When will the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6, come out? And
can we expect a new bigger iPhone in 2014? Will the iPhone 6 be a
phablet? Read on for new iPhone 6 release date rumours, plus clues about
the new iPhone's specs and features, leaked images and artists' mockup
illustrations. We'll update this article as new iPhone 6 rumours come
in.
The iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s
may be litte more than a month old, but Apple watchers are already
looking ahead to the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6, new iPhone or iPhone
2014. When will the new iPhone 6 launch? How much will it cost in the
UK? And what features, specs can we expect? Will the iPhone 6 have a
bigger screen? Here, we bring you the latest speculation to help answer
those questions about the new iPhone 6.
As this is Apple, the iPhone 6 hasn't officially been announced yet
so nothing is for certain. That hasn't stopped lots of juicy iPhone 6
rumours floating around, though. This article brings you all of the
latest rumours about Apple's future iPhone 6, which we expect will
arrive in 2014. Not everything here will be accurate, but we'll try to
give you an idea of how plausible each rumour is.
Trying to decide which iPhone to buy? Check out our which iPhone should you buy comparison feature.
New iPhone 6 release date: When will the iPhone 6 come out?
The iPhone line-up gets refreshed roughly once a year. The iPhone 6 is therefore likely to launch in 2014,
around a year later than the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, which were
unveiled on 10 September 2013 and hit the shelves on 20 September.
However, some analysts and Apple watchers have suggested that Apple may decide to launch a new iPhone earlier
in the year, perhaps at the company's annual WWDC event in June. This
is certainly a possibility - Apple released the first four generations
of iPhone in June, before moving to an September/October launch
schedule.
iPhone 6 predictions: Isn't Apple too secretive for us to know anything?
Second-guessing Apple is traditionally a mug's game, but the
legendarily secretive company has eased up under Tim Cook, and almost
all the announcements at the 10 September press event had been correctly
predicted beforehand. (Admittedly, plenty of predictions had been made
that didn't come true, but pretty much everything that was announced came as no surprise to Apple rumour followers.)
Particularly accurate were the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s rumours,
many of which were completely true, including new iPhone colours and
new features of the iPhones. Even the fingerprint sensor was discussed
in the lead up to the event.
As we discuss elsewhere,
Apple isn't quite as secretive as it used to be. (Compare today's
Apple, where the software and hardware design teams work hand in hand
under Sir Jony Ive's supervision, to the crazy days leading up the first
iPhone's launch, when half the team didn't even know what the interface would look like).
What features will the new iPhone 6 come with?
The iPhone 5s closely resembles the iPhone 5, with some internal
changes rather than external differences between the two models, apart
from the fingerprint sensor and the new gold version. The iPhone 6,
however, is likely to come with some significantly redesigned features
when it arrives next year.
Check out our 8 features Apple's new iPhone 5s doesn't have article to find out what rumoured features didn't arrive in iPhone 5s but could come to iPhone 6.
Of course, there's also the question of screen size, which seems to be hot topic right now. Read on for more.
Big-screen iPhone 6: will the iPhone 6 have a 5in screen?
One of the recurring rumours about the new iPhone 6 is that it will
have a bigger screen. An attractive new render of a possible look for
the iPhone 6 recently appeared on DeviantArt, by the user iNasko:
iNasko has given the iPhone 6 a 5in screen, following similar screen ratios to the iPad.
With the popularity of bigger smartphones with larger screen sizes
such as the 5in Samsung's Galaxy S4, and the 6.3in Galaxy Mega, and the
rise of so called phablet devices, which fall half way between the
smartphone and tablet categories by providing the functionality of a
phone in a device closer to the size of a tablet, there have been calls
for Apple to launch a bigger iPhone. Could the iPhone 6 be Apple's first
Phablet phone?
See: Apple and the quest for a bigger smartphone screen
While we're not completely convinced about the rumours of a bigger
iPhone, some analysts have said that they are "confident" that Apple
will launch an iPhone with a bigger screen in 2014. Reports have
suggested that the screen could be between 4.7in and 5.7in, while one
analyst actually believes there will be two new iPhones next year, one at each of those sizes.
In September, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an impressive Apple launch prediction track record, said that Apple is likely to launch an iPhone with a 4.5in or 5in screen next year, noting that Apple is unlikely to go bigger than 5in because of its "unwavering principle of one-handed use."
Also in September, Cantor Fitzgerald analyst Brian White said that
Apple would launch a "Mega iPhone" in 2014 to expand its reach in China
and the rest of Asia, and reiterated his prediction in October following
a meeting that left him "confident" that a 5in iPhone is coming.
Apple has certainly diversified its product ranges recently. There
are now two different iPad models, the iPad mini and the iPad, and two
new iPhones, iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, so it's possible that the company
will decide to take this even further.
Apple has previously ruled out a bigger iPhone screen, but it's
reasoning was resolution and display quality rather than belief that it
would be too big.
Earlier this year Apple CEO Tim Cook said: "My view continues to be
that the iPhone 5 has the absolute best display in the industry. We
always strive to create the very best display for our customers."
"Our competitors have made some significant trade-offs in many of
these areas in order to ship a larger display," he said. "We would not
shop a larger-display iPhone while these trade-offs exist."
Others note that when Apple launched the iPhone 5 it explained that
the size of the screen was perfect as it would allow you to reach all
corners of the screen comfortably. However, a report in October claimed
that Apple's bigger iPhone
would have a display resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels at 440dpi for a
5in screen, and that the company would make the side bezels "as thin as
possible" to make it the first device in the 'phablet' category that can
be operated using one hand.
We'd expect that Apple will launch a bigger iPhone alongside an
iPhone with the current 4in display, as not everyone will be happy to
carry around an iPhone with 5in device.
Read more about the bigger iPhone rumours here.
iPhone 6 rumours: NFC, wireless charging, iOS 8
Here are some more iPhone 6 rumours that have been circulating the web.
iPhone 6 will have NFC
A patent published by the US Patent & Trademark Office suggested
that Near Field Communication (NFC) technology could arrive with a
future iPhone. The patent describes an iWallet transaction system that could work with the technology.
The US Patent and Trademark published another new Apple NFC technology patent application in May,
covering a range of features including a new focus on methods and
systems for establishing an NFC session with an electronic device.
Apple watchers had been expecting NFC to arrive in the iPhone since
as far back as the iPhone 4, though, so we're not sure whether Apple is
convinced that the technology is worth persuing just yet.
SEE: Google Wallet chief's resignation another bad sign for NFC
AND: PayPal says it's time to ditch passwords and PINs, and Apple may lead the way with iPhone 6
iPhone 6 could have wireless charging capabilities
Apple could be planning to introduce wireless charging to its iPhone 6, following in the footsteps of Nokia, LG and HTC.
Samsung launched its Galaxy S4 in March, which is expected to be the
iPhone 6's biggest rival. Samsung's new flagship smartphone has many new
features such as eye-tracking, but some analysts question whether some of those features will be used, or whether they will overwhelm some customers.
SEE: Galaxy S4 would be the ultimate iPhone, says analyst
AND: Reactions and reflections: Should Apple be scared of Samsung's Galaxy S4?
iPhone 6 to run iOS 8
Apple's all-new iOS 7 was shown off at WWDC 2013 in June.
It has been given a complete redesign and some new features, including
an iRadio music streaming service, and it was rolled out on 18
September. Find out more about iOS 7 in our iOS 7 review. Master iOS 7 using our 40 iOS 7 tips.
It's likely that Apple will update iOS again ahead of the iPhone 6
launch, making it iOS 8. We'll update this story when we hear more about
what new features iOS 8 might include, though we expect it to be
similar aesthetically to iOS 7.
More iPhone 6 rumours: not so convincing
Below are some further rumours about the iPhone 6 that have been
floating around for a while but we're not convinced are true. Still,
they're pretty interesting, and could be features that are in the
pipeline for future iPhones, as several are based on Apple patents.
The iPhone 6 will have a Smart Home Button that is oblong-shaped and touch-capacitive
This one's been around since forever (well, early 2011 at least). One
iPhone 6 rumour suggests that Jony Ive (or Sir Jonathan Ive as he's
formally known) is ready to introduce a wider, rounded-oblong home
button that will be touch-capacitive. The iPhone 6 Home Button will not
just push to return to the Home Screen, but you'll be able to swipe your
finger left and right over it (we presume to move left and right
between Apps, like the four-finger Multi-Touch gesture that you find on
the iPad).
This iPhone 6 rumour has some basis in fact, and we believe Apple has at least been experimenting with this idea (we have been reporting on it for a while).
Of course, Apple now has the Touch
ID fingerprint sensor that can be found in the iPhone 5s, so it seems
unlikely that even more technology will be built in to the Home button
next time around.
See: iPhone 5s offers better security today, a peek at Apple of tomorrow
Will the iPhone 6 use sonar for face detection and 3D modelling?
Analysis of recent Apple patent activity has got our minds whirring.
It seems Apple plans to build audio detection into the screens of some
of its future devices, which may include the iPhone 6, and has also
patented a system for using sonar for proximity detection.
SEE ALSO: Future iPhones may smell, taste, and touch (as well as see and hear)
SEE: iPhone 6 rumour rollup: digital pens, 3D augmented reality and a 'killer feature'
iPhone 6 rumour: Smart Bezel
Apple has taken out several patents on a Smart Bezel (the plastic
front surrounding the screen). In other words the Bezel will be able to
display information as well as the screen. We've reported on the iPhone 6 Smart Bezel a few times, and Patently Apple, the source of many an Apple rumour has this article on the latest Apple patent on a Smart Bezel.
In Apple's own words: "The primary display could be used to convey
visual content to a user, and the secondary display could be used to
guide a user providing inputs to the device. For example, the secondary
display could be selectively illuminated to provide one or more
indicators that represent where or how a user can provide inputs to the
device."
What kind of level of information the Smart Bezel could display is up
for debate. It certainly wouldn't be a 'screen extension', more like
flashing buttons and symbols. This could guide users to tap parts of the
screen, or indiciate new messages and suchlike.
iPhone 6 'could have flexible screen'
Apple's iPhone 6 may have a bendy, flexible display and body, if recent tech innovations and patent activity are any indicator.
Apple's patents indicate that the company is exploring legal safeguards for a flexible design, but it looks like Samsung has pipped it to the post, showing off its flexible smartphone displays during the 2013 CES in Las Vegas in January.
An Apple patent filing and job listing in April also hinted at a flexible future for the iPhone.
The flexible display could alternatively (or, perhaps, additionally)
be destined for the widely speculated iWatch device that Apple is
rumoured to be working on for launch next year. Find out more about the
iWatch in our iWatch rumour round-up.
SEE: Flexible-display smartphones just a 'novelty'... for now
AND: Patents reveal Apple is exploring curved and 'non-rectangular' batteries for future devices
iPhone 6 could read your mind
In February, an Apple patent application was published, describing a
system that would allow an iPhone to automatically switch modes by
anticipating your needs. Read more here.
Apple's Cook, Ive and Federighi talk iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, iOS 7 and future products
iPhone 6 leaked images and concept art
There are no leaked images of the iPhone 6, but there are lots of mockups that have been created by designers.
Following the unveiling of iOS 7, ADR Studio came up with a new iPhone 6 concept based on the redesigned user interface, as shown below:
In early April, photos of an alleged iPhone 6 prototype emerged, showing what appears to be an iPhone with an edge-to-edge curved display and no home button.
In May, a new iPhone 6 concept video was created to show what a
waterproof iPhone with wireless charging and touch sensitive buttons
might look like:
In April, a concept of the rumoured Apple iPhone 6 showed a radical curved screen design:
Russian site AppleInsider.ru offers up a "hands-on" demo of the iPhone 6 via the video shown below:
Quote from :http://www.macworld.co.uk/
Sapphire crystal growth solutions provider GT Advanced Technologies announced earlier this week that it inked a big deal with Apple.
The company said that Apple will prepay for about $578 million worth of
sapphire growth equipment that will be used in the company’s facilities
in Arizona. But what is Apple going to do with all that crystal? There
has been some speculation that future iPhone handsets will feature
sapphire display covers in place of what some presume to be Corning
Gorilla Glass Apple currently uses, and Digitimes’ research arm
apparently subscribes to that theory. Unfortunately, the group’s own
math likely disproves the notion fairly conclusively.
Digitimes on Friday suggested that Apple’s big sapphire investment could be aimed at manufacturing 5-inch sapphire front panels for Apple’s iPhone 6
and other upcoming handsets. But the report notes that the equipment
covered by Apple’s investment would only produce enough sapphire to make
between 34 million and 51 million 5-inch iPhone screen covers each
year. At that volume, Apple would only accommodate a fraction of the
iPhones it builds annually.
The much more likely explanation, of course, is that Apple’s deal
with GT Advanced Technologies will bring in equipment that will produce
sapphire for home button covers and camera lenses.
Apple already uses sapphire crystal camera lenses on all iPhone models and the new Touch ID fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 5s
is covered by a sapphire crystal panel. With Apple’s next-generation
full-size iPad and third-generation iPad mini both expected to be
updated with Touch ID scanners in 2014, and with an “iWatch” reportedly
on the way, Apple’s current iPhone glass supplier probably has nothing
to worry about.
All eyes are currently on the brand-new Apple launch event,
which should see the last products that are going to be released this
year. While the iPhone 6 isn't going to be among the list of products,
by seeing the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display we'll get a better idea of what Apple's been working on for its iOS devices.
Combined with the information we have from the recently launched iPhone 5s and iOS 7, we should get a better idea of what Apple is planning for its next smartphone, the iPhone 6.
Of everything that we know now, the biggest bit of information is
than the iPhone 6 is going to have a larger screen that the iPhone 5S.
Although sales of the iPhone are high, the Android competition has all
moved to large-screen Full HD models, with the HTC One, Sony Xperia Z and Samsung Galaxy S4, so it makes sense for Apple to compete on screen size.
In this article we're rounding up all of the iPhone 6 rumours. We'll
give you all the current information on the release date, price and
specs, filtering the information to help work out which rumours sound
most likely.
iPHONE 6 RELEASE DATE
Guessing Apple's release dates is a complete and utter nightmare,
with practically every prediction wrong. It's clear, given that the
iPhone 5S was only released in September, that we're not going to see
the iPhone 6 until 2014 now.
Apple usually has products on sale for a year, but the iPhone 6 feels
like a different proposition to us. Rather than a replacement for an
existing iPhone, it's more of an addition to the line-up. We kind of see
it replication what Samsung has with the full-size Galaxy S4 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, with the exception that Apple's small phone, the 5S, is still really powerful.
Tim Cook has hinted at new products coming soon autumn launch
in a call with investors. "Our teams are hard at work on some amazing
new hardware, software, and services that we can’t wait to introduce
this fall and throughout 2014," Cook said. As we know now, the products
Cook was talking about are being released on the 22nd October and
include the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2.
That would seem to be it for 2013, so we're going to have to wait
until 2014 for the iPhone 6. However, relatively speaking, it seems fair
that we can expect the handset soon, particularly as Apple's Canadian
arm has apparently already leaked the iPhone 6.
If we had to be pushed on a date, we'd say that early next year,
between March and May would make sense. This would give Apple enough
distance from the iPhone 5S, and give it a chance to take the limelight
away from Samsung, which will be looking to release its Galaxy S5
handset around the same time.
iPHONE 6 NAME
One of the biggest questions is, will the iPhone 6 even be called
that? We were all caught out when Apple decided not to go with iPad 5
for its new tablet, choosing to go with the iPad Air instead. There's
every good reason why Apple might follow a similar strategy with its new
iPhone, perhaps even going for iPhone Air.
The reasons for changing the naming strategy will probably depend on
when the next iPhone is launched. If, as expected, it's launched early
next year, that would mean that the iPhone 6 would only be released
around six months after the iPhone 5S. For people that have bought the
iPhone 5S, the new model with a higher iteration would immediately look
like the newer and better phone; however, it would seem that Apple's
plans for the iPhone 6 are to bring out a model with a larger screen
that sits alongside, not in front of, the iPhone 5S.
With this rational, it's easy to see Apple deciding to call the new line
something like iPhone Air, so that the existing iPhone line with its
smaller screen can continue.
iPHONE 6 SCREEN
It seems pretty clear at this point that the iPhone 6 is going to
have a larger screen than any iPhone released to date. The question that
has to be answered is, how big will the screen be? Early rumours
suggested that there would be a 4.8in screen, but more recent rumours
have suggested that the iPhone 6 could have a 5in screen.
According to Japanese tech publication MacFun, the 5in screen will
have a Full HD resolution of 1,920x1,080. From a certain point of view
this makes a lot of sense, as there are already a lot of Full HD phones
out there. However, we think that the resolution could be wrong, mostly
because of the way that Apple works.
Apple has always been very careful in its resolution choices, so that
apps look right on all of its devices. So, when Apple first went Retina
with the quadrupled the resolution of the iPhone 3GS from 480x320 to
the iPhone 4's 960x640. Quadrupling means that the horizontal and
vertical resolutions are doubled, which makes scaling of old apps easy.
When the company went widescreen, it kept the same horizontal resolution
of 640 pixels, so old apps would run properly, but just with black bars
at the top and bottom of the screen.
Moving to 1,920x1,080 would mean scaling up the current iPhone's
resolution of 1,136x640 by 1.69 times vertically and 1.69 times
horizontally. That's not such a clean method of scaling and there could
be some issues with getting apps to work properly. As a result, Apple
may decide to go for more resolution than it technically needs for a
Retina display, quadrupling the current iPhone's resolution to
2,272x1,280 instead.
While Apple has not previously made a large-screen phone, upping the
screen size for the iPhone 6 makes a lot of sense. It means it can
compete with the large-screen phones from other manufacturers and keep
the iPhone 5S as a smaller alternative, giving iPhone users more choice.
Tim Cook has said, "Some customers value large screen size, others
value other factors such as resolution, colour quality, white balance,
brightness, reflectivity, screen longevity, power consumption,
portability, compatibility with apps and many things. Our competitors
had made some significant trade-offs in many of these areas in order to
ship a larger display. We would not ship a larger display iPhone while
these trade-offs exist."
What that statement says, to us, is that Apple won't ship a
large-screen iPhone until it's managed to iron out all of the
trade-offs. A thinner screen, to make a lighter phone, could well be the
right way to go, then.
It's no wonder, then, that Apple may also be considering the screen
technology that it uses, with a Sharp IGZO (Indium Gallium Zinc Oxide)
screen top of the list. This new technology allows for screens that use
less power and are considerably thinner. Rumours certainly picked up
when the Sharp IGZO technology was demonstrated at CES 2013.
iPHONE 6 GAZE DETECTION
A bigger screen requires more power, so any technology that can
increase battery life has to be good. For the iPhone 6 Apple could be
about to revisit gaze detection technology, where the phone can tell if
you're looking at the screen or not. If you were to look away, the phone
could pause a video playing and turn the screen off. PatentlyApple has dug up the full information on how the technology is likely to work.
Given that Samsung has similar technology in its Galaxy S4
smartphone, we'd say there's a high chance that Apple will follow suit
and implement its own version.
iPHONE 6 iOS 7
We already have iOS 7, so it makes sense that this operating system
will be used for the iPhone 6. It's possible, given that the iPhone 5S
has features specific to it, that the OS will be updated to introduce
new features with the new handset. For example, it could enable NFC is
Apple decides that it wants the technology to use for mobile payments;
we wouldn't bet on it, though, as it seems steadfastly against it.
iOS 7 was released with the iPhone 5S, but a tweaked version could come to the iPhone 6
iPHONE 6 CAMERA
For the iPhone 5S Apple upped the physical size of its 8-megapixel
sensor, meaning that each pixel gets more light. In addition, it
upgraded the lens from an f/2.4 model to an f/2.2 model, increasing
low-light performance again. Combined with the A7 SoC, the camera has a
couple of neat modes, including a 10fps burst mode that goes on until
the phone's memory is full, and a 120fps slow-motion mode.
It would make sense if Apple was to use this sensor in the iPhone 6,
although, given it's a bigger phone, with more room inside for
components, it could well up the pixel count, with a 12- or 13-megapixel
on the cards.
iPHONE 6 STORAGE
In terms of storage, 64GB has been the top model for a couple of
years, and continues to be so for the iPhone 5S. We're not expecting
this to change for the iPhone 6, although we know that the Apple can
make a 128GB model, thanks to the recent launch of a 128GB iPad 4.
The new model doubled the maximum capacity of the previous high-end
iPad (64GB). This update was said to be about increasing the variety of
uses for the tablet, with Apple stating that more storage was good for
large files for use in applications such as CAD and music production.
It's also a more useful amount of storage for photos and videos.
iPHONE 6 TOUCH ID
Touch ID, the fingerprint reader, was the one of the big talking points for the iPhone 5S. Recent rumours suggest that Touch ID will also come to the iPad 5 and iPad Mini 2, so we'd really expect it on the iPhone 6.
Touch ID works brilliant and encourages people to be more secure, as
using it requires a passcode to be set. At the moment, Touch ID can only
be used to unlock the iPhone and to authorise iTunes and App Store
payments, but it would make sense for Apple to be thinking about new
applications for the technology. We can easily see a future where
banking apps, for example, are authenticated through the phone.
For the technology really to be taken seriously, we'd expect to see
it in as many mobile devices as possible, which obviously includes the
iPhone 6. The only real question is, will we see Touch ID open up any
new features? If Apple was to include a NFC chip, then Touch ID could be
used to authenticate payments. We're not necessarily expecting NFC,
though, as Apple has so far been dead set against including it.
iPHONE 6 A7 SoC
At the moment, the Apple A7 system-on-a-chip (SoC) is the main focus
for the company. This is the first 64-bit mobile chip and it's extremely
fast. In fact, in our benchmarks on using the iPhone 5S, we found that
the A7 is by far the fastest mobile processor. Apple has now used the A7
chip in both the iPad Air and iPad Mini with Retina Display.
Where as in the past Apple had to tweak the graphics part of the SoC
to work on an iPad's screen by adding quad-core graphics (the latest
chip with the A6X), with the A7 this isn't required. Instead, the A7 is
fast enough as it is.
With that in mind we'd expect to see the same chip used in the iPhone
6. However, the only caveat is when the phone comes out. If it's early
next year then we'd expect the A7 chip to be used as is; if the release
date is closer to the end of next year, then we could see a tweaked
version, perhaps even a quad-core variant.
iPHONE 6 PRICE
Apple typically releases its new models at the same price as the old
ones. If that holds out, then, and assuming that the 16GB model is
dropped, we'd expect the 32GB model to cost £529, the 64GB model £599
and the 128GB model £699. However, if the company continues to sell the
iPhone 5S, we could be in for some new pricing, with the iPhone 6 a
premium model that sits above it, in which case all bets are off and we
have no idea how much it will be.
quote from : http://www.expertreviews.co.uk/
