The next-generation Apple iPhone is poised to be one of the biggest devices of the year, and while the Internet is swirling with speculation about the handset, nothing is concrete. Still, many of them are bound to be close to the mark, so let's take a look at what people are saying the iPhone 6 will be.
Size and Display
For starters, and this is a big one, the iPhone 6 should be coming in two sizes. That's right, Apple fans who have been clamoring for a bigger smartphone should finally be satiated when the iPhone 6 releases in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models. The iPhone has been sitting at 5 inches ever since the iPhone 5 came out in 2012.
Thanks to the larger screen sizes, the iPhone 6 should also sport a higher resolution, somewhere around 1704 X 906. At this level, the smaller iPhone would push out 416 pixels per inch (ppi) while the larger variant would have 365 ppi.
Apple has typically used Corning Gorilla Glass for its iPhone lineup, but there are signs that the iPhone 6 will feature a sapphire crystal display. It's unclear if both sizes will receive the sapphire crystal, as there are some reports that there may not be enough for the 4.7-inch. Don't hold your breath for a curved display.
Specifications
The iPhone 6 should house a new 64-bit 20-nanometer A8 chip produced by TSMC that will provide a nice boost from the current 64-bit 28-nanometer A7 chip in the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c. The amount of RAM, however, looks like it will stay the same at 1GB.
As far as internal storage goes, expect 32GB and 64GB models for both sizes. There's also talk that there will be a 128GB iPhone 6, but only in the larger 5.5-inch size.
Although some manufacturers tend to raise the number of megapixels their smartphone cameras have every year, Apple hasn't subscribed to that strategy in the past and there's not indication it will start now. Instead, Apple will probably tack on optical image stabilization (OIS) and throw in some basic tweaks that will improve picture quality even if the tech specs still stand at 8 megapixels for the rear shooter. It's not clear, but OIS might only make it into the 5.5-inch iPhone 6.
Battery life is always a concern, and this may be somewhat of a letdown. Thanks to the larger screen sizes, there's not much hope that Apple will be able to drastically lengthen the iPhone 6's battery life, even with more optimizations from iOS 8.
Which brings us to the operating system. Apple unveiled iOS 8 at its recent Worldwide Developers Conference and stated it will release this fall. There's no doubt that the iPhone 6 will ship with iOS 8 right out of the box.
Some features the iPhone 6 should carry are the Touch ID fingerprint sensor found in the iPhone 5s, 802.11ac Wi-Fi for speeds up to three times faster, and finally NFC.
Pricing and Release Date
Pricing on the iPhone 6 could shake the lineup a little bit. While we saw Apple finally give customers two price points last year with the iPhone 5c, the Cupertino-based company will probably leave that to the sizes this year. The 4.7-inch iPhone 6 could retail for $199 with a two-year contract, while the 5.5-incher takes a higher $299 slot.
Release dates are always a shot in the dark, but if previous years are any indication, a September-October release is in order. Accoring to MacRumors, this date could very well be September 19, a Friday.
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