According to 9To5Mac, market analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has recently offered up a bunch of details about the iWatch, though it's hard to tell where inside information ends and speculation begins. He says that although we won't see an iWatch until 2015, Apple will be announcing it on Tuesday in order to encourage developers to create apps for it. And he believes it will come with 8 GB of storage and 512 MB RAM, as well as two different rectangular display sizes: 1.3 and 1.5 inches. He also suggests there will be a gold colored iWatch to match the gold colored iPhone 5s and iPhone 6. Of course he expects it to have a range of health and fitness sensors. I'm certainly hoping Apple announces it Tuesday.

According to AppleInsider, Kuo also said that the iPhone 6 won't have a sapphire laminate on the display, as has been frequently rumored. The good news is that he thinks both the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch phones will be announced on Tuesday. Other purported details about the phones include a 128 GB option, a barometric pressure sensor, and a power button that's not only been relocated to the right side but that's also programmable. 

And if that's not enough rumors, a separate post from AppleInsider also reporting on Kuo's note to investors says that he believes the iPad Air will have Touch ID, an anti-reflective screen coating, and a gold-colored option. Plus, he expects Apple to announce it next Tuesday. What about the iPad mini? Kuo is much less confident it will get an upgrade this year.

If Apple does announce two new phones, a wearable, and an updated iPad Air, that will be more than we usually get at a single event. But I'm actually expecting HomeKit and HealthKit to also be major news at the event. Why else would Apple be building such a large temporary structure next to the 3,000-seat auditorium where the event will be held? AppleInsider has posted a video flyover, taken by a drone, of the new structure.

Whatever Apple announces, it appears that it's going to be substantial.

Just because your older device can run iOS 8 doesn’t mean it should. Apple does a pretty good job of enabling new versions of their operating system to run on older hardware, but often the newest iOS runs slower on older gear. You might be better off upgrading to new hardware, especially if you have an iPhone 4S.

Fortunately, older iPhones tend to keep their value and vendors like SellYourMac.com typically offer incentives to trade in, just before a new iPhone comes out. Check out this article for more sales options.

To get the best price, you should try to sell your iPhone before the new one is announced. Often, you can lock in a price and wait until your new iPhone is in your hands before you ship the old one back. So shop around, get some no-obligation quotes, and you might be able to sell for enough that your hardware upgrade ends up being free!

Don't forget to enter this weekend's Giveaway Contest! 

Here's how it works: Every other weekend we raffle off tons of great apps and accessories for FREE then announce the winners through iphonelife.com, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. To enter, go to iPhoneLife.com/giveaways. If you win an app, we will email you the promo code. If you win an accessory, we will ask you for your mailing address.

This week's featured items are:

1. Toddy Smart Cloth: Retail Price $9.99

Toddy Gear was nice enough to send us these customized iPhone Life Toddy Smart Clothes and we want to share the love. These handy little clothes are great for cleaning your iPad, iPhone, or just about anything else!

2. Duracell PowerCase & PowerMat for iPhone 5 & 5s: Retail Price $119.95

Designed by world-renowned Yves Behar, this battery case for an iPhone 5 or 5s prepares your iPhone to receive on-the-go power from a wireless charging Duracell Powermat (included).

3. Trident Kraken AMS iPhone 5s Case: Retail Price $49.95

Kraken A.M.S. Series cases are the absolute strongest, most durable cases we make. Kraken A.M.S. features three layers of protection, including over-molded shock-absorbing TPE and hardened polycarbonate in the interior and exterior of the case. The detachable aluminum media stand provides the option to attach a variety of interchangeable accessories, allowing you to use your device to its full potential. Kraken A.M.S. cases allow you to adapt your case to fit your lifestyle.

Questions or comments? Email Brian@iphonelife.com. Good luck and remember to visit iphonelife.com/giveaways to enter! Also check out our other contests at iphonelife.com/contests. The next contest drawing is September 8!

The key word in Apple's invitation to Tuesday's announcement was "more" and it appears Apple is making good on that, if the New York Times is to be believed. Instead of just one iPhone with more screen real estate (4.7 inches) we may indeed get two, with a 5.5-inch model expected as well. I've written that Apple could go with iPhone Air and iPhone Pro, but we will have to see what they announce.

Additionally, an iWatch has been expected, but we may get more again, with two different wearables. This would help, as wearables often fall into two camps, the full-featured touchscreen versus a less bulky fitness band. Apple may address both markets on Tuesday. Sapphire had been expected as part of the next iPhone, but it appears it may be reserved for the smartwatch. This also makes sense as it could be hard to produce large screens in the volume Apple would need, and watches get beat up often. Using a substance that's second in hardness to a diamond would be nice for a wearable.

Wireless charging, or at least magnetic charging, like that of the Pebble watch and MagSafe Connector on MacBooks is anticipated. Without that, it would be a pain to plug-in a watch every night. I use my Pebble smartwatch more often than my Martian Watch because of the ease of charging.  If Apple introduces some form of charging on the iWatch, it's only a matter of time before that is carried over to the iPhone, one would hope.

Finally, Near Field Communication has been absent from Apple products, as Apple has pushed iBeacons. But this may change, as an iWatch could be a great way to pay for items with a tap. Also, the Apple logo on the next iPhone is expected to have a plastic opening which could allow for radio waves like NFC to pass through.

There are also signs that a band may perform, in a newly built structure next to where the introduction will be. U2 allegedly filmed a video for the event, and given the "more" theme, maybe Macklemore will appear? People are already lining up at Apple stores in New York City to buy whatever is announced. If you weren't excited before, you should be now that there's more to come!

As new iOS apps flood the App Store every day — recently topping 1,000,000 — we know it’s tough to tell which ones are worth their salt. But thanks to our Weekly Scoop, you can have the best for free! Here you’ll find a weekly roundup of the coolest apps free or at a discount for a limited-time only. Each week features the best and brightest from websites like Free App Report, AppsGoneFree, AppieDay, AppShopper and more.

Hurry! Get 'em while they’re hot!

1.The Photo Cookbook - Quick & Easy (Free)

This is a neat app that creates an experience similar to having an experienced chef giving you your own private cooking lessons. It starts with photos of everything you'll need so you know at a glance what you'll need. The basic version has 84 recipes divided into categories like Quick & Easy, Asian, Baking, and Italian. It's hard to believe it's free!

2.SciCalc82(Free)

Remember that calculator you had way back in the day? It's back! But now it's on your phone. Enjoy the elegance and simplicity of that early 80s-style scientific calculator. It looks and feels like the real deal because of the layout, key click sounds, and LCD display digits. Relive the old days in this most excellent way.

3.Thunderspace HD($2.99)

If you're not scared of thunderstorms, maybe you're relaxed by them. This app is basically my Chihuahua's worst nightmare as it plays thunderstorms in 3D for headphones with realistic lightning flashes. Personally, I enjoy a good storm. There's something comforting about feeling safe and dry inside while the storm rages on.  

Lately I've been writing a lot about how mobile eSports are the wave of the future and how they are set to bring in record profits as their popularity and profitabily continue to skyrocket. It's games like AErena: Clash of Champions that are helping to usher in this new era of mobile gaming's renaissance. It's an excellent, turn-based strategy multiplayer game in which winning or losing depends more on wits and intelligence than frenetic finger tapping or split-second reflexes. AErena: CoC is one of my favorite real-time competition eSport titles I've sunk my teeth into lately, so when the opportunity to sit down and chat with Jan Wagner of Cliffhanger Productions, I jumped at the opportunity. What follows is an interesting dialogue that will give some insight into how mobile is changing the face of modern gaming and how games like AErena: CoC are making an impressive case for mobile games breaking into the professional-level, high-stakes eSport circuit, a circuit that has up until now, been dominated by console and PC platform games.

Cliffhanger Production's Jan Wagner

iPL: How would you describe the tactical strategy gameplay of AErena: Clash of Champions, to a gamer who has never heard of it?

JW: AErena is an intense game of strategy; it is a mixture of classic MOBA games such as LoL or DotA and speed-chess set in a unique AEtherpunk universe where you pit your team of champions against the opponent’s in turn-based but fast paced battles. In AErena you need to win with your brains, not with the speed of your fingers, but the matches only take about ten minutes each. AErena has some unique elements, such as the ships and [power] shells that players can bring into combat and our unique inverse power mechanic, which keeps matches from tilting to one side, often until the last second.

iPL: I think this game is awesome; it's groundbreaking and addictively enjoyable. One thing I noticed right away though was the lack of cloud saving, meaning I can't pick up my iPhone and continue at the level I was playing at on my iPad. Are there plans to introduce cloud saving capabilities to this game for multi-device playability?

JW: Thanks, first of all, we put a lot of thought and love into it and that does show, I think. Technically we are already capable of doing cloud saving, the main issue is with payment across various platforms. Platform holders are a bit picky about this and we would need a universal log-in, so you could truly play on any device. We are working on that.

If you are unable to see the AErena: CoC gameplay video above, click HERE.

iPL: What do you say to the critics of the popular freemium model of mobile games? How does AErena keep a balance so that players who are willing to pay real world money to advance don't dominate the game arena?

JW: I think free-to-play does not need to be evil; it is just that a lot of the games we see are purely geared towards milking players in the most extensive way possible. As gamers, we hate that. Of course we also want to sell our players stuff; it’s how we make a living. But it is very easy to not give paying players a massive advantage: Never sell power. In AErena, there is no power progression, we don’t sell “better” champions or shells for money and we don’t have any game elements which cannot be obtained with in-game currency. Basically paying players can buy skins or save time by paying with hard currency instead of saving up in-game money to buy champions. But we always give every player enough champions to compete and we also rotate those, so you get to try each champion even as a non-paying player. And since the game is all about skill, each champion is as good as another. A player owning all champions just will be more versatile when it comes to creating new strategies, but that is no replacement for skill.

iPL: What was it like having AErena represented at such a high level gaming event like Gamescom 2014? What was the public response?

JW: We were very happy with it. Our ESL appearance was a great experience and we will work together with them more in the future to make this an actual e-sports title on mobile. We also raised heads among some publishers in Asia who are looking for a way out of the mass of copies of tower defense titles or card battlers and for something more original.

iPL: What kind of prizes (if any) were awarded for the AErena winners at Gamescom?

JW: As we only did show matches at Gamescom, there were no prizes. But we reward our league season winners with tablets or 3D figurines of our champions. Our first season winner also got to design a new champion with us, another one made one of our maps. So we want to work closely with our community.

iPL: Will AErena be showing up at any other major eSporting events over the course of the next year?

JW: We may. Our partnership with the ESL is going to continue, so we are hoping for more prominent appearances soon.

iPL: What else can we look forward to in future updates from this addictive strategy game?

JW: Well, our next releases for AErena are going to be with partners in Asia, so we have to focus on managing that for a while, but we continue to create new champions (we released three in the last two weeks!), maps and ships. We are also looking at a more extensive campaign for single-player and a few more social elements.

iPL: Does Cliffhanger Productions have any new games making their debuts in the near future, and if so, can you give any hints as to what you might have up your sleeve?

JW: Our next big one is going to be Shadowrun Online, based on the well-known tabletop RPG, which will is currently available on Steam Early Access and will make its way to mobile early next year. This is a multiplayer RPG (not an open world MMO, though) and we are working with the tabletop guys to make it a truly unique experience, since the collective actions of our players will influence the world of Shadowrun at large. It will also allow cross-platform gameplay, so you can co-op with your friends across devices.

If you can't see the embedded video of Shadowrun Online, click HERE.

iPL: I've seen a little of Shadowrun Online; iOS gamers are in for a real treat when that becomes available.

JW: Thank you for the kind words and we are happy to see our game being well received!

iPL: Mobile gaming is still in its infancy, relatively speaking. That said, we've already seen the mobile gaming sector begin to give the more established console and PC gaming models a significant run for their money. As a tech journalist I believe that not only is mobile gaming here to stay, I suspect it will become a dominating force on the professional eSport circuits before long. Can you share with our readers some of your insights as developers, as to where professional level mobile gaming is heading? Do you envision a time when mobile gaming is as competitive and brings in the high cash prizes that console and PC games like Dota2 or LoL are capable of generating?

JW: We firmly believe mobile eSports is going to become bigger as mobile gaming evolves and platforms become increasingly less relevant as a differentiator. Mobile eSports to me is more democratic and open (more people have access to a mobile device at any time of day than to a PC) and if you look towards Korea, there are a bunch of mobile games being played competitively on the big screen. I think mobile gaming will be a great entry point to the world of eSports, which can at times be a bit elitist currently, and open it up to a mass movement.

iPL: Thank you for your time Jan! We appreciate it and can't wait to see what the future holds in store for Cliffhanger Productions.

Keep in mind that the new iPhone will likely be in short supply, as the iPhone 5s was (especially the gold model.) If you're not willing to wait, you may not get your first choice, and that might mean a step down in storage from your current iPhone. For example, assuming Apple ships a 16 GB iPhone 6 (instead of making 32 GB the minimum) and you currently have a 32 GB iPhone 5, you probably have more than 12 GB of content. Remember, the iPhone uses some of the storage so a 16 GB iPhone really only has about 12 GB of space. I have a 64 GB iPhone 5s and I'm using over 29 GB. That tells me, without some creative pruning, I can't downgrade to a 32 GB model let alone a 16 GB version.

Now would be a good time to move those memory-hogging videos and photos off your iPhone and onto your computer. With iTunes and iTunes Match, you can remove music from your iOS device and easily replace it later, without paying for the song again. It’s also a good time to delete any of those larger apps you don’t use anymore. As long as those apps are still on the App Store, and compatible with iOS 8, you can download them again.

To view the real memory hogs on your iOS device, run the Settings app and select General then Usage. Be patient while your device calculates how much space all of your apps (including their data) use up. Then decide which ones you could do without and delete them!

Did you enjoy this tip? Sign up here to get the tip of the day delivered right to your inbox.

Top image credit: Schab/Shutterstock.com.

If you’ve been dreaming of a larger-screened iPhone or shiny new iWatch, Apple will finally answer your prayers during its annual iPhone event on Tuesday. Apple announcements have become easy to predict in recent years, so much so that the New York Times has reported the arrival of two iPhone 6 models and the iWatch as a matter of certainty. However, some questions remain about the features of the new devices, and just as importantly, when they will be available.

We’re also curious to see what Apple is hiding within a massive temporary structure it’s erected outside the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, where the company is holding the event and where Steve Jobs revealed the first Macintosh thirty years ago. Apparently we’re not as curious as Apple fanboy Sachin Patel, who flew a drone over the campus for a better look. 

You can tune in HERE to watch Apple’s livestream, and of course, stay tuned to iPhoneLife.com for our commentary and analysis of the event.

Here’s the rundown of what you can expect come Tuesday:

Not One, But Two iPhones

Android displays have been expanding for years, but Apple has held out, insisting its 4-inch display is more than sufficient. At long last, Apple is expected to release not only a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 but a 5.5-inch phablet version during the event.

iPhones Will Not Have Sapphire Displays

Apple’s contract with GT Advanced Technology to purchase sapphire material last year spawned rumors that Apple would make the screen coverings for its new iPhones from the virtually impenetrable material.

But the well-connected KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo—who’s known to make extremely accurate predictions—disbanded such rumors Thursday, saying neither device will sport the costly covering. Currently, Apple uses sapphire crystal for the fingerprint sensor in the iPhone 5s and for the rear camera lens cover.

128 Gigabytes Storage Option

This may not be the sexiest feature, but offering 128 gigabytes of storage would come as welcome news to the many iPhone users who quickly hit their limit with photos, videos, apps, and other media. This prediction, also from Kuo, could be especially significant if it's accompanied by a drop in prices for storage. It costs $399 currently for the 64GB iPhone 5s. If the 128 GB iPhone 6 costs $499, users might opt for the 16 GB or 32 GB option and use iCloud for storage instead.

iWatch

The announcement most likely to steal the iPhone’s thunder is the iWatch, the highly anticipated wearable computer we’ve been hearing rumors about for nearly two years now. Kuo confirmed the rumor, saying the wearable will have a flexible display protected by Sapphire glass. It will come in two rectangular screen sizes, 1.3 inches and 1.5 inches, will have an aluminum body like the iPhone, and will come in a gold option to match the iPhone 5s.

Kuo says the device will come with a surprising 8 GB of storage, enough to store music and apps locally. This is especially significant, meaning the smartwatch will function as a standalone device, unlike the Pebble and Android Wear smartwatches that act as controllers for handheld devices.The device will have several health and fitness sensors and play a large role in the Health app Apple announced during WWDC. It could also help usher in a new era of mobile payments, which leads us to….

New Mobile Payment Platform

According to a Thursday report from the Wall Street Journal, Apple’s smartwatch will help usher in a new mobile payment platform from Apple. The Journal says the watch will include near-field communication, a technology adopted by Android but ignored by Apple until now. The device is said to let users access credit cards stored in iTunes by tapping the screen face. While this past week’s iCloud hacking of dozens of nude celebrity photos is unfortunate timing for the tech company to release a platform that requires high levels of trust from the public, it’s not likely to affect people's enthusiasm for a breakthrough of this magnitude.

Late Delivery

Here’s the bad news: we may be left waiting for the two devices we’re most excited about—the new smartwatch and the 5.5-inch iPhone. Kuo said not to expect deliver the 5.5-inch iPhone until later this year. And sadly, the iWatch may not begin to ship until next year, giving developers time to create apps for the new device. After waiting for a year for this release, delayed shipment would be hard to take.

iOS 8

We heard all about Apple’s updated operating system at WWDC in June. We’ll likely get to take it for a spin on our own devices one week after the Sept. 9 announcement. Some improvements include customizable keyboards, widgets in Notification Center, an improved photo storage solution called iCloud Photo Library, and time-lapse video option in Camera. iOS 8 will also include the new Health app, which will track health indicators such as heart rate, calories burned, blood sugar, and cholesterol, to name a few. Apple announced the HealthKit framework for developers in June, which enables health and fitness apps to communicate and work together.

Smart Home

Apple has paved the way for a robust smart home ecosystem with HomeKit, a developers toolbox for home device and appliance manufacturers. I personally am hoping the mysterious structure by the Flint Center contains a collection of smart home products. After Apple glossed over HomeKit in June, I want to see Apple’s smart home in action!

New iPad Air

Kuo also believes that Apple will debut a new iPad Air at the jam-packed event, adding a Touch ID fingerprint sensor and new gold color option to the company's full-size tablet.

With an event already packed with so many announcements, we were surprised Kuo predicted this. Since he’s well-connected, we’re not ruling it out.

What Will you Do in the Meantime?

You can head over to Gazelle to sell your iPhone, and keep checking back with us for updates as new predictions from Apple pundits emerge. And here's something to think on—if Apple does indeed announce a 5.5-inch iPhone, will you be willing wait to get it until 2015 if that's when it will begin shipping?

Don't Miss Our Sept. 9 Apple Announcement Coverage!

Larger iPhones. Sapphire screens. iWatches. A new iPad Air. It seems like rumors about the next Apple devices start percolating about five seconds after the last release. Tomorrow at 10 a.m., Pacific Time, Tim Cook will take the stage at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino and we'll finally know which rumors are true and which are only wishful thinking. Maybe Cook will have a surprise for Apple watchers hidden up his sleeve. Let's find out!

Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to get our live commentary during the event or scroll down on this page for the most recent tweets. Apple will be live streaming the event and you can visit the iPhoneLife.com home page for insightful commentary from our dedicated team of writers during the big event and a live panel of in-depth analysis afterward at 12:30 p.m., Pacific Time!

Get the latest continued coverage of all Apple's latest news by signing up for our newsletter!

Tweets by @iPhoneLife

If you can't wait until tomorrow to see the new iPhone 6, you don't need to. Videos of the 4.7-inch iPhone are appearing on Chinese websites. These are fully functional phones, though apparently without a SIM card. The video below shows the phone running iOS 8 applications, and gives demos of some of the apps. So much is now known about the device that its introduction Tuesday will be almost anticlimactic.

On the other hand, I think we can expect some surprises, with the latest evidence, according to AppleInsider, being that Apple has invited fashion publications to attend the event. Why else would they do so if they weren't going to be introducing a wearable device or devices? As I've noted before, I expect HealthKit and HomeKit to be a major focus of the event. The large, temporary exhibition hall that Apple has built next to the 3,000-seat Flint Center must be for the purpose of giving attendees hands-on experience with accessories for these two new platforms. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple shows off a variety of third-party accessories. 

Back in January, the House of Marley Liberate XLBT Bluetooth Headphones ($199.99) won iPhone Life Magazine's Best of CES 2014, and with good reason. Their premium 50 mm drivers and support for advanced Bluetooth profiles make them an excellent sounding pair of headphones. Their plush ear cushions and over-ear design make them a very comfortable pair of headphones. To top it all off, you won't find a more eco-friendly pair of 'phones anywhere, the Liberate XLBT are fabricated primarily from recycled materials. Read on after the break for all the details on these award-winners.

I first got a chance to spend some time with the Liberate XLBT at CES in January and more than any other pair of headphones in the House of Marley line up, the Liberate XLBT deliver the ultimate listening experience. One of the features they offer is the option of Bluetooth connectivity as well as wired listening. This effectively does away with the argument any audio purists may have about Bluetooth technology being lossy, since you can plug these headphones directly into your source. That said, the Liberate XLBT's advanced Bluetooth audio codecs are such that they are capable of streaming nearly lossless quality sound, in the case of iDevices, using AAC encoding. The option to choose between Bluetooth or wired connectivity, in this deluxe pair of headphones makes them my current favorites in The House of Marley catalog.

The Liberate XLBTs have a unique style to them. It's an interesting fusion of urban fashion and tactical-influenced design, enhanced by the elegance of wood and trimmed with just a hint of Rasta colors -as is everything in The House of Marley catalog. The headphones are lightweight and conveniently collapse to roughly half their size for ease of travel. The ear cushions consist of a thick, memory foam inner pad, covered with soft natural leather.  They successful encapsulate the entire ear and lobe, and the earpieces rest softly against the sides of the head. The deep cups formed by the cushions help keep the hard speaker drivers from pressing uncomfortably against the earlobe, which is always important in an over-ear pair of headphones.

When I’m reviewing a pair of headphones, I’ll often consider how comfortable they would be to fall asleep in, and I'd give the Liberate XLBT high marks for that. With some mellow music and a comfy, sunny spot to relax I could easily take a cat nap with these headphones on and barely notice I was wearing them. They remind me of when the founder of The House of Marley, Rohan Marley, once said to me that he hoped that when people used House of Marley products, “they would feel the vibes of the tropical ocean and the lush land” of Jamaica. Well, the Liberate XLBT do a pretty good job of that, with their high comfort, Marley flavor, and organic feel.

Siva with Bob Marley's son and CEO of The House of Marley, Rohan Marley.

Speaking of organic, The House of Marley is passionate about bringing to market products that reflect an environmentally friendly approach to production. Not only is almost all of the packaging for House of Marley products made with recycled materials, most of the actual products themselves are made with House of Marley patented recycled ingredients. House of Marley make its products with what they call “upcycled” materials, like the recycled metals used for their headphone headbands and their Rewind fabrics, which are made from recycled plastic bottles, cotton, and hemp. House of Marley also uses a lot of wood in its products, and all of the wood they use is FSC-certified, and collected using ecologically sustainable practices.

In terms of sound, the passive noise reduction of the over-ear design, combined with the large, high performance drivers with their dynamic moving coils and neodymium magnets, make these a formidable pair of headphones. The fact that you can use them to enjoy your music, movies, games, and FaceTime conversations, all wire-free is a huge asset, and the option to plug them in, for pure, direct-from-source audio quality makes these headphones hard to beat.

Pros:

• Made with FSC certified wood and recycled materials

• Support both AAC and APTX Bluetooth encoding.

• Plush ear cushions

• Optional 3.5mm jack audio cable with in-line microphone and three-button controller

• Collapsable design

• 50mm moving coil, high performance drivers

Cons:

• Earcups fit just a tad bit snug if you have large ears.

• Unlike many new Bluetooth accessories, the Liberate XLBT do not display the headphone's battery level as an icon in an iDevice's upper right corner of the touchscreen. A useful feature that will hopefully be included in future iterations.

Verdict:

I'd highly recommend the Liberate XLBT. Not only are they one of House of Marley's best pair of headphones, but they are also one of the best new pairs of Bluetooth audiophile-grade headphones on the market in general.

iPhone Life rating:

4.5 out of 5 Stars

Hear what our panel of experts have to say about Apple's announcement, during our live commentary from the iZone Stage at Super Mobility Week in Las Vegas. Our live stream starts at 12:30 p.m., Pacific Time, following the conclusion of Apple's 10 a.m. announcement at the Flint Center in Cupertino and will feature mobile tech experts:

Jon Fortt — CNBC On-Air Editor

David Averbach— CEO and Publisher, iPhone Life magazine

Donna Schill Cleveland— Editor in Chief, iPhone Life magazine

Alex Cequea— Contributing Editor, iPhone Life magazine

Follow along with our expert commentary HERE!

Apple requires you to have the latest version of Safari or Apple TV in order to watch their live streams. So if you're planning to watch Apple's live stream of their September 9 announcement, make sure you update well ahead of time. Otherwise you may end up crying and tearing your hair out because you're missing the first 15 minutes of the announcement while you wait for Safari or Apple TV to finish updating.

In order to live stream the event on Safari, you will need version 5.1.10 or later on OS X v10.6.8 or later and Safari on iOS 6.0 or later.

• Download the latest version of Safari for your Mac HERE.
• Find directions for updating to iOS 7 HERE. (Although, if you have chosen not to update previously, you will probably want to find a different method of live streaming the event.)  

In order to stream the event via Apple TV, you will need the second- or third-generation Apple TV with software 6.2 or later.

• Find instructions for updating Apple TV HERE.

Now that your software is up to date, enjoy the announcement and don't forget to check out iPhone Life's live coverage during the event and our expert panel after the event featuring live commentary from Super Mobility Week in Vegas HERE at 12:30 p.m., Pacific Time.

Did you enjoy this tip? Sign up here to get the tip of the day delivered right to your inbox.

Top image credit: MarjanApostolovic/Shutterstock.com.

Apple's new iPhone models were announced this morning. You'll soon be able to purchase the iPhone 6 (4.7 inch) and iPhone 6 Plus (5.5 inches). Both phones will feature a Retina HD display. The new iPhones will be thinner than any phone Apple has made. 

The new iPhones will also offer new landscape options for the weather and messaging apps, and even a special landscape view for the home screen. The larger display in the new iPhone 6 Plus allows you to see even more content in both portrait and landscape mode.

The processor performance in the new iPhones are up to 50 times faster than the original iPhone. Graphics? They weren't forgotten. 84 times faster than the original iPhone. It will also allow users to play games with higher resolution than next generation video game consoles.

The iPhone 6 boasts 50 hours of audio listening time, larger display, thinner build, and amazing battery life. You nailed it, Apple. 

The new M8 motion coprocessor in the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus will continuously measure your motion data. A built-in barometer will measure your elevation based on air pressure, which is a notable improvement for fitness apps. Climbing flights of stairs, hiking mountains, and biking on inclines are all measured by the new iPhone technology.

The Health app in iOS8 will keep track of your data and integrate with third-party fitness and health apps. You'll be able to track food intake while focusing on nutrients such as protein and fiber, as well as measure distance walked, quality of sleep, how many stairs you've climbed, and lots more. The Health app can offer your health information instantly to your doctor and allows you to always have your Medical ID close by. 

When Apple sent out their invitation to today’s event, they said simply: “We wish we could say more,” and included an enlarged Apple logo in the background. Although the choice of the word “more” could have been a cryptical reference to Steve Jobs’ iconic “One more thing” catch phrase, I couldn’t help but suspect that it was more likely a reference to the rumored and highly requested larger iPhone 6. Perhaps it was also alluding to the fact that Apple was planning to unveil a wider range of products on this day than ever before. After years of speculation, months of clues, and weeks of pondering cryptic hints, the day so many of us have been patiently waiting for has arrived. World, meet the new iPhone 6 series. “More” has arrived…

Before the iPhone came along and completely changed the face of the smartphone industry, the trend in phones was towards smaller and smaller sized device, perhaps as a backlash from the unwieldily and cumbersome cellphone designs of the early 90’s. If you’ve been around long enough, you’ll recall the days when cellular telephones first began to become widely popular, when your average phone was about as compact as a small brick. As time passed and technology advanced, cell phones got progressively smaller and smaller until we were all quite pleased and impressed with the Palm Treo and Blackberry smartphones. Indeed, they seemed so advanced at the time. And then came the iPhone in 2007, and everything changed. Or rather, everything followed suit, and every major manufacturer of smartphones scrambled to come up with an answer to Apple’s revolutionary new device and its remarkable iOS touchscreen interface.

Fast forward 7 years and what was once groundbreaking has become commonplace, as numerous companies produce high-end smartphones with many technical features that rival Apple’s iDevices. Conspicuously, the one area where Apple seemingly lagged behind was in the “phablet” category. Over the years since Apple first introduced the original 3.5-inch screened iPhone, the trend has moved back towards larger devices, as people began using their phones in ways previously unimagined. All of a sudden, increased screen real estate was no longer a burden, but a luxury, as users tasked their iPhones with gaming, photo editing, music composition, movie creation, and of course, eBooks, internet browsing, and social media -among other things. For years companies like Samsung flaunted the fact that Apple stuck with the smaller screen size for so long, exploiting it as if it were a weakness or fault in character. Yet Apple hasn’t seemed to feel that a larger iPhone was somethig they were ready to bring to market, until now. Granted, they made a minor size increase with the iPhone 5, perhaps doing a little testing of the waters, but it was a small change and still left many consumers wanting "more".

Personally, I would’ve been surprised if Apple had stubbornly stuck to their guns when they said they would never make a phablet. I’m not surprised that they took this long to do it though, knowing their practice of only releasing a product to the public (with a few notable exceptions) when they feel it is fully baked. The new iPhone 6 series is all we could have asked for, and more. Its graphics are Retina quality, it’s CPU rivals that of a desktop computer, it’s portability make it the equivalent of a PC in your pocket and if you are a core iOS gamer, it defintiely seems like the "must-have" iPhone. The new iPhone 6s are a hybrid between the iPad mini and the iPhone 5, perfect for any iPhone power user who may have struggled with the iPhone 4 and 5’s smaller screen sizes. While remaining small enough to fit in a pant’s pocket or a purse, the new iPhones offer a more relaxed experience of interaction, without having to squint your eyes, or carefully and methodically target tiny icons, keys and buttons on a screen that was the size of a credit card.

I know that I for one will be placing my order for the larger iPhone Plus as soon as Apple puts it on sale. With the amount I use my iPhone and the various ways in which I use it, the extra screen space is exactly what I’ve been waiting for. For years I’ve written about the potential for a larger iPhone, I even eagerly bought the iPad mini in the hopes that it would be a replacement for my iPhone, but that was not to be the case. It was too large, especially with a protective case on it. I wasn’t able to carry it around with the ease that I’d hoped to be able to, and even when I did lug it around with me, I never got the same clear reception over cellular on my mini as I did with my iPhone. Needless to say, I feel like the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are just what I, and many, many others, have been waiting for.

Are you going to switch to a larger screened iPhone, or is the screen size of the iPhone 5/5c/5s big enough? Let us know in the comments below.

While the new iDevices stole the show at today's Apple event, it's safe to say that what comes under the hood with these new smartphones and tablets is equally as impressive as their meticulously designed exteriors. Case in point; with the introduction of iOS 8, Apple's new programming interface, called Metal, is now available to experience in all of its grandeur. In particular, iOS gamers are in for a treat with all of the improved graphics and snappy responsiveness that Metal delivers. Game developers have had their hands on Metal for awhile now, which means that right out of the gate we can enjoy the unparalleled console-caliber capabilities that Metal allows.

Back in June, when Apple first introduced iOS at their Yerba Buena media event, game developers Epic Games were once again on hand to help the Cupertino company show off the impressive graphic power of Metal. Their free-to-play Zen Garden app featured levels of shading and AI that rivaled even the best of the console and PC titles. Now with the release of iOS 8, Zen Garden is available to download from the App Store. It's a mind-blowing way to take the incredible new super powers of Metal for a test drive. While Zen Garden can certainly claim to be the first out of the gate as a Metal based app, it will definitely not be alone, as other developers of graphic intensive games have major releases just around the corner that have been tweaked to leverage the full potential of Metal.

Technically Speaking

Metal vs OpenGL interacting with Apple's A7 chip

Metal does away with much of the deadwood that was part and parcel of designing AAA games for iOS. Previously, if developers of high end mobile games wished to communicate with the iDevices GPU they had to take into account the existing OpenGL ES framework. These OpenGL ES frameworks were inefficient and created excess overhead between the GPU and the software running on it. Think of it this way; if you speak only English and your new classmate speaks only French, then you need someone who speaks both languages to serve as a translator. This is a simplified way of looking at how the old-school OpenGL operated. It sat between the game and the core hardware and translated function calls into graphic commands which in turn get forwarded to the iDevice’s hardware. You can see how it made for a lot of overhead that game developers had to deal with when building games for iOS, and Metal does away with much of it. Now with Apple’s new graphics API, aka Metal, the process of communication between the game and the GPU has become more direct and therefore more efficient and speedy. Now, the need for go-between translation software has been diminished, as Metal and the iDevice’s GPU are able to communicate with one another in a much more direct fashion.

As Epic Games’ Tim Sweeney noted, Metal offers as much as a 10x improvement in rendering efficiency. According to Sweeney, "Metal is a low-level rendering API, which means it provides the absolute minimum layer of software needed to support multiple versions of different graphics chips. It shields developers from the very low-level implementation details. It replaces OpenGL ES, which is an ancient relic of the Silicon Graphics era." With Metal, Draw call rates, (which are utilized to render all objects within the scene of a 3D game) become as much as ten times faster, resulting in a more responsive gaming experience, with faster game load time and console-quality environments rendered with much greater detail and precision.

As the folks at ExtremeTech pointed out, “It’s also possible that Apple built the API to address the complexity or computational cost of other, specific types of advanced graphics capabilities that are more expensive under OpenGL ES than under the new Metal API.” What this means is that another benefit of Metal is that by giving developers greater and more direct access to the iDevice’s GPU, the developers can then optimize their apps to take greater advantage of the iDevice’s GPU leading to better performance across the board in photo, audio, and video apps.

This is all big news for gamers and any iOS power user, but it's also a shrewd move for Apple. Even though the iPhone (and subsequently the iPad) turned the world of eSports on its head, Steve Jobs didn’t initially focus a great deal on iOS gaming, as the mobile gaming market didn’t even explode until the iPhone was introduced. Not only has interest skyrocketed in the years since gamers took up their iPhones, the market for console caliber gaming on mobile devices has also been shattering all expectations. Clearly Tim Cook sees the writing on the wall as mobile gaming is set to generate over 21 billion dollars this year alone  He has successfully positioned his company at the forefront of the modern mobile gaming renaissance. With Metal Apple has raised the bar as to what gamers can expect to behold on their iDevices, further blurring the line between what console and mobile device. 

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have been unveiled, let's take a quick look at some of the innovative and original new features this new iDevice will deliver.

Tim Cook and crew are on stage now, introducing what may be one of the most sought after iPhone iterations since the device hit the market in 2007. This new iPhone is all we thought it would be, and "more".

What We Now Know

• The iPhone 6 will be available in two sizes, measuring the screen diagonally, the iPhone 6 is 4.7-inches and the iPhone 6 Plus is a whopping 5.5-inches.

• The new iPhones will be available in 16, 64, and 128 gigabyte storage options. There are no 32GB options of the iPhone 6 series at this time.

• The iPhone 6s will come in the same colors as the previous iPhone 5S; gold/white, silver/white and space grey/black.

• Predictably, the new iPhones will ship with iOS 8, which is impressive enough in and of itself and which we will be covering in more detail here at iPhone Life.

• They will include two revolutionary new native iOS apps: Health and Apple Pay mobile wallet.

• In terms of hardware, the iPhone 6s will sport a powerful new 64-bit A8 chip, vastly improved camera and a next generation HD Retina display. 

• In terms of software, the iPhone 6 supports Apple's new Swift programming language, as well as gaming/graphics oriented technologies, Metal, SpriteKit, and SceneKit.

• The iPhone 6 Plus features horizontal "2-up" display capabilities, with Mail, Messages, Stocks, etc. functioning like they would on an iPad in landscape mode.

• The iPhone 6 will support third-party keyboards, as well as Apple's new QuickType predictive keyboard.

• Spotlight has just gotten much smarter, now providing contextual suggestions and tapping the vast power of the Internet.

• Gone are the sharply defined edges of the iPhones 4 and 5 models. The new iPhones harken back to the original iPhone with it's rounded edges. But the iPhone 6s takes it to the next level with a rounded front panel of ion-strengthened glass.

• The iPhone 6s are technically capable of placing calls over Wi-Fi, though at this time T-Mobile will be the only carrier supporting this game-changing calling feature.

• The iPhone trumps the iPhone 5S in every benchmark.

More. We were promised more by Apple and by the blogosphere, and today, we got it. The iPhone 6, a larger version of the iPhone 5, was a given, thanks to the success that Samsung and others have received by filling in that gap. But in addition to that, Apple didn't stop with just "one more thing" but gave us a lot more. Let's recap some of those "gifts."

Two new iPhones. Last year, Apple set a precedent, apparently, that one size doesn't fit all. The iPhone 5c, while sporting the same screen size as the iPhone 5 and 5s, brought a different set of design priorities than the iPhone 5s. And the iPhone 4S stuck around as a cheaper option.  

This year, once again we get two different iPhones, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, a.k.a. big and bigger; in addition, the older iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c are still sticking around, starting at $99 and Free, respectively. The hard part is going to be deciding how big of a phone you want, and when does a 'phablet' become too big? For me, the non-plus model may be the right fit. It's the thinnest iPhone ever, and smaller and lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus, yet it still has many of the features of the top end model. Unfortunately, because of the nature of Apple's supply and demand, many users will have to order sight unseen, on September 12th.

Smartwatches, similarly, have been around a while, but Apple's vindication of such a gadget, with attention to style, could enable wristworn tech to turn the corner. As someone who wears glasses because he has to, and a watch because he likes to, I think smartwatches could easily succeed where Google Glass has an uphill battle. I've owned numerous smartwatches, from Martian Watches, Pebble, i'mWatch, and others, and there's a lot of room for improvement.  

As well as being a fancy way to tell time, the Apple Watch is also a health and fitness device. There are infrared and photo sensors on the back that measure pulse and more. The Apple Watch includes a crown, dubbed a digital crown, that works like a scroll wheel. This way, the screen isn't obstructed as it might be with the traditional iOS interface. It's familiar but unique. The MagSafe-like charger makes it easy to keep the Apple Watch charged, similar to my Pebble watch, as opposed to properly inserting the microUSB plug on my Martian Watch.

With so many choices for material (stainless steel, hardened 18K gold, polymer, leather, or metal) and two sizes for the watch and watchband, as with the iPhone, if you can't find one you like, you're not trying hard enough. The new Apple Watch is beautiful, albeit a bit bulky, but you will want to show it off. Swappable bands offer something for everyone. Apple's focus on fashion paid off and their investment in sapphire shows up as well with a hardened screen.

Apple handles battery life by blanking the screen until it detects a gesture indicating you want to look at the watch. If this works, Apple could have a winner on its hands... and on our wrists!