iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus: Release date, price, features, specs and everything else you need to know

The new iPhones are larger than any other before them and are available in Sliver, Gold or Space Grey

The new iPhone 6 is displayed during an Apple special event in Cupertino, California. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Apple has finally responded to the numerous Android smartphone makers who have been releasing bigger and bigger handsets with two larger iPhones: the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, available for pre-order from Friday 12th and in shops from the 19th.

Both feature displays that are more sizeable than that on the iPhone 5s, with the iPhone 6 offering a 4.7-inch screen with a 1334 x 750 resolution (that’s a pixel density of 326ppi) and the iPhone 6 Plus boasting a 1920 x1080 resolution (pixel density of 401ppi).

To help deal with those bigger screens Apple has introduced a new feature it's calling 'reachability' - essentially users tap on the home button (still equipped with fingerprint-reading Touch ID) and the top half of the screen slides down for easy access.

Despite their larger sizes both devices are thinner than all other previous Apple smartphones, with the iPhone 6 clocking in at 6.9mm and the 6 Plus measuring just 7.1mm (compared to the iPhone 5s which is 7.6mms thick).

The design of the new smartphones harks back to the original iPhone, with smooth rounded edges helping the larger devices to sit comfortably in the hand. The power button and volume keys have also been moved to the side for easier access.

Prices for the iPhone 6 start at £539 for the 16GB model, £619 for the 64GB model and for the (new) 128GB model it’s £699. The iPhone 6 Plus will be available from £619 for the 16GB version, £699 for the 64GB model and £789 for the 128GB configuration.

Both devices will feature Apple’s new A8 processor (which the company say is 25 per cent faster in terms of CPU speed than the A7 with a quad-core 2.7Ghz chip) and the new M8 motion co-processor – a low power chip dedicated to tracking movement an activity.

Unlike the iPhone 5s and 5c however, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus will also include a barometer in the new M8 chip, meaning they’ll be able to track elevation (how many stairs you climbed or hills you biked up) as well as distance.

Apple has updated the camera in both devices, and although the megapixel count remains the same at 8, there’s all new image stabilization (doubly improved in the iPhone 6 Plus) as well the capacity to shoot slow-mo footage at 240fps. The front-facing camera has also been improved and now shoots selfies in bursts.

UK fans looking to get their hands on either one of the new devices can either head directly to the Apple Store or talk to their mobile operator.

How the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus compare to the iPhone 5s