Tim Cook assumed the Apple chief executive officer seat. New products were promised for launch early this year, and it has been a long wait for Apple customers, who yesterday stayed glued to their favourite blogs and mobile apps for updates hours before the live launch streaming from the USA.
The new iPhones will run a new version of Apple’s mobile operating system called iOS 8, which the company first unveiled at its WorldWide Developers’ Conference (WWDC) in June. The iOS 8 has a powerful new feature called HealthKit to monitor your health which will tie together data from fitness trackers and things like blood pressure sensors. It also has HomeKit, which can control a wide range of home automation devices like lights and central heating.
To add glitz and fanfare to an already hyped up launch, Apple returned to the Flint Center, the first time in 30 years, for the announcement its newest batch of products. The Flint Centre is the historic site where a bowtie-wearing 28-year-old Steve Jobs first took the stage to unveil the world’s first truly personal computer: The Macintosh.
Cook was hoping that yesterday’ launch would prove to be defining moment for Apple, just as the 1984 unveiling of the Macintosh converted thousands worldwide into faithful followers of Apple.
Apple has been on the receiving end over the last period with enthusiasts questioning its ability to innovate new products, besides iPhone, iPods and Macs that have now become, they say, antiquated. Apple launched the iPad in 2010, three years after the iPhone that came six years after the first iPod.
Everyone now is looking to see just how innovative can Apple be, by judging the newly released smartphones and tablets, not to mention the wearable device.
The problem with today’s smartwatches is that they’re essentially shrunken-down smartphones, not just in terms of design, but internal specs too. Smartwatches like Samsung’s line of Gear devices or LG’s new G watch use many of the same components as smartphones, which explains their chunky designs and generally terrible battery life.
– Compiled from www.businessinsider.com