The iPhone 6 could launch at WWDC in June, claim analysts
If you’re an iPhone 5 owner who has yet to snap up the new iPhone 5s or 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 Air and iPad Mini.
The renders keep the Touch ID fingerprint sensor Home button, which we expect to see return in the iPhone 6 as well. Apart from appearing to be ludicrously thin, it’s also wider and taller, supporting rumours of a larger screen. If true, it means the iPhone 6 will have the largest screen of any iPhone to date, letting it finally compete with its Android phablet rivals.
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 One and 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 2,272×1,280 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.
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.
China’s Nomura Security has told the China Post that the iPhone 6 won’t be bumping up its megapixel count.
Instead, it’ll apparently keep the same 8MP camera that’s currently nestled inside the iPhone 5s, with one major improvement – optical image stabilisation (OIS).
OIS is already present in impressive smartphone cameras like the ones found in the Nokia Lumia 1020 and LG G2, and it should provide iPhone 6 owners with sharper, more detailed shots in low-light conditions, thanks to longer shutter speeds resulting in the capture of more light.
This is supported by a recent OIS Apple patent which outlines the use of a coil and magnet assembly for driving the movement of the lens.
Coupled with improved auto-focus and the iPhone 5s’ impressive camera performance, the iPhone 6’s photos are unlikely to disappoint, even without an increase in megapixels.
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.
Original Story : http://www.stuff.tv/my/apple/apple-iphone-6/review
