Apple Shows Off Smartwatch, Larger-Screen iPhones

At WSJ, "Devices to Include Apple's New Payment Service Aimed at Making In-Store Purchases Easier":

In an ambitious blitz of new products, Apple Inc. unveiled a pair of larger-screen iPhones, an Internet-connected watch and a new payment system that allows users to make in-store purchases with a smart device.

The watch, called Apple Watch, represents the company's first new product in more than four years. Apple said the watch will start at $349 and be available in early 2015. It works through a connection to Apple's new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, unveiled Tuesday, as well as the older iPhone 5, 5c and 5s.

The wearable device comes in two sizes and three versions: Watch, Sport and Edition. Apple is offering several different straps and faces, allowing multiple designs.

Apple Chief Executive Tim Cook called the watch the most-personal device Apple has created. The device allows new ways for users to communicate from their wrists, the company said, and includes sensors that can detect a pulse, count steps and suggest fitness goals.

The new iPhones, meanwhile, will have 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays, larger than its current four-inch screen. Apple said it expects the new phones—to be called iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus—to go on sale on Sept. 19.

"Today, we are launching the biggest advancement in the history of iPhone," Mr. Cook said.

Apple said it plans to sell the larger 5.5-inch model starting at $299 with a two-year carrier contract, higher than the $199 price for its current high-end iPhone 5S. The company said the 4.7-inch iPhone will start at $199 with a contract. The company said the new phones come with many hardware improvements, including a sharper display, better battery life and improved camera performance.

The company also unveiled a new digital-payments service that will allow consumers to make purchases using just their phones or watches, marking the company's first big push into brick-and-mortar payments.

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