None of these questions and many more will be answered until Tim Cook takes the stage later this year, but we can't wait until June or September. We're just not that patient. So, we've collected all the latest gossip we've heard right here. We hope you enjoy.
Updated on 04-10-2014 by Andy: Further evidence has emerged we could see a pair of iPhone models announced this year, perhaps with a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch display. We've added in news on this, plus talk of faster RAM being used inside the device, a new concept image, along with a product roadmap created by an analyst.
Surprise … it's probably named iPhone 6
How long can Apple keep adding an ever-increasing number to the name of its latest iPhone? It gave up with the iPad after two models, and decided to add the word Air to the most recent iteration, signifying how slim and light it had made the tablet. Depending on the specs and size of the next iPhone(s), we could also see an iPhone Air, iPhone 6C, or iPhone Mini.
Bigger screens and a second iPhone 6?
Apple has made the most of a 4-inch screen for two generations (years) now, and while it's perfectly acceptable – go on, admit it – there's no denying the industry is shifting towards smartphones with considerably larger displays. Juniper Research estimates that devices with 5+ inch screens will see sales of 120 million by 2018, considerably more than the 20 million in 2013. Surely Apple can't ignore the trend much longer?
Leaked iPhone 6 schematics
There are two main schools of thought at the moment. First, Apple will up the screen size to 4.7-inches and leave it at that, while others speculate we may get a 4.7-inch iPhone and a 5.7-inch, or 5.5-inch iPhone/iPad hybrid. These supposed leaked schematics from Nowhereelse.fr also point to a larger screen.
According to Chinese analyst Sun Changxu, Apple may keep its current 1136 x 640 pixel Retina resolution on the 4.7-inch iPhone 6. This would see the pixel density fall to around 280ppi, way below the 326ppi seen on every iPhone since the iPhone 4. Crucially though, it would be above the iPad's pixel density. Apple bases its Retina status on viewing distance – 10-inches for the phone, 15 for the tablet – so a larger phone screen could add a few inches to the optimum viewing distance, and keep it within Apple's self-imposed parameters for 'Retina.'
Via his Twitter account, Sonny Dickson, who has previously leaked details about Apple hardware, says the screen of the iPhone 6 will have a pixel density of 389ppi. He calls the display "Ultra-Retina," but doesn't mention anything about the size or the exact resolution. Using a pixel density calculator, a screen measuring somewhere between 5.6-inches and 5.7-inches, with a 1080p resolution, could potentially produce 389ppi.
iPhone 6 three models concept by Federico Ciccarese
Alternatively, researchers from DisplaySearch in Taiwan indicate Apple will give the 4.7-inch screen iPhone 6 a 1280 x 720 pixel resolution, resulting in a 312ppi pixel density rating. As for the 5.7-inch hybrid, DisplaySearch says it may have 1920 x 1080 pixels, matching just about every 2013 high-end Android phone. Analyst Brian Marshall, who works for ISI, says we'll be getting two new iPhone models this year, one with a 4.7-inch display, and the other with 5.5-inches, although he doesn't mention the possible resolution of either.
iPhone 6 gold concept with glass back by Martin Hajek
An increase to 4.7 or 5.7-inches isn't universally agreed upon – not even close. Peter Misek says Apple will plump for 4.8-inches, while a Wall Street Journal reporter claimed Apple was busily testing hybrid iPhone/iPads with 6-inch screens. Long-time Apple rumor devotees will recall talk of the iPhone Math (or iPhone+, as it may have really been known), a monster-sized iPhone discussed before the announcement of the iPhone 5S.
More recently, rumors have been edging towards the possibility of a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch iPhone being released during 2014. However, according to the Taiwan Industrial & Commercial Times, only the model with a 4.7-inch screen will go on sale this year. The larger iPhone, according to the rumor, is causing problems for Apple's production team, and may not be ready until September. The 4.7-inch phone is apparently scheduled for production in July.
This fits in with an analyst's prediction regarding Apple's plans for the coming year. He says the 4.7-inch iPhone will be released in late September, and the 5.5-inch model will come later, perhaps right at the end of the year.
However, not everyone agrees on this timeline. Apparently, Japan Display has already started to produce its 5.5-inch Quad HD display, which was announced late last year. There's no proof Apple will be using this particular screen, and the timing is likely to be nothing more than a coincidence. It's also not certain the rumored 5.5-inch iPhone will have a 2560 x 1440 pixel resolution.
It's worth considering that prototype iPhones probably exist with all these screen sizes and resolutions. Apple may have tested them all out at one time, or has made a few to throw us off track. Just because they exist though, doesn't mean they'll make it into production. It's unlikely we'll see three iPhone 6 models.
Sapphire screens galore!
Here's one of the crazier theories around. The next iPhone(s) could have a screen made of sapphire, which is far more durable than any glass on the market. It's not as implausible as you might think, either.
The new Arizona facility could produce between 103 and 116 million 5-inch sapphire screens per year.
Almost a year ago, GT Advanced, which now has a major contract with Apple, showed us how sapphire could make smartphone screens nearly indestructible. At the time, the company told us that if a large vendor used sapphire to scale, its price would get cheap enough to integrate into a major product like the iPhone 6. A $578 million contract with Apple is probably enough to do just that. Apple is creating a facility in Arizona to build these components.
Correspondence between Apple and the U.S. Foreign Trade Zone, revealed by 9to5Mac, shows Apple plans to put this facility into action during February, a timescale referred to as "aggressive" by an Apple executive. Sapphire is listed as one of the products manufactured by the plant. While it's not stated the sapphire will be used to make iPhone 6 screens, the document says "Project Cascade" will be using a, "High-tech manufacturing process to create a critical new sub-component of Apple Products to be used in the manufacture of consumer electronics."
After calculating the number of furnaces the GT Advanced Arizona facility purchased, 9to5Mac believes it could produce between 103 and 116 million 5-inch sapphire screens per year. If it purchases more machines, it could add another 84 – 94 million iPhone 6 screens to its output.
There's no evidence the sapphire component is a iPhone 6 screen – Apple uses sapphire to cover the camera lens and the TouchID sensor on the iPhone 5S already – or even if it's destined for use on the next iPhone. Sapphire's incredible toughness would be equally as beneficial on a watch. Whether the sapphire is for a phone or a watch, the material can take many months to prepare, making an end of year release date, for whatever product it's going to end up on, most likely.
Curved screens and new sensors
A November Bloomberg report says that Apple is working on new iPhone 6 models that come with "curved glass" that bends downward at the edges and sensors that can detect different levels of pressure on the screen. The sensors would be able to better detect a light or heavy touch of the finger. That report also affirms the rumor that there will be two new iPhone 6 models, one at the 4.7-inch size and another at 5.5 inches.
Add solar charging to that indestructible screen
Then comes solar charging screens, which we saw demonstrated at CES this year. Though 3M and SunPartner told us that their screens wouldn't be ready until 2015, Matt Margolis of Seeking Alpha believes that this type of solar screen is being built in the Arizona facility. While he could be right, we're uncertain this innovation will appear on the iPhone 6, especially given the rumors of how thin it will be. There's little room for more screen layers in a 6mm phone.
No Home button? Liquidmetal?
There are some non-screen related rumors. We've got an old report which talks about the abolishment of the Home button. Instead, some believe that the new iPhone 6 will rely more on gesture controls to navigate around the OS. It sounds plausible, but Apple will have to find somewhere else to put its new fingerprint sensor, something which wasn't known when this aging report was published.
A Forbes article by Anthony Kosner suggests Apple's upcoming mobile payments platform will integrate a Touch ID fingerprint sensor into the entire screen of the next (big) iPhone, eliminating the need for a Home button. Again though, this will add yet another layer to the thickness of the screen, which diminishes speculation that this will be a super thin 6mm phone.
It's also possible the iPhone 6 will have the first liquidmetal chassis. This has been a long-standing rumor, and while Apple has filed many new patents related to the technology, it's still considered a challenging material with which to work.
Faster RAM is a possibility
Apple may use new, faster, and more efficient LPDDR4 RAM in its upcoming iPhone, according to industry watcher Mark Margolis. He claims Apple will use Micron Technology's RAM – not only in the iPhone 6, but in all Apple mobile hardware – which should bring performance and battery life improvements with it. Additionally, Apple's 64-bit mobile processor should benefit from more memory too.
Super slim 6mm body
Will the next iPhone be much slimmer than older models? That's a very good question, and one which fits in with the idea Apple may chose to name the next model the iPhone Air. The iPhone has never been a bloater, but rumors have spread the next generation may be much thinner than ever. Korean news source ETNews.com quotes sources from the Chinese IT media, who say Apple may shave 1.6mm off the iPhone 5S' thickness to make a 6mm iPhone 6.
A Chinese website published a picture of what it claimed was the iPhone 6's chassis. It looks both slim and large, but it could also be completely fake, or not related to the iPhone at all. Only time will tell on this one.
Following up his tweet regarding the pixel density of the iPhone 6′s screen, Sonny Dickson says the phone's chassis will be a mere 5.5mm thick, matching the current world's thinnest smartphone record holder, the Gionee Elife S5.5.
Better camera and iOS 8
There are a few rumors regarding the introduction of 802.11ac Wi-Fi, which came to Mac computers recently, along with a 128GB storage capacity. The camera could get an upgrade to 13-megapixels, although not everyone agrees, with others indicating the existing 8-megapixel camera will see improvements. Analysts from Nomura Securities are saying that the iPhone 6 will have better image stabilization.
According to a recent report from MacRumors, sources familiar with Taiwan's industrial chain are suggesting that the next iPhone will have at least a 10-megapixel camera, but even more interesting is that it will have an aperture of f/1.8, an upgrade from the current f/2.2. The sources also claim Apple will replace the current hybrid IR filter with a resin lens filter made by JSR, a Japanese company known for resins used in imaging equipment with CMOS sensors; the resins are said to be lighter and thinner, and capture clearer images because of their ability to minimize color shifts.
The iPhone 6 will logically come with iOS 8 installed, and although nothing has been heard about it at this early stage, it'll be interesting to see where Apple takes its newly redesigned OS next.
Picturing the iPhone 6
There's a lot of information to take in regarding the possible specs, look, and configuration of the iPhone 6 already. To help visualize what the next iPhone may look like, concept videos are often produced. They're speculative, of course, but usually based on the most likely configuration presented by the rumors. Most recently, Techradar put together the video you see below, which shows a super slim iPhone with a bezel-less display, allowing Apple to squeeze a larger display onto a small body.
MacRumors published a set of concept images comparing the iPhone 5S, with a 4-inch screen, and the iPad Mini with its 7.9-inch screen, to the rumored 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone models. They've been based on the leaked schematics mentioned above, and although they aren't official, it does show how complete Apple's 2014 range would look, in terms of screen sizes, should they be announced.
It could launch as early as May or June
For the last few years Apple has announced its new iPhone 6 around September or October. A sensible gambling man would bet on this trend repeating in 2014.
Juniper estimates 5+ inch devices will see sales of 120 million by 2018.
However, sensibility rarely comes into the equation when discussing any iPhone, so not everyone thinks this will be the case. Chinese website Tencent quotes an analyst who says the new phone will hit the production lines in May, ready for release between July and September, which does sound realistic.
Just before Christmas, DigiTimes chimed in with some anonymous gossip from within the supply chain, saying Apple plans to release iPhone 6 in May 2014, just seven months after the iPhone 5S went on sale. (No, it doesn't sound all that likely to us.) Tech industry observer Eldar Murtazin disagrees, and tweeted that Apple is eyeing a June release, so it can better battle new Android phones from Samsung and HTC. Jefferies analyst Peter Misek also said a June or late summer release is possible.
iPhone 6 Concept by ADR
Why all the excitement over a June launch? It's the month during which Apple will hold its annual Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC 2014). The iPhone has been absent from WWDC for years, and rumors of its return crop up often. Will 2014 be the year they come true, or must we wait for iPhone 6 until after summer once again?
According to a news report, Pegatron, the company which makes some of Apple's hardware including the iPhone, is in the process of hiring more staff and opening a new factory. It's all in preparation for the iPhone 6, which will supposedly start making its way down the production lines between April and June. It's unlikely the phone will be announced in June if production gets underway during the same month, although the report's sources didn't provide an approximate release date.
Oh, and one more thing…
Yes, there could be one more thing at the next Apple event, and it may be the iWatch. If Apple is going to come out with its own interpretation of the smartwatch this year, it makes sense for it to launch alongside the latest phone. We've pulled together all the talk about the iWatch here, so make sure you take a look.
The iPhone 5S was joined by the iPhone 5C when it was announced in 2013, and unless Apple deems the experiment a failure, we should see the iPhone 6C up on stage in some form. However, at the moment, all the attention is being lavished on its more expensive sister phone, the 5S.
That's about all we have for now, but we'll be updating this article regularly with more juicy iPhone 6 talk.
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