The iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C have been announced. So what does that mean for the iPhone 6?
Well,
we'll tell you. Or, at least, we'll tell you what we can glean from
rumor and speculation - some reliable, some not so much.
Given
the iPhone's history - from the 3G onwards, there's always been a
half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone - so it was no
surprise the 5S was first and so we're looking at 2014 for a new iPhone
6.
One thing is for sure, with potential refreshes of such super handsets as the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z and HTC One, the next iPhone will have to seriously up its game.
Cut to the chase What is it? A major revision of the iPhone When is it out? September 2014, we'd have thought What will it cost? Expect premium pricing for a premium smartphone
iPhone 6 release date
The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014. It will follow the iPhone 5S which will be released at the end of this week..
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek says that there will be a June 2014 release
for the iPhone 6. We reckon it will be later than that, around a year
after the 5S. Citi's Glen Yeung also believes that we won't see an
iPhone 6 until 2014, although that's no big leap.
Interestingly, in May 2013 Stuff reported
it received a photo of the till system at a Vodafone UK store (which it
has since removed along with the reference to Vodafone), with '4G
iPhone 6' listed.
So could we see both an iPhone 5S and iPhone 6 in quick succession? Some reports suggest a new 5S in the late part of the year before a revamped iPhone 6 very early in 2014. Apple may have a new roadmap, with new phones every spring and autumn
iPhone 6 casing
It's been suggested that there could even be three size variants of the new iPhone - check out these mocked up images
by artist Peter Zigich. He calls the handsets iPhone 6 Mini, iPhone 6
& iPhone 6 XL (these look rather like the iPhone 5C variant though).
However, as ZDNet rightly points out, different size variants aren't exactly easy to just magic out of thin air. Pretty, yes, but also horrifically scratch-prone. Will your next iPhone have a plastic back?
The iPhone 6 will finally do NFC
About time too. Well, that's what iDownloadblog reckons,
quoting Jefferies analyst Peter Misek. Many Android phones now boast
NFC and Apple appears to have been happy to be left behind here. See our video below on what Apple needs to do to slay Samsung's Galaxy S4
The iPhone 6 will run iOS 8
With iOS 7 heading out of the traps now, who's betting against the next iPhone coming with iOS 8?
We'd expect a September or October release date for iOS 8 in line with previous releases. iOS 7: what do you think?
iPhone 6 storage
We've already seen a 128GB iPad, so why not a 128GB iPhone 6? Yes, it'll cost a fortune, but high-spending early adopters love this stuff.
iPhone 6 home button
According to Business Insider,
of the many iPhone 6 prototypes Apple has made, one has a giant Retina+
IGZO display and a "new form factor with no home button. Gesture
control is also possibly included". It will surely include Apple's new
Touch ID finger print tech though?
iPhone 6 screen
The Retina+ Sharp IGZO display, would have
a 1080p Full HD resolution. It's also been widely reported that Apple
could introduce two handset sizes as it seeks to compete with the
plethora of Android devices now on the market.
Take this one with a pinch of salt, because China Times isn't always right: it reckons the codename iPhone Math,
which may be a mistranslation of iPhone+, will have a 4.8-inch display.
The same report suggests that Apple will release multiple handsets
throughout the year over and above the iPhone 5S and 6, which seems a
bit far-fetched to us.
Patents show that Apple has been thinking about magical morphing technology that can hide sensors and even cameras. Will it make it into the iPhone 6? Probably not.
Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also says he believes the new iPhone will have a bigger screen. Different sizes also seem rather likely to us - the word on the street after WWDC 2013 was that there would be 4.7 and 5.7-inch versions. More rumors in September 2013 point to a six-inch display, but this seems a little large to us. You'll probably still be able to see the camera lens in the iPhone 6
iPhone 6 processor
Not
a huge surprise, this one: the next processor one will be a quad-core
A8 or an evolved A7. The big sell here is more power with better
efficiency, which should help battery life.
Anyone hoping for some
juicy Samsung technology hidden under the iPhone 6 body will be
disappointed though, as reports suggest Apple is looking to push its
Korean rival further out of the iPhone picture with its eighth-gen
handset.
Apple is apparently cutting the amount of A8 processors
it is having made by Samsung, although it hasn't severed ties completely
just yet.
iPhone 6 camera
Apple's bought camera sensors from Sony before, and this year we're going to see a new, 13-megapixel sensor that takes up less room without compromising image quality. An Apple patent,
uncovered by Apple Insider in May 2013, shows a system where an iPhone
can remotely control other illuminating devices - extra flashes. It
would work in a similar manner to that seen in professional photography
studios. Interesting stuff. Will the iPhone 6 be handy for pro photographers? [Image credit: Apple Insider]
iPhone 6 Sapphire crystals
GT
Advanced Technologies provides crystal grow equipment and materials for
consumer electronics, among other industries and has announced that
it's signed a multi-year supply agreement with Apple to provide sapphire
materials.
Sapphire has figured prominently in recent Apple products - the iPhone 5S' Touch ID fingerprint reader features a cut sapphire crystal cover and the iPhone 5 was the first to feature a sapphire crystal lens.So
what will we see in the iPhone 6? Certainly the Touch ID fingerprint
reader, but also other scratch-proof materials. GT says it will own and
operate the machinery to produce this stuff at a new Apple plant in
Arizona.
iPhone 6 eye tracking
One thing seems certain -
Apple can't ignore the massive movement towards eye-tracking tech from
other vendors, especially Samsung. It seems a shoe-in that Apple will
deliver some kind of motion tech within the next iPhone, probably from uMoove.
iPhone 6 wireless charging
Wireless charging still isn't mainstream. Could Apple help give it a push? CP Tech reports
that Apple has filed a patent for efficient wireless charging, but then
again Apple has filed patents for pretty much anything imaginable.
The tasty bit of this particular patent is that Apple's tech wouldn't just charge one device, but multiple ones. Here are more details on the iPhone 6 wireless charging patent.
Meanwhile, a further Apple patent seems to imply that future iPhones will be able to adjust volume as you move them away from your ear.
And could the iPhone 6 really have 3D? It's unlikely, but the rumours keep on coming.
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