Cook: We are most proud of this. Customer satisfaction score of 99% for iPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Cook: One of the great new features customers love is Apple Pay. Has forever changed the way we pay for things.
Cook: Started with just 6 banks in the US. Now we have over 2,500 banks supporting Apple Pay (last number they had given was 2,000)
Cook: Now just 3 months later, tripled the number of locations accepting Apple Pay to nearly 700,000 around the US (was 200,000 at first). Vending machines. Coca Cola now has 40K in US, plans to have 100K by end of the year
In January, Apple said Apple Pay made up more than $2 out of every $3 spent on purchases using contactless payments. (Contactless payments cover any devices -- smart-cards included -- that make payments using a radio frequency.)
Interesting Apple Pay note -- I changed my Apple ID email, and had to sign out and in to my device -- causing all my Apple Pay cards to be dropped. I had to call a special support line to get them added back again.
Our office vending machine works with Apple Pay, and it's kinda cool. Insta-pretzel.
And in February, Cook said more than 2,000 banks and credit unions, about 90 percent of the US market, accept Apple Pay. The number supporting the service, quadruple the number of partners at launch, grew “much faster” than expected, Cook said. He has said that “2015 will be the year of Apple Pay.”
Cook: When we announced iPhone, was iPod and Internet in pocket. Now does so much more. Never leave home without it.
Also, the vending machine thing is real. I'm guilty of using it at the CNET office to sneak a granola bar quickly when no one is looking.
Cook: Continuing to transform even more parts of our lives. CarPlay is changing the way we use iPhone in the car. I'm pleased to announce today now every major car brand has committed to delivering CarPlay
Cook: More than 40 new models of cars shipping by the end of this year. Only a year after shipping Car Play
IMO CarPlay, HomeKit and Health will also be cornerstones for Apple Watch, or need to be.
Cook: HomeKit changing the way we're using devices at home. Automation cos announced would support HomeKit at CES. More roll out throughout the year
Cook: Perhaps the most profound positive impact iPhone will make is on health. Already over 900 incredible apps that help you manage and track your health and fitness
I only saw a handful of homekit devices at CES, and none looked like game changers to me. But, I suspect it'll be big at CES 2016.
Cook: We have always wanted to make the biggest difference we could make. As we worked on HealthKit, we came across an even bigger impact iPhone could make. And that is on medical research. To tell you all about this, I'd like to invite Jeff Williams up
Williams: Medical research is not what you were expecting, but when we were working on HealthKit, we talked to a lot of medical experts
Wiliams: One of the challenges people have is recruiting
Medical research and Health? Interesting. Samsung aimed for this approach too with Simband, in a sense.
Williams is Apple's senior vice president of operations, FYI
Williams: Another issue is the frequency of data. Medical researchers often get snapshats of data through time. But we know data ebb and flow daily, almost hourly
Williams: Perhaps biggest challenge is communication flow.
Williams: There are hundreds of millions of iPhone owners out there. Gladly contribute if able to do so. Today, proud to announce ResearchKit
Williams: ResearchKit is a software framework made especially for medical research. Turns iPhone and HealthKit into powerful diagnostic tools. Didn't build it on our own. Working with Stanford, Penn Medicine, Weill Cornell, Michael J Fox Foundation, etc
Williams: For example Parkinson's disease. App called mPower. Made with a couple universities. App turns iPhone into a diagnostic tool. Quick tapping test that evaluates hand tremors
Very, very interesting, Definitely reminds me of what Samsung was promising, but seemingly with a lot more medical partners.
