Apple iPhone 6 preview

UPDATE 11/11/13: Apple is working on two iPhone models with curved 4.7in and 5.5in displays, according to the latest rumours

 

by Esat Dedezade

11 November 2013

If you’re an iPhone 5 owner who has yet to snap up the new iPhone 5sor 5c, chances are you’re holding out for the next iteration of the iPhone, like a sensible gadgeteer. 

The iPhone 6 remains a complete mystery so far - but that hasn't stopped the rumour mill from grinding away, and some even have a ring of truth about them.

So then, what are the web's commentators saying about the iPhone 6? Well…

MAKEOVER TIME

It’s very likely that the iPhone 6’s design will be different enough from the iPhone 5s to earn it its all-new number.

Traditionally, ‘s’ devices have kept the same design as their predecessors, with major differences appearing on the insides.

Apple will get a lot of flak if the iPhone 6 turns out to be a 5s with faster innards, so we’re expecting an all-new aluminium design.

There’s currently no indication as to what the iPhone 6 will look like, but that hasn’t stopped artist Frederico Ciccarese from creating an iPad-inspired iPhone 6 render, which borrows the curved metal back and shiny chamfered edges from the iPad Airand iPad Mini.

The renders keep the Touch ID fingerprint sensor Home button, which we expect to see return in the iPhone 6 as well.

BIG SCREEN AT LAST

Apple needs to bump up the screen size of the iPhone 6 if it wants to compete with the large 5in full HD screens of competitors like the Samsung Galaxy S4, HTC Oneand LG G2.

Japanese tech publication MacFun believes that the iPhone 6 will have a 5in full HD display, which should go a long way towards silencing the mocking laughter of Android fans who are already strolling around with their larger pixel-packed screens.

However, Expert Reviews believes that the iPhone 6’s screen might have an even higher 2,272x1,280 resolution so that existing apps can be scaled up easily.

The screen is also expected to be a Sharp IXGO display, which means that Apple can shave off a few precious millimteres of thickness by giving the iPhone 6 a thinner, more power efficient screen.

There are also rumours that the iPhone 6 will feature a super-hard sapphire glass display, which will be produced by GT Advanced Technologies which already produces the camera lens and Touch ID home button sapphire glass.

That means that nothing short of a diamond will be able to make a mark on the iPhone 6’s screen, which will be a very welcome upgrade indeed.

Update 11/11/13: Whelp, things are about to get pretty confusing. According toBloomberg, Apple is working on 4.7in and 5.5in iPhone models. Whether or not these are experimental prototypes or final products remains to be seen, but at least we can generally agree that, whatever the final size, the iPhone 6 will arrive with the biggest screen yet seen on an Apple smartphone.

Not only that, but Bloomberg's source also states that the iPhone 6 will arrive with a curved glass display which  wraps around the edge of the device. Watch out LG G Flex and Samsung Galaxy Round.

Oh, and finally, Apple is also reportedly tinkering away on a pressure-sensitive display which can detect how hard you're pressing it, although it's unlikely that the magical tech will be present in the next iPhone.

MORE MEGAPIXELS

The iPhone 5s has an excellent camera with dual-tone flash for more natural colour reproduction, and we expect the same flash to remain in the iPhone 6. 

Given the iPhone 6’s larger screen (and therefore larger build) though, we could also see a bump in megapixels and sensor size as there’ll be more room for Apple to play around with.

BEEFIER INSIDES

Apple’s 64-bit A7 processor is already blazing fast, but if previous generations of iPhones are anything to go by, we could see a souped-up A7x processor beating within the iPhone 6. The iPhone 6 could also be the first iPhone to sport 2GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, though we imagine the latter will bump up the price by a considerable amount.

BIGGER TANK

The extra space created by the iPhone 6’s larger body should result in a bigger battery, which will be a crucial requirement if Apple wants to retain the iPhone 5s’ battery life despite a larger, more pixel-packed display on offer.

IOS 8

While we don’t yet know what iOS 8 will bring to the iPhone 6, we can’t imagine Apple will change any aesthetic elements too drastically, seeing as the all-new redesigned iOS 7 was only released this year.

PRICE AND RELEASE DATE

We expect the iPhone 6 models to be labelled with the same price tags as their iPhone 5s counterparts. 

While a few rumours have pointed to a June 2014 release date, we can’t see Apple releasing it so soon after the launch of the 5s, so we’re tentatively chalking up late September 2014 as the iPhone 6 launch period, until we hear anything more solid that is.