In 2007, a Steve Jobs-led Apple announced “Project Purple,” the codenamed operation that would eventually spawn the original iPhone. After its official launch a year later, the device became a mixed bag of sweet sales success and salty near-sighted design flaws. The world has since seen four additional iPhone models, with the sixth and most important version since coming later this year.
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Thanks to the usual barrage of Apple stories both fictitious and fact, we have a pretty fair idea of what to expect from Cupertino. Here’s what consumers could, should and ought to expect from the firm’s next super phone.
1. Two variants, one phablet size
Hello! #iPhone6 pic.twitter.com/5PVLmEKsXs
— Sonny Dickson (@SonnyDickson) June 14, 2014
The iPhone 6 will come in two flavours, but both will have rounded edges smothered in scratchless Sapphire Glass, thinner bezels and a much slimmer profile. The 5.5″ iPhone will be a mere 6.1mm thin, shaving around 1.5mm from the 5s’s waistline.
Additionally, the rounded buttons are replaced by longer, slender variants. The power button will almost definitely be moved to the side of the phone below the volume rocker. But the most telling design feature will be a glowing Apple logo — a first for an iPhone device. It could easily be the most distinguishable feature.
Both variants will be bigger than the current iPhone 5s and bigger than most phones on the market. In fact, the rumoured 5.5″ iPhone 6 is larger than the 5.7″ Samsung Galaxy Note 3, a device that barely counts as a phone. A 4.7″ iPhone 6 will also debut alongside its much bigger brother, and will probably be a more common sight on world streets.
2. Price and competition
The Korean duo of the Samsung Galaxy S5 (eventually the Samsung Galaxy S6) and the LG G3 are front runners, with the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z2 joining them as the iPhone’s major rivals. But thanks to these capable handsets the iPhone 6 5.5″ shouldn’t be priced too steeply.
In fact, according to Amit Daryanani, an RBC Capital Market’s analyst, the 5.5″ could retail for less than US$299, undercutting its rivals. Of course, pricing is subject to change as manufacturing costs and demand fluctuate. Rumours have previously been abound stating the 5.5″ will be around US$100 more than its smaller sibling, suggesting that the 4.7″ iPhone 6 could be a mere US$199. That’ll throw a snow leopard amongst the pigeons.
3. No Quad HD screen
Frustratingly for iPhone users, as cheap as the phones may be, the device will lack a QHD and possibly a FHD resolution too. Instead, both the 4.7″ and 5.5″ devices will feature a decidedly odd 1704×960 resolution, which will give each screen pixel densities of 416ppi and 355ppi respectively. Compare this to 1440×2560 offered by the 5.5″ LG G3 (538ppi), and suddenly the iPhone’s face looks ordinary.
The reasoning behind this neither-here-nor-there resolution is Apple’s Retina scaling. The 1704×960 allows developers to merely scale icons and UI to match the increased pixel density, instead of resorting to a complete redesign. It ensures that no UI elements are disproportionate, but in turn leaves Apple fans incredibly frustrated. This may be the only department where Apple users may have a little bit of design envy.
4. Xbox 360-level graphics and hardware to boot
The brains of the operation, Apple’s 64-bit A8 system-on-chip (SoC) has a critical role to play in both iPhone 6 model’s functionality and responsiveness. The current A7 SoC is monstrously fast, as the video above demonstrates, but the A8 will be even beefier.
The 2.6GHz quad-core CPU may suffer from heat due to a rather high clock-speed, but Apple will likely reduce the speed of the A8 to save energy when not taxed. It’s likely that the A8 SoC will use Imagination Technology’s PowerVR GX6650 192-core GPU, giving the iPhone 6 some serious graphic and computing grunt.
In terms of hardware, the iPhone 6 should feature LTE, GLONASS, GPS and perhaps even 5G capabilities, Bluetooth 4.0 LE and possibly the latest 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard. Around 3GB RAM should be expected while anything upward of 32GB storage should be offered. The rearward camera, although likely to feature an 8MP sensor, should have a larger pixel size, which in turn will increase the photo quality. Additionally, Apple may opt for electronic stabilisation instead of optical hardware solutions. Another reason for Apple fans to shake their fists.
5. Better OS & iDevice co-operation
A good processor needs a great OS and iOS 8 will have an equally massive role to play in the iPhone 6’s success. The Metal API framework will definitely improve gaming performance on the device, as the low-level API allows developers to have more granular control of GPU activities, reducing driver overhead. This ultimately means more grunt for games, and less for administration.
For those interested in more practical advancements, the “Continuity” feature inherent in iOS 8 and OSX 10.10 allows cross-iDevice multitasking and cooperation. If a project is started on the iPhone 6 for example, the user can migrate to a MacBook or iPad, to continue it without the need for user-forced file syncing. iOS 8 will also (finally) bring third-party keyboard support.
6. Sensors galore
Even the iPhone 5s returns NO to [CMAltimeter isRelativeAltitudeAvailable]. So I assume the iPhone 6 will come with a barometer.
— Ortwin Gentz (@ortwingentz) June 18, 2014
Never have we seen a mass produced phone so laden with sensors before. A temperature, humidity, barometer, pulse and other biometric sensors are all touted to make an appearance. Along with the iWatch (that includes its own host of sensors), the two devices used together could revolutionise the wearables market.
Alongside the sensors, Apple’s own TouchID will be featured, and could be implemened in a number of ways most notably with NFC to provide a means of wallet-less payments.
7. Innovative charging solutions
This is a bit more unlikely, but it would be game-changing if Apple does implement this technology. High speed wireless charging is a feature direly needed in mobile computing, but is steadily gaining ground. If an iPhone can charge in under two hours yet last an entire week, chances are it would make the device a more interesting prospect for non-iPhone users. Frankly, if anything is lacking in smartphone technology, it’s the duration of a battery charge and charging convenience. Battery specification and size is also currently unknown. We may see solar charging in the near future, perhaps the iPhone 7, but for now a charger with adjustable voltage may be the temporary solution.
Feature Image: William Hook via Flickr
