The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

The Student News Site of Monta Vista High School

El Estoque

TECH TALK: Apple Inc. seeks to monopolize the technology industry

picture+of+the+three+apple+watches+that+will+be+released+in+early+2015
A sample of three watches from Apple’s new Apple Watch collections shows the anticipated models of Apple Watch: Apple Watch Sport (left), Apple Watch (middle) and Apple Watch Edition (right). The Apple Watch will be released in early 2015, according to the company’s website. Source: Apple.
picture of the three apple watches that will be released in early 2015
A sample of three watches from Apple’s new Apple Watch collections shows the anticipated models of Apple Watch: Apple Watch Sport (left), Apple Watch (middle) and Apple Watch Edition (right). The Apple Watch will be released in early 2015, according to the company’s website. Source: Apple.
Just when people started to believe that Apple Inc. was headed downhill with its stagnant sales over the past couple years and the recent iCloud leak, the company came back with a new mission: expand into new industries and become a bigger (and better) brand.

Rather than focusing on its popular communication technologies, which have not shown significant developments in recent years, the company is now experimenting in major up and coming fields: wearable technology and e-financing.

On Sept. 9 the company debuted the new iPhone 6, which features an improved user interface, sharper camera and one of the company’s latest ventures: Apple Pay.

a 3D view of the iphone 6
The iPhone 6 has a new, beveled-edge design, and holds the title of being the thinnest smartphone at around three millimeters thick. The phone, along with the iPhone 6 Plus, was released on Sept. 12 for pre-orders. Source: Gadget Love.

Apple Pay is a new method of payment in which iPhone 6 and Apple Watch users can make secure card payments at stores. The technology uses near-field communication (NFC) chips that are detected by specialized machines in several popular U.S. retail stores like Macy’s, McDonald’s and Staples. While Apple Pay seems to provide faster and safer payment methods, it requires stores to buy the equipment to read NFC cards, which could damage Apple’s efforts.

However, the company’s venture into the wearable tech industry has a higher chance of success. The wearable technology industry — consisting of goods like smart watches, e-textiles and health trackers — has become a major field of interest among companies like Google, Adidas and Garmin.

Although Apple has yet to release more information on the Apple Watch (yes, it’s not the iWatch), it seems that the main perks to the smartwatch are its user-interface and aesthetic appeal. Like most other smartwatches, the Apple Watch does require a connection to a phone —in this case, an iPhone — which means that there could be additional costs on top of the Apple Watch’s $349 price tag.

That isn’t to say that the company has given up altogether on the popular iPhone. The latest versions have improved retina display in addition to better camera quality. Apple has also implemented a mechanism that allows the phone’s camera to move to correct for shaking when a picture or video is captured. Small changes are being made to the phone in terms of design as well, such as the rounded edges as opposed to the traditional squared-off edges.

Here’s a demo of the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, as shown on TechCrunch:

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