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Apple's new devices have different look, feel

By Eric Jou (China Daily) Updated: 2014-09-11 07:31

Apple's new devices have different look, feel

A new Apple iPhone 6 Plus is seen during an Apple event at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, September 9, 2014. [Photo/Agencies]

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Inc's latest entries in the iPhone series, come in two different sizes. As when Apple upped the screen size of the iPhone 5, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus take screen size to the next level.

Similar to all previous iPhones, the 6 and 6 Plus are made of aluminum. Instead of the blockier older look, though, the new iPhones look slick. Both models are thin - much thinner than the iPhone 5s.

And both are surprisingly light - light enough to be almost worrisome. The lack of "heft" in the devices seems to detract from the premium feel that Apple has cultivated.

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That said, once the phone is turned on, the premium feeling comes right back. Both phones have the new "Retina HD" screens; however, the 6 Plus benefits from having a larger one. Both screens produce clear, crisp images. Visiting ESPN with its bright reds looked amazing.

The bigger screens have brought a change in button orientation. Gone are the days of the top power-wake button. Taking a cue from Android hardware, the new bigger iPhones have the power-wake button on the right-hand side of the device.

As for operations, there is an obvious speed advantage over the 5S. Web browsing and apps both loaded markedly faster, a performance upgrade that was to be expected.

In terms of camera performance, the new Slo-mo function on the camera looks more fluid than previous versions. Unfortunately, China Daily was not able to test the Facetime burst function or the time-lapse function on the new iPhones.

Apple Watch

Apple computer's first entry into the smart wearable device market is a surprisingly comfortable one.

Coming out with two screen sizes and three technically different models (six altogether), the Apple Watch is quite a sight.

It is not so thick that it stands out; it feels and looks a bit smaller than a standard Casio G-Shock watch. Of course, looks are in the eye of the beholder. And although other mobile device manufacturers have made circular watches, Apple's device is rectangular.

In terms of operation, Apple did not allow the media to play with the devices directly. Test devices were only allowed to be worn by the press, with the software demo played on a loop.

The device felt and looked good, but without a full, hands-on test drive with the software, there are still many questions about the Apple Watch.

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