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Folks, I’m an unabashed Apple fan.

Ever since I got my first iPod, I’ve been in love with the way they make products. My personal computer has been some variant of MacBook since 2007, and my phone an iPhone since the iPhone 3GS.

So - like many others - I watched Apple’s press conference yesterday, and while they introduced two great looking phones - and what could be a revolutionary payment system - I felt like the long anticipated Apple Watch didn’t really do it for me.

Let’s summarize what was shown, and my thoughts on each.

iPhone6

iPhone 6 & iPhone 6 Plus

As the Internet fortold, there are now two new members of the iPhone family - one with a 4.7" screen (a’la the Moto X), and another, the “iPhone 6 Plus”, with a 5.5" screen (a’la the LG G3). Ultimately, this is what you’d expect from a new iPhone - faster internals, thinner, lighter - but with the left field addition of a larger model, there are some interesting questions one has to ask. At least personally - as someone with an iPhone 5S and a getting long in the tooth iPad 3, I’d been considering upgrading my iPad to an iPad Mini in the future - should I now just condense into a bigger phone? This is the sort of fragmentation we’d never seen before from Apple, but caters to the current phone market. Honestly, either should be a great device, but it will be interesting to see which version sells more. Also interesting - the 32GB model is out, with the 3 variants now 16GB/64GB/128GB, making for the first 128GB iPhone. (Just as the iPod Classic gets phased out, no less…)

ApplePAY

Apple Pay

This is actually - in my eyes - the most interesting bit of the Press Conference. Apple is, starting with the iPhone 6 (and…the other device I’m about to talk about) pushing NFC Payments. What this means is, roughly, you’ll be able to scan your credit cards/bank cards into your phone, and use your phone to pay for items. Meaning - no more wallet bulk. This - given the intense amount of retailers and banks they have supporting it - could be an absolute game changer for how we pay for things. Sure, Apple isn’t the first to do NFC, but they’re an 800 Pound Gorilla who can make other companies conform, and we’re seeing it with an impressive 220,000 stores ready to go with Apple Pay day one. Personally, I will wait and see how the privacy/security concerns pan out, but this could be the beginning of something new and big for Apple. Especially as they get a cut of each purchase.

AppleWATCH

Apple Watch

Revealed with Tim Cook bringing back the classic Steve Jobs line of “One More Thing…”, Apple finally gave the world what they’ve been expecting for some time - their first wearable device. Following in the footsteps of the AndroidWear push by Google (which, depending on which side of the spectrum you’re on, may have been inspired by rumors of Apple’s entry into the wearable space), the Apple Watch is designed as a wrist based device to connect you to your phone, handle payments, etc.  Unfortunately - that seems to be just about it. Similarly to the AndroidWear devices, I’ve yet to see a smartwatch - including Apple’s model - that has yet to address the reason of “Why?” With a specific focus on fitness, Apple could be crashing down on the Fitbits and Nike Fuels of the world - but with the incredible pricing, starting at $349 - I’m personally not seeing how the device will become as important or essential as a smartphone or tablet. And that goes for any smartwatch. Get the price into the $100-200 range, and we’ll talk…but until then, this is a rich man’s toy - and I can’t see myself ever needing one.

….also they gave away a U2 album

What did you think about Apple’s announcements yesterday? Will you be grabbing an iPhone 6? Rockin' the Apple Watch on your wrist? Sound off in the comments.