TORONTO – Apple has finally lifted the veil on its latest lineup of gadgets, but consumers still have a while to wait before they can get their hands on them.
Apple CEO Tim Cook introduced the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and the long-awaited Apple Watch during a two-hour long keynote in Cupertino, California Tuesday. The event gave some insight into what the devices are capable of, but many are wondering what the devices are like to use.
READ MORE: 5 things you need to know about Apple’s iPhone event
The good news is the two newest iPhones will hit shelves Sept. 19. But Apple has yet to announce a release date for its smartwatch other than “early 2015.”
Luckily, tech journalists who attended the Cupertino event were able to get hands-on with all three devices.
So what are the first impressions of the iPhone 6, 6 Plus and Apple Watch like?
Apple Watch
If there is one thing consumers can take away from the first hands-on reviews of Apple Watch, it’s that relatively speaking, it looks good.
“The bar set by the competition isn’t incredibly high – sorry Pebble and Android Wear. The Apple Watch looks great in all three variations,” read a review by Wall Street Journal reporters Nathan Olivarez-Giles and Wilson Rothman.
“At first blush, the best thing about the Apple Watch just might be how much choice you have in how it looks.”
CNET senior editor Scott Stein agreed, calling the Apple Watch a “cut above” in terms of look and feel.
There is no doubt that Apple is using fashion as a selling point for the Apple Watch.
Unlike competitors, Apple is offering consumers a huge amount of choice when it comes to the look of the device. There are three different “collections” – Apple Watch, Apple Watch Sport and Apple Watch Edition (which is made of 18-karat gold) – and a number of different band options, each in various colours.
In fact, Apple has even created two sizes of watches – one of which will be smaller for those with dainty wrists.
But beyond the fashion, much is still unknown about the Apple Watch.
Every review published after Tuesday’s event noted that Apple only showed reporters pre-programmed demos on the Apple Watch, making it difficult to get a real idea of how the device works.
“Once we were all crowded into demo rooms inside that giant, mysterious all-white building, Apple could only show us dozens of Apple Watches running a canned demo on our wrists,” wrote Mashable’s Lance Ulanoff, who added the demo consisted of the same features shown during the keynote.
Those who did get to wear the device noted that the “digital crown” – what traditional watch wearers will identify as the dial – operated very smoothly and allowed for easier navigation of the screen.
Many reports also pointed out that Apple did not address two key issues with wearable devices – battery life and water resistance.
“Most wearables have to be water resistant; Apple said this one could be on your wrist while washing, but that you can’t go swimming in it. I wonder if the digital crown is a weak point for moisture,” said Ulanoff.
iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus
For the first time, Apple debuted two iPhones with different screen sizes: the iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch screen and the larger version, the iPhone 6 Plus, with a 5.5-inch screen.
And though five-inch phones have sold well for Android makers like Samsung, not everyone seems to be convinced by the size of the iPhone 6 Plus.
Wall Street Journal reviewer Geoffrey Fowler said that while those who do a lot of work on the go will likely be drawn to the device because of the ability to use apps like Mail and Messages in landscape mode, navigating the 5.5-inch screen may be tiring.
“With an iPhone 6 that I played with after Apple’s keynote on Tuesday, my thumb could reach across just over half of the screen; and with the iPhone 6 Plus, I could reach just about a third of the screen,” he wrote.
Fowler added it was hard to grip tightly – a worrisome thought for anyone who knows how prone iPhones are to breaking when dropped.
“If screen real estate is the most important thing to you, and if you don’t need to carry an iPhone in your pocket, the iPhone 6 Plus is a solid choice,” added Mashable’s Chris Taylor.
Others, however, enjoyed the screen size. CNET’s review even suggested that the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is “small” compared to other smartphones on the market.
CNET pointed out consumers who already own the iPhone 5S may not have an advantage in upgrading.
“The new A8 processor’s speed and graphics gains don’t seem as dramatic as last year’s A7 — at least on paper,” read the review.
“The iPhone 6 will probably satisfy current iPhone users looking for the next evolution of Apple’s smartphone, especially if you’re tired of a 4-inch display, though iPhone 5S users will find only stepped improvements.”
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