Tech specs

Apple says the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are 50 times faster than the original iPhone and have a 25 per cent increase in processing power compared with the iPhone 5s. Both feature a new chip - 64-bit custom processor- called the A8.

The 4.7-inch display on the iPhone 6 has a resolution of 1334x750, a pixel density of 326 per inch. Its larger brother has a resolution of 1920x1080, putting it at the standard of many Android phone displays. The 5.5-inch display on the iPhone 6 Plus means it has a pixel density of 401 per inch. The iPhone 5s has a 4-inch screen.

The phones are thin and light considering their size. The 6.9mm thick iPhone 6 weighs 129 grams, while the 6 Plus, at 7.1mm thick, weighs 172 grams. The iPhone 5s weighs 112 grams.

There is no word yet on the storage capabilities or specs on the Apple Watch, but it will include a near-field communications chip (like the phones) and a series of sensors that will collect heart rate and other information. Apple has custom designed the watch's chip, the S1, which sits below the panel of sensors. It is built from custom alloys of stainless steel, aluminum and 18-carat gold.

Battery

One of the most common complaints of the iPhone 5s was its battery life, and the iPhone 6 appears to make very small improvements here despite its slimmer body, while the iPhone 6 Plus improves more emphatically, but not quite the two-day duration claimed by the Sony Xperia Z3.

In terms of standby time and 4G browsing time, the iPhone 6 battery stats are identical to those of the 5s, up to 250 hours and up to 10 hours respectively. The iPhone 6 Plus boasts up to 12 hours of 4G browsing and up to 384 hours of standby.

If you keep the screen off and just listen to audio, the iPhone 6 will apparently last for up to 50 hours, up from 40 hours on the 5s but not quite at the lofty 80 hours promised by the iPhone 6 Plus.

Talk time, which was up to 10 hours on the 5s, is improved across the board with 14 hours on the iPhone 6 and 24 hours on the 6 Plus.

Again, no word yet on the battery of the Apple Watch.

Prices

When the iPhone 6 launches in Australia on September 19, it will be available outright at $869 for the 16GB model, $999 for the 64GB and, for the first time, a 128GB model will be available for $1129.

The bigger iPhone 6 Plus will be priced at $999 for 16GB, $1129 for 64GB and $1249 for 128GB.

Australian details for the Apple Watch haven't been released yet, but in the US it will start at $US349 when it launches next year.

Styles

The two phones come in gold, silver or space grey. Apple-designed leather cases will be available for the iPhone 6 at $59 and the iPhone 6 Plus for $65. Silicone cases will be available for $45 and $49.

Apple Watch will be available in three collections: with a stainless steel case and a choice of straps; with a space grey or silver anodised aluminium case and Sport Band; and with an 18-carat gold case.

Current accessories, such as chargers and cables, should work with the new devices as they use the same lightning connector as the iPhone 5s.

Apple Watch straps include the Sport Band in a variety of colours, the Classic Buckle in black and blue, the Leather Loop in blue, brown and stone, the Modern Buckle in blue, brown, pink, grey and red, the Milanese Loop in stainless steel, and the Link Bracelet in brushed stainless steel and polished black.

Camera

Both phones feature an improved 8MP camera that protrudes from the body of the phone. It features true tone flash, phase detection autofocus and a 1080p video camera that can also capture 240 frame-per-second slow motion.

The iPhone 6 Plus features optical image stabilisation, far superior to the smaller phone's digital stabilisation.

Better face detection and noise reduction are built in to the software supporting the cameras.

Apple Pay

Only announced for the US so far, Apple Pay allows users to make payments using the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus and Apple Watch in place of an NFC-enabled card.

The mobile devices will add another layer of security by using a dynamic security code, replacing the static data on the magnetic strip of a typical card, Apple said.

The system also means your credit card data won't be read by the merchant, leading to less risk of theft, Apple claimed.