Rumors are already starting to roll in about Apple's purported iPhone 6, according toApple Insider. The newest claims come from Chinese analyst Sun Changxu, who told Chinese-language Web siteQQ Techthat the smartphone will come in two large-screen sizes and could be unveiled as soon as June.
According to Changxu, the upcoming iPhone 6 will most likely have a 4.7-inch, 1,136-pixel-by-640 pixel display. Changxu said that Apple could release another smartphone shortly later that has a higher-resolution 5.7-inch display. Word has it that Apple will reveal its new smartphone at its Worldwide Developers Conference in June.
Several sources have already speculated that Apple's next iPhone will come in a larger size. In October, a handful of reports said the screen size will jump to almost 5 inches from the current 4 inches. Some analysts even pegged possible screen sizes at anywhere from 5.7 inches to 6 inches. Similarly, a report last week from DisplaySearch said the iPhone 6 could have a 5.5-inch 1920 pixel-by-1080 pixel display.
During an event launching the iPhone on China Mobile last week, Apple CEO Tim Cook was asked whether Apple might launch an iPhone with a bigger screen or flexible display. All Cook would say, in essence, is that customers can expect some nice updates in the future.
"We never talk about future things," Cook said. "We have great things we are working on but we want to keep them secret. That way you will be so much happier when you see it."
Meanwhile, the rumored iWatch is also getting its share of speculation. According to G for Games, Apple's supposed computerized wristwatch is said to have a flexible OLED display from LG. Reportedly, LG has finalized a partnership with Apple to make 1.52-inch OLED displays for the watch. Production is said to begin later this year.
There's been talk of a purported iWatch for about a year now, yet no conclusive signs of any device have appeared. In October it was rumored that LG Display was close to signing a deal with Apple to provide the OLED displays. However, the release of the device is said to have been delayed due to screen technology decisions, battery issues, and corporate shuffling.
UPDATED Everything we've heard so far about iPhone 6
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 the second half of 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 Z1 and HTC One, the next iPhone will have to seriously up its game.
iPhone 6 release date
The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014, although exactly when that will be in the year is still a little unclear.
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.
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.
Apple has launched the last few iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money is on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's arrival.
That said, the June date has cropped up again, with fresh reports claiming that Apple will break the tradition of its software-centric WWDC eventin June by launching a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, followed by a larger model later in the year.
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.
That said, there's still a small possibility of the iPhone 6 sporting a flexible wraparound display after more patents were uncovered, but we reckon that's more likely to feature on the iPhone 7 or 8 instead.
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 pointed to a 6-inch display, with further talk of a phablet sized 6-inch iPhone claiming it might arrive as early as May 2014.
A couple of months later word of a 4.9-inch prototype iPhone 6 hit the web, and at the start of 2014 we heard that Apple will launch a 4.7-inch and a 5.7-inch iPhone 6, not once, but twice - just to keeping us all guessing.
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.
You can expect more premium metal to come your way with the iPhone 6 too, and Apple patents for liquidmetal 3D printing suggest there may be a new way to form the sultry chassis on the new iPhone.
Writing in early January 2014, MacRumours quotes a batch of liquidmetal patents reportedly filed by Apple employees.
That chassis could well be the thinnest yet - with word that Apple will slim down the svelte 7.6mm 5S body for the iPhone 6, and if leaked images of the phone's case are legit the handset may well be shockingly slender.
Credit: C-Tech
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.
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.
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.
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. But that's not what everybody thinks.
The China Post, quoting a tip from the country's Nomura Security, claims that the next iPhone won't go for a 12 or 16-megapixel sensor, instead sticking to the existinh 8-megapixel unit. Expect optical image stabilisation and improved autofocus though. And maybe a better flash.
A patent confirms this, saying Apple's aim is to use "voice coil motor actuators" to move the lens around the optical axis.
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. Follow us on Facebook Here and twitter @findjawad
Having a massive screen on release date is perhaps the most anticipated feature of the rumoured iPhone 6 and most likely this speculation will come true despite Apple's silence on the matter.
To date, the tech titan appears adamant that its current display screen standard, seen on the 4-inch iPhone 5S, satisfies millions of iPhone users around the world. Such position is not without basis - the 5S has reportedly toppled the Galaxy S4 as the bestselling smartphone in the December 2013 quarter.
This happened as the present iPhone model maintained the 4-inch screen that dates back to the iPhone 5. Somehow, the 5S' incredible performance disproved the assumption that most smartphone users are migrating to bigger screens and looking beyond the iPhone.
The GS4's near 5-inch screen profile is no doubt a blockbuster and so is the Galaxy Note 3's 5.7-inch viewer. The trend seems to gravitate towards huge displays for smartphones if not supersized, which the Note 3 is all about.
But the 5S sold in big heaps. Does this mean that phablets or phones with screaming displays are no match to the iPhone charisma?
This could be true, according to Gotta Be Mobile, but with Apple's attention aggressively turning to China, the company will have to make major adjustments and foremost of which is upsizing the iPhone display model.
"As Apple goes global and consumers across the world experience the benefits of larger screens there is more pressure for an iPhone 6 with a bigger screen," said the same GBM report.
While the iPhone 5s and the models that preceded it were very successful in most market destinations, sticking with the same iPhone build would not work entirely with the unique Chinese market, added the tech site.
China is a lucrative market not only for Apple but also for all mobile device makers. The nation counts hundreds of millions as network service subscribers, which potentially are income targets for tech firms - bringing in millions if not billion in revenues.
And as the phablet fever rages unabated in China, Apple would be hard-pressed to offer larger screen iPhones in the near future. The company's big push in the Asian economic giant will greatly depend on how well it will read the Chinese market.
Right now phablets or oversized smartphones dictate a big chunk of how the mobile device game is being played in China and inevitably, Apple will have to take the plunge, the GBM report implied.
And while Apple CEO Tim Cook remains evasive on the subject of an iOS phablet for 2014, he seems not quite dismissive of modifying the present iPhone model.
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Cook hinted that Apple is hard work on projects that will bring smiles to millions of Apple fans.
"We have great things we are working on but we want to keep them secret. That way you will be so much happier when you see it," Bloomberg reported the Apple chief as saying.
So in time for the iPhone 6 release date this year, reportedly set between May and Sept 2014, Apple is likely to toss a huge screen as among the device's numerous killer features if only to win over most of the 700 million plus China Mobile customers. Posted Via ibtimes
Keeping you in the loop on just a few of the many things that happened around Apple this week.
China Mobile starts selling iPhones – no line. After six years of negotiations between Apple and China Mobile, the iPhone finally went on sale through the world’s largest mobile carrier yesterday. It’s a big deal for Apple because China is one of the fastest-growing markets for smartphones and Apple ranks fifth in the country – well behind market leader Samsung. But even though Tim Cook was on hand at China Mobile’s headquarters store in Beijing — and tweeted a picture he snapped of China Mobile Chairman Xi Guohua greeting buyers — only a few dozen customers showed up, according to the New York Times. Xi said that there were “several million” preorders for the iPhone, but also acknowledged that their pricing is still “a little bit more expensive than other competitors.” The Wall Street Journal reported that the price for an unsubsidized iPhone 5s with 16 gigabytes of memory in China is about $870, while rival phones with comparable hardware start at $327. China Mobile says it will offer deals on the iPhone in the form of subsidies at some point in the future, but he didn’t say when or how much.
Great Things Coming.Cook and Xi made some joint appearances and gave a few interviews (recapped in my story from earlier in the weekhere). The bottom line: both Cook and Xi said this is just the start of a broad alliance in which the two companies will promote each other’s tech in China. Cook was also asked about what’s coming next — Apple has released a new iPhone model every year since it launched the phone in 2007 and the rumors about a larger screen, thinner iPhone 6 in 2014 have been circulating for months. “We never talk about future things. We have great things we are working on but we want to keep them secret. That way you will be so much happier when you see it,” Cook said, according to Bloomberg.
iPhone 6 rumor roundup. What are folks saying about the iPhone 6? That Apple will release two versions — one with the 4.7-inch display and one with a larger 5.5-inch screen to satisfy smartphone users who like the bigger screens on rival Samsung’s Galaxy phones. (That’s from research firm Display Search, which also has some speculation on the screen size of Apple’s rumored iWatch wearable.) The iPhone 6 may also be thinner and lighter (Apple is always making phones thinner and lighter), but this rumor is based on Apple using new alloys from LiquidMetal Technologies, a spin off from Caltech. MacRumors notes that Apple, which has used aluminum in the iPhone, has done some testing with Liquidmetal materials. There’s also been a bunch of patent applications filed in the past year that use Liquidmetal alloys and while the patents are not assigned to Apple, MacRumors notes that“the inventors listed on the patents are Apple employees who have routinely been associated with the company’s work on Liquidmetal alloys in the past.” You can see a recap of the some of the patents, which address things like tamper-resistant screws and touch and pressure sensors here. As for timing of the new iPhone 6, if Apple follows the same game plan it’s been using for the past few years, expect it to be announced in September.
Forever young — the Mac celebrates its 30th anniversary. Steve Jobs changed the personal computing industry forever on Jan. 24, 1994 when he introduced the Macintosh at the Flint Center in Cupertino, California, just down the road from Apple’s headquarters. Wearing a bow tie and a broad smile, Jobs introduced the “insanely great” computer. And though it was pricey at $2,495 (the Mac had a 9-inch monitor, a keyboard, a mouse, and 128 Kilobytes of memory), it was completely different from anything else on the market, with its graphical user interface, user-friendly software and unique hardware — including a 3.5-inch disk drive. “We were not doing it from a business point of view,” Bill Atkinson, who wrote MacPaint and MacWrite, the first software programs for the Mac, told the San Jose Mercury News. “We were doing it from the change-the-world point of view. We wanted to make something beautiful and usable and something that people would delight in.”
Mac Team Reunites at Flint Center. To celebrate that moment in history, members of the original Macintosh development team are returning to the Flint Center on Jan. 25 for what promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime kind of event. Gabreal Franklin, an early Mac developer who organized a gathering of the early Mac team at the Computer History Museum last year, is putting together the 30th anniversary event. “Nearly all of the original Macintosh development team, including many of those whose signatures appear inside the case of the first production run, will be on hand for a series of conversations about the computer’s evolution from idea to product.” Tickets can be purchased at TicketMaster, here, and are priced starting at $109.75. Any profits from the event will be donated to charities that promote computer and Internet literacy, including CoderDojo, which encourages kids to code. “Nowadays, it’s obvious that computers are part of the everyday lives of virtually everybody….the Macintosh was the turning point,” Andy Hertzfeld, who helped write the Mac operating system software, told the SJ Merc. It was indeed.
In-app fix — or double jeopardy? The Federal Trade Commission announced this week that Apple agreed to a consent degree over children’s ability to purchase currency, points and other things within an app and game — without parental permission and without understanding that those in-app purchases required their parents to spend real money. Apple agreed to pay a minimum of $32.5 million in refunds to parents for unauthorized charges. If the refunds are below that amount, the FTC will get the difference. There’s no limit on how much Apple will have to pay if the refunds are above that amount. Apple also changed its in-app purchasing policy so that consumers understand what the in-app purchase is before charging them for it.
Apple CEO Tim Cook sent a note to employees, saying the company had already settled a lawsuit over in-app purchasing and last year reimbursed 37,000 claims. But he said, according to a copy of the email obtained by Re/code, the FTC was looking at filing another lawsuit over the issue. “It doesn’t feel right for the FTC to sue over a case that had already been settled. To us, it smacked of double jeopardy,” Cook said in an email obtained by Re/code…The consent decree the FTC proposed does not require us to do anything we weren’t already going to do, so we decided to accept it rather than take on a long and distracting legal fight.” For its part, the FTC Chair Edith Ramirez, in a press conference to discuss the settlement, said it “provides more robust relief.”
Weareable wunderkinds. Add this to the long list of proof points that Apple is working on wearable devices (including a smartwatch called the iWatch). In recent months, the company has hired two notable executives from the medical sensor world, according to 9to5Mac. In December, Apple hired Nancy Dougherty from Sano Intelligence, a startup working on a small patch that goes on your arm and uses needle-less technology to analyze your blood. It also hired Ravi Narasimhan, former vice president of research and development for medical devices firm Vital Connect. He holds patents “for measuring the respiratory rate of a user, and, interestingly, the measurement of a person’s body in space to tell if they have fallen,” 9to5Mac notes. As interesting, Google this week not only bought smart thermostat maker Nest Labs, co-founded by former iPod chief Tony Fadell. It also announced a project to develop smart contact lenses that can detect glucose levels in your tears – a boon to anyone coping with diabetes. Looks like the market for wearable devices is going to be a competitive one.
Steve Jobs’ biographer now thinks Google is the greatest. Walter Isaacson, who authored the best-selling biography of Steve Jobs, told CNBC that Apple is not the fairest of them all in techland, at least not right now. “The greatest innovator in the world right now is Google — not Apple, Isaacson toldCNBC, calling out Google’s $3.2 billion buyout of Nest and its adding former Apple exec Tony Fadell to its team. “Fadell was one of the team that created the iPod. He was very deep into the Apple culture… when Apple was so innovative.” Nest, he said, showcases the “amazingly strong integrated strategy that Google has to connect all of our devices, all of our lives, from our car, to our navigation system, to how our garage doors are going to open.” ‘I think Steve Jobs would have wanted as the next disruptive thing to either have wearable-like watches or TV, an easy TV that you can walk into the room and say put on ‘Squawk Box’ … or disrupt the digital camera industry or disrupt textbooks.’” Isaacson said he’s counting on Apple to do “something huge” in 2014. He’s not the only one. via
When will the next iPhone come out? Will it be called iPhone 6, new iPhone or something else? (Technically it'll be the 9th iPhone). And can we expect a bigger iPhone 6 to launch in 2014? Read on for all the latest 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.
When will the next iPhone come out? Will it be called iPhone 6, new iPhone or something else? (Technically it'll be the 9th iPhone). And can we expect a bigger iPhone 6 to launch in 2014? Read on for all the latest 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. Updated 14 January 2014 with new concept images, camera rumours and Liquidmetal patents.
The iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s may still be fresh in our minds, but now that 2014 has arrived, Apple watchers have begun 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 and specifications 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.
Of course, we're talking about Apple here, so the iPhone 6 hasn't officially been announced yet and 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 this year. Not everything here will be accurate, but we'll try to give you an idea of how plausible each rumour is.
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).
iPhone 6 rumours: Design
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 this year.
There are several rumours regarding an update in design for the new iPhone 6. Traditionally, the “s” versions of the iPhones have maintained the design of their predecessors while the new versions (as the iPhone 6 is likely to be) have a makeover. If Apple is planning on keeping up with tradition, then we should expect a thinner and slimmer iPhone design.
iPhone 6 rumours: Liquidmetal
It's possible that the iPhone 6 will be made with Liquidmetal, as Apple has exclusive rights to the material. Plus, in November, five new Apple patents relating to Liquidmetal were published. Liquidmetal is extremely strong and durable, and therefore can be used in smaller quantities to get the same level of build quality as aluminium. This could mean an even lighter and thinner iPhone is on its way.
In January 2014, a report emerged that suggested the iPhone 6 could be the thinnest smartphone ever made thanks to Liquidmetal. The iPhone 6 could be just 6mm thick according to the report, compared with the iPhone 5s's 7.6mm.
The news comes from a Koran newspaper that suggests that Liquidmetal could be the key to making the iPhone even thinner without compromising durability.
A batch of 17 patent applications filed by Apple or Apple employees were published in early January 2014, all of which relate to Liquidmetal. Among those patents is one that suggests that Apple could use the Liquidmetal beneath switches and pressure sensors in the iPhone 6 for greater durability (which should prevent incidences like the common iPhone 4S lock button failure).
Will this super-thin iPhone be renamed the iPhone Air? With the launch of the iPad Air (the fifth-generation iPad), it's been rumoured that an iPhone Air is on its way, and that perhaps the iPhone 6 will actually be called the iPhone Air as Apple works to drop numbers from its product names.
Of course, there's also the question of screen size, which seems to be hot topic right now. Read on for more.
iPhone 6 rumours: Sapphire display
Apple is rumoured to have spent $578 million to speed up the development of sapphire glass displays destined for the iPhone 6. Sapphire glass, currently used for the iPhone 5s's Touch ID Home button and the cover of the iPhone's rear-facing camera, is more than twice as durable than Corning's Gorilla Glass, and is "virtually scratch free" according to glass makers GT Advanced Technology.
Sapphire glass could also allow Apple to make a bigger iPhone, which is one of the hottest rumours out there right now. Read on to find out more speculation about the size of the iPhone.
iPhone 6 rumours: Size
If there is one iPhone 6 rumour we're hearing more than any other, it's that the iPhone 6 will be the largest iPhone yet. Several rumours regarding the iPhone 6 support the idea that it will have a bigger 4.8-inch to 5-inch display panel.According to the rumours, Apple will probably stretch out the display panel as much as possible, leaving a super-thin bezel or even a borderless phone with edge-to-edge display.
However, Apple will probably not go as far as creating a new phablet-sized iPhone, so it's unlikely to be bigger than 5 inches.
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.
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, 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 in 2014, 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's rumoured bigger iPhone, or iPhablet as it's sometimes called, could alternatively launch in May 2014, according to a new report that says the new device won't be part of the iPhone 6 family, instead becoming part of an all-new line-up. The iPhone 6 could then launch in September as expected.
The bigger iPhone will reportedly have a display size of more than 5 inches, and will feature a new, TSMC-built 20 nanometer processor.
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."
But, in an email in December, Cook wrote that Apple has "big plans" for 2014 that customers will love. Was that a sneaky clue to a bigger iPhone?
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.
Will the new iPhone have a curved screen?
Adding to the rumours of a bigger iPhone comes reports that Apple is working on a curved display for the iPhone 6. In November, Bloomberg cited a source who claimed that Apple is preparing two new iPhones with 4.7in and 5.5in curved displays for a late 2014 launch. Samsung has already unveiled its curved Galaxy Round smartphone, and LG has shown off its LG G Flex curved smartphone, so a curved iPhone isn't a completely crazy idea.
What features will the iPhone 6 have?
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.
iPhone 6 rumours: better camera
It's recently been reported that the iPhone 6 will sport an 8-megapixel like its predecessor, as opposed to a 13- or 16-megapixel camera like some of its rivals (the Nokia Lumia 1020 actually boasts a 41-megapixel camera).
Instead, Apple is expected to focus on camera improvements in other areas, rather than upping the pixels. This could include better image stabilisation, according to The China Post.
iPhone 6 rumours: Home button & Touch ID
There have been several rumours which claim that the Home button on the new iPhone 6 will be removed. This however seems highly improbable, considering Apple recently introduced the Touch ID fingerprint scanner feature to the Home button in the iPhone 5s. Removing it only a generation later would essentially translate to Apple admitting it was a failure.
Perhaps there's a greater possibility that the new iPhone 6 will expand the use of Touch ID to banking applications and other apps that require passcodes.
Additionally, the display could become one giant Touch ID sensor. Apple filed a patent back in January 2013 that outlined a method for including the fingerprint scanner into a display.
So, while it is highly improbable that the Home button will be removed, there is a possibility that the hardcode home button will be replaced with multi-gesture touch support at the bottom of the phone. Additionally, it is rumoured that the bottom left and right portions of the screen will also be “tappable”, and will be used, for example, to switch between tabs in Safari. It will also be beneficial for app developers who will be able to customise these buttons for their apps.
iPhone 6 release date and rumours: Gaming-ready iPhone 6?
Apple recently purchased PrimeSense, a firm specialising in the development of three-dimensional sensors for home appliances and mobile devices. This technology is similar to the gesture-detecting sensors of the Xbox’s Kinect controller. This purchase could certainly hint at a move to include gesture control on the next generation of Apple devices.
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.
In November, Morgan Stanley analyst Katy Huberty said that she expects to see multiple iPhone refreshes every year from now on, which could mean an iPhone 6 early next year followed by an iPhone 6s later in 2014.
In December, DigiTimes reported that, in addition to a 12.9in iPad (dubbed iPad Pro) expected to launch in October, Apple's 2014 will see a new iPhone with a bigger screen launch in May.
The first speculation about the iPhone 6 release date to arrive in 2014 suggested that the iPhone 6 release date could be either March or September.
So, to recap: the iPhone 6 could launch in March, May, June, September or October... helpful, right? We think that the June and September options are most plausible based on Apple's launch history.
iPhone 6 predictions: How much will the iPhone 6 cost?
There's no solid evidence to suggest a price for the iPhone 6. However, we'd expect it to sell at a similar price point as the iPhone 5s, which starts at £549.
However, a somewhat suspicious report from InfoTales suggests that the iPhone 6's price tag could be $50 to $100 higher due to a larger screen. Susquehanna International Group analyst Chris Caso believes that Apple could "get away with" increasing the price of the iPhone because Samsung's Galaxy S series is now in the same price bracket.
iPhone 6 rumours: NFC, wireless charging, iOS 8
Here are some more iPhone 6 rumours that have been circulating the web.
iPhone 6 could 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.
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.
iPhone 6 will 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.
For now, though, you can check out our iOS 8 wishlist.
iPhone 6 to be iPhone Air
Apple's iPad Air has proven to be a success so far, which has led to speculation that Apple may decide to expand its 'Air' range further by adding an iPhone. Accessory makers Fuse Chicken created a mock-up of what an iPhone Air could look like, as did Set Solutions, which you can see in our Wil Apple release an iPhone Air article.
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
Flexible-display smartphones just a 'novelty'... for now
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.
iPhone 6 leaked images and concept art
There are no leaked images of the iPhone 6 (yet), but there are lots of mockups that have been created by designers, some of which you'll already have seen earlier in this article.
An iPhone 6 concept unveiled in November 2013 comes from Iskander Utebayey, who imagines a new iPhone with a wraparound display that allows touch controls on each side of the iPhone. We can't imagine how this would would work in real life, as touchscreens on the side of the iPhone would make holding the device rather tricky. However, we do like the idea of a control panel there waiting on the edges for easy access to different iOS features.
We rather like the Home button-less gold iPhone 6 concept created by designer Martin Hajek for French Apple blog Nowhereelse.fr. Its back closely resembles the iPad Air, and certainly looks Apple-esque to us.
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:
Designer Arthur Reis created these 3D renderings in March, showing an ultra-thin design with 'touch anywhere' Home button and 'iSight Pro' camera.
Toronto-based 3D designer Peter Zigich has published concept images based on the rumours that Apple could be preparing to launch three new iPhones this year. The image shows an iPhone mini, iPhone 6 and iPhablet with home buttons on the side to allow more room for the display or reduce the overall size of the device.
In early March, designer Martin Hajek created new 3D renders of a possible iPhone 6 and 4.8in iPhone with edge-to-edge screens and a trackpad-like Home button, as shown below.
This article will be updated as more iPhone 6 or information, rumours, and leaked pictures as they become available. Via Macworld.UK
