Apple unveils new iPhone 6 devices and iWatch at product launch

Apple has unveiled two new smartphones, dubbed the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, along with an iWatch and a new contactless payment system at an event in Cupertino, California.

The iPhone 6 includes a 4.7 inch screen while the iPhone 6 plus has a 5.5 inch screen.

Phones include stronger “ion-strengthened” cover glass, curved edges, an A8 chip and better displays.

Graphics are 84 times faster than the original iPhone while the processor performance is 50 times quicker. Apple said they will be the “thinnest iPhones ever made”.

The iphone6 has a faster long-term evolution (LTE) modem than the preceding iPhone5s, which will improve data roaming on 4G. The phone supports more than 200 LTE carriers around the world, including three in China.

It is equipped with a new motion processor for fitness and a barometer that senses air pressure. A new health app will allow users to monitor their well-being more closely.

The smartphone has an 8MP iSight camera to take clearer pictures, with the iPhone 6 Plus including optical image stabilisation that automatically adjusts photos.

The iphone 6 has also improved its video feature to allow the capture of slow motion clips at 120 frames per second (fps) or 240fps.

"That.Is.Really.Slow," Apple said on its live blog on Twitter.

The phones have improved the security of its fingerprint recognition technology to prevent hackers from accessing information. A "secure element" chip holds and protects consumers' payment information.

A standard feature both phones offer is a new retail payment functionality using a near-field communication (NFC) antenna, called Apple Pay.

Apple Pay offers the ability to make payments with your mobile device and can be quickly disabled in case the device is stolen.

The iPhone 6 costs between $199 and $399 while the iPhone Plus starts at $299 and costs up to $499. The phone will available on 19 September. Pre-orders are being taken on 12 September.

iWatch unveiled

A new iWatch has also been released to compete with the likes the Samsung Gear S, Sony SmartWatch 3 and LG G Watch R.

Apple said the wearable device has visible light LEDs along with photosensors to detect the user's pulse rate. It also has flexible retina display.

"Apple's watch is the most personal device we've ever created," the firm touted.

The watch comes with a choice of interfaces, three different straps, two sizes and three distint collections including sport, standard and edition.

Users will be able to text from the watch or send a voice message. The watch also converts voice to text. A haptic feedback feature will remind users of events with push notifications.

Customer notifications from social networks such as Twitter and Facebook will also be part of its settings.

The watch can read your heartbeat while you exercise and send it to another user's watch.

It includes two apps to give a full picture of one's health and fitness, allowing users to monitor all their activity throughout the day while encouraging them to sit down less.

"It's amazing what you can do from your wrist," chief executive Tim Cook said.

Apple maps will provide direction by dictation, touch-screen, favourites and recent searches.

The watch will start from $349 and will be available from early 2015.