Update – The iPhone 6 is now official, check out our post for the official specs and features!
Apple is set to make an announcement on the 9th of September regarding the iPhone 6, or at least that’s what we hope. There have been many, many, rumors regarding the phone and its specs which admittedly have gotten very confusing, but in this post we are going to round up the rumors that we have heard so far which will hopefully make things a little clearer.
Redesign
Every two years Apple introduces a new iPhone design. They did this with the iPhone 4, iPhone 5, and we can only assume they will do this with the iPhone 6. With the iPhone 6, the leaked schematics all seems to suggest that Apple could be borrowing some of the design language they used for the iPad mini and the iPad Air.
This means that instead of flat and straight edges, we could be looking forward to more curved edges which at the same time is reminiscent of the older iPhones like the iPhone 3GS. The new design will seem redesigned volume buttons, speaker and microphone grills, and also a possible relocation of the sleep/wake button to the right side of the phone where previously it used to sit at the top right corner.
Schematics have also suggested that the camera on the iPhone 6 could be protruding slightly which seems to be a little out of place as it kind of ruins the flat surface of the phone. However we can’t be sure of the reason of its protrusion, assuming that the schematics are the real deal to begin with
Display
Starting with the display, there have been rumors that suggests that the iPhone 6 could come in two sizes: a 4.7-inch model and a 5.5-inch model. There have been plenty of leaks regarding the 4.7-inch model but not that much on the 5.5-inch model. We’re not sure if this is because the larger iPhone is facing production difficulties or if it is because the rumors of the 5.5-inch model aren’t true.
In terms of resolution, the rumors claim that Apple will be bumping the resolution on both of the handsets. Well-connected Apple blogger, John Gruber, has used a bit of math to arrive at a hypothesis as to what the resolutions of the iPhone 6 could be. With the 4.7-inch model, he has theorized that it could sport a 1334×750 display which will give it a pixel density of 326ppi, effectively putting it into the Retina category.
As for the 5.5-inch model, Gruber thinks that Apple could go one step further and give it a resolution of 2208×1242 which will give it an impressive pixel density of 461ppi. This gives it a higher pixel density compared to rivals like the Samsung Galaxy S5, but still falls short when compared to the LG G3 whose pixel density is over 500ppi.
Sapphire vs. Gorilla Glass
With Apple’s heavy investment and partnership with GT Advanced Technologies, many had assumed that the iPhone 6 will sport a sapphire display. However there have been several rumors which seems to contradict the earlier claims. These rumors seem to suggest that:
- The iPhone 6 will not sport a sapphire display;
- It might not be made from pure sapphire;
- Sapphire will be used for the iPhone, but not the iPhone 6;
- Sapphire could be used and limited to the 5.5-inch mode only;
- Or customers could choose between Gorilla Glass or Sapphire, with presumably the latter option being more expensive.
We have to say that the rumors are all over the place on this one and there doesn’t seem to be anything concrete about it at the moment, so we guess this is one we’ll just have to wait and see for ourselves.
Under the hood
It is widely expected that Apple could be upgrading the iPhone 6 to the A8 processor. A recent image of the chipset was leaked and it shows that A8, when compared to the A5 next to it, is bigger. Some have speculated that the increase in size could mean that Apple might finally go quad-core with the iPhone 6, versus dual-core which is currently found on the iPhone 5s. We can also rightfully assume that the A8 will be of the 64-bit variety, just like its predecessor the A7.
There have also been talks about a new co-processor that will succeed the M7. There have been talks about the “Phosphorus” chip which some believe to be the M8 co-processor, but there have been conflicting reports which seems to suggest that “Phosphorus” might be a barometric pressure sensor instead.
As far as RAM is concerned, the rumors claim that the iPhone 6 will be outfitted with 1GB of RAM. This has been somewhat contentious amongst iPhone users who don’t seem particularly happy about it. This is unsurprising given that the competition from Android and Windows Phone have seen devices come with 2-3GB of RAM, so on paper 1GB of RAM does seem paltry.
With storage options, Apple is expected to maintain the same options which is 16, 32, and 64GB storage capacities. However rumors have suggested that we could be looking at 128GB options as well although we’d hate to think how expensive that version could cost.
Last but not least there have plenty of rumors recently that all seems to point towards the fact that the iPhone 6 could feature NFC technology supplied to them by NXP Semiconductors. The inclusion of NFC is said to facilitate Apple’s rumored mobile payments system that they are planning on announcing as well.
Camera
We’re sure everyone is curious about the camera as Apple has had a long history of producing some pretty decent cameras for their iPhones. Based on leaked schematics and renderings, it all seems to point towards a camera that protrudes out the body. We’re not sure if there is any significance to this or if it is simply part of the design.
The rumors also claim that Apple might not be making a huge upgrade in the megapixel department. Instead Apple could retain the same 8MP sensor found on the iPhone 5s, but improve it by introducing some changes. These changes could include a wider aperture of f/2.0 versus f/2.2 on the iPhone 5s, and it could also sport optical image stabilization.
Battery life
Battery life has always been a complaint that iPhone users had about their devices. With the iPhone 6, many are probably hoping that Apple will increase the battery’s capacity which will hopefully provide a longer battery life. We have heard early rumors that hinted at a 1,810mAh battery, but later rumors have indicated that the 4.7-inch model could instead pack a 2,100mAh battery, with the 5.5-inch model possibly packing a 2,500mAh battery under the hood.
Software
The iPhone 6 is expected to come preinstalled with iOS 8. What this means is that we can look forward to software features such as HealthKit and if the rumors are to be believed, Apple could also be introducing a mobile payments system that will take advantage of the NFC technology inside the phone.
There have been rumors in the past that suggested that Apple could be working on such a service. This service is meant to rival those currently in the market such as Google Wallet and Isis.
Conclusion
These are pretty much all the rumored changes and improvements that Apple is expected to make with the iPhone 6. Some of them, such as the display, are very conflicting and don’t seem to provide a clear sign as to what we can expect. Others are pretty obvious and if anything we would be surprised if Apple did make those changes.
Either way hopefully this post has provided a slightly clearer picture as to the state of the iPhone 6 for now, but with a little over a week to go, we guess we won’t have to wait too long before Apple makes it all official, so do check back with us on the 9th of September for the details!
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