M8 coprocessor

Phil Schiller showed everyone a little bit of how some of the magic happens with Apple's new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus — via a low power M8 Motion coprocessor. Used with the new A8 chip, the M8 is a smart piece of silicon that provides information from the outside world, and passes it off to your new iPhone so it can be processed and presented to the user.

The new M8 coprocessor includes the following data-grabbing abilities:

  • Barometer
  • Measures pressure for elevation purposes
  • Can tell the difference between riding a bike and running, so apps like the new Nike+ app can take advantage.

We'll put it through the paces when we look at the new iPhones soon!