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 06-09-2014 by Malarie Gokey: Newly leaked photos from China show super-thin iPhone 6 body and hint at light-up notifications from the Apple logo located on the back of the device.
Surprise … it's probably named iPhone 6, and it could be more expensive than ever
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.
The iPhone has always been a premium smartphone with a premium price tag, but if analyst Peter Misek is to be believed, that tag may get even larger with the iPhone 6. He predicts the device will be up to $100 more than previous versions. He adds that Apple may already have network backing for the increase, due to there being "no other game-changing devices would be released in 2014." Apparently, networks realise the iPhone 6 will be the only "headline-worthy high-end phone launched this year," and may end up absorbing the extra cost themselves.
Statements like that are sure to irritate Android fans, and an extra $100 on the bill from Apple will inevitably annoy everyone when the time comes, so let's hope Misek is wrong on this one.
Preparations for launch rumored to have begun
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.
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 2013, 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
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?
The Taiwanese press are spreading the rumor Apple has chosen August for the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model to go on sale, and the larger 5.5-inch model will follow in September. Few companies hold major announcements in August, due to it traditionally being a holiday month for a large part of the world, so this doesn't sound all that likely. However, it does fit in with comments that Apple wants to speed up release to better combat its Android rivals.
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.
Apple supplier Catcher Technology is estimated to deliver 15 percent of the iPhone 6′s metal casing components this year, according to an analyst, a figure which could mean a total of 70 million iPhone 6 sales are expected. It's further speculated that to reach this figure, Apple will have to launch the phone slightly earlier than September. No date is offered, but the analyst doesn't expect it before the end of July.
Pegatron, one of the world's largest electronics manufacturers, is rumored to have secured orders to build 15 percent of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 devices. It's an indication Apple will split production between Pegatron and its regular partner Foxconn. Between the pair of them, at least 50 million iPhone models, of various sizes, will roll off the production lines during 2014.
Staying with production rumors for a moment, it's also being reported the first set of fingerprint sensors for the iPhone 6 (along with those for the next-generation iPad tablets) have started to be delivered, again in anticipation of the upcoming launch.
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.
Another set of schematics, this time apparently leaked by a Foxconn employee, show a thin device with chamfered edges, much like the design seen on the iPhone 5S and the iPad Air. A mock-up of an iPhone 6 case, published by a French blog, shows a super-thin and longer design than existing models. Another noteworthy aspect of the case is the switch from individual volume keys to a single rocker switch.
A Chinese website recently began selling dummy iPhone 6 mockups, which you can see here in silver, the design of which could be based on the leaked specs we've already seen, or on the actual device which could enter production soon. Regardless, the pictures do give us a good look at what Apple may announce later on this year. Although they're out of stock now, the mockup phone could have been purchased for less than $100, ready for anyone to start making their own "leaked" iPhone rumors. Something to watch out for in the future, perhaps.
Such leaks may be very similar to this video, which apparently shows an iPhone 5S and an iPhone 4S being compared with a dummy iPhone 6. The new model is quite obviously much larger, and noticeably thinner, than the iPhone 5S. Plus, it has a new rounded design, and the sleep/wake key has been moved to the side of the device. All these factors have been included in previous leaks, but it's interesting to see the overall difference in size between the two.
A similar dummy unit showed up in still picture form on a French blog recently, along with a few dimensions. The mold measured 138mm long, and 64mm wide. An iPhone 5S is 123mm long and 58mm wide. Sadly, the thickness of the mold isn't mentioned. The front gives us an idea of how large the screen will be, thanks to the thinness of the bezel area down each side.
Don't think this is the last set of images we'll see based on a dummy phone either. Another set of pictures have been published by Apple leaker Sonny Dickson through his Twitter account. They show a silvery-grey version of the phone seen in most of the other leaks, but with one notable difference. It's possible the device has a curved display, something like the Lumia 920 and its siblings. However, it could also be an idiosyncrasy of the dummy phone, and not a feature of the final product at all.
Another iPhone 6 Mockup
Note the reflection on the screen, suggesting a slight curve.
YouTube user SCAVidsHD brought the rumors to life in the form of a concept video for the iPhone 6. In the two videos, one of which is posted below, the concept takes several cues from dummy models of the iPhone 6, which, in turn, used rumored specifications to bring the handset to life. In the video, the camera lens sticks out, with a circular LED flash next to it instead of the oval dual-LED flash found on the iPhone 5S. Meanwhile, the display is edge-to-edge while the fingerprint sensor is present right below it.
Several more photos leaked from China, showing the super-thin body of what is supposedly the iPhone 6. Since we've seen several photos of the thin chassis before, that detail is not particularly earth shattering. However, what is interesting is that the infamous Apple logo on the back of the device appears to be translucent instead of opaque. One report from France speculates that the Apple icon might glow when users receive notifications or phone calls. Photos of the inside of the case also show circuitry that seems to indicate that the iPhone 6 battery will be fused and not removable.
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.
Apple may have chosen three screen suppliers for the iPhone 6, the primary firms being LG and Japan Display, with Innolux contracted to provide 4.7-inch displays too. A Taiwanese report says Apple decided against partnering up with Samsung due to their ongoing legal battles, and also rejected Sharp due to unstated issues.
The exact resolution of the larger 4.7-inch screen is still up for discussion. The latest estimate comes from 9to5mac.com, where it's reported an iPhone model with a 1740 x 960 pixel resolution is being tested. Used on a 4.7-inch screen, this would provide a pixel density of 416ppi, meaning it exceeds Apple's Retina-qualifying standards. The unusual resolution may only be one of Apple's test mules though, and it's not certain it'll make it on to the final model.
A picture leaked on to the Chinese social network Weibo may show the size difference between the iPhone 5S and one of the newer iPhone 6 models. It shows a standard black iPhone 5S next to a large, unidentified front panel, which bears more than a passing resemblance to an iPhone. It's white, and has a home button cutout below the screen, plus holes for the front camera, speaker and ambient light sensor above it. Overall, it's longer and wider than the existing 4-inch iPhone.
Could this be the iPhone 6? It's impossible to say at this stage, but the picture is certainly intriguing. It appears to have been taken in a warehouse, and a stack of similar front panels can be seen in the bottom right of the image, indicating that whatever it is, it's more than a one-off.
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.
iPhone 6 case video shows possible size increase
We can't say whether the case seen in this video is a true representation of Apple's plans (it could be based on the same rumors we're reporting), but it's an interesting comparison anyway. It shows a prototype case for the iPhone 6 being held up against the iPhone 5S and the Nexus 5. It's noticeably slimmer than the iPhone 5S, and a similar size to the Nexus 5, which has a 5-inch display.
The case also reveals Apple may move the sleep/wake key on to the side of the phone – making a larger device easier to use with one hand – and change the individual.
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