AppleInsider is reporting that it has received information about the next-generation iPhone hardware. It claims that the next iPhone, generally expected to be a ‘6s’ style device (meaning that it will feature internal changes but the external chassis will be the same as the 6), will feature 2 GB of RAM, just like the A8X in the iPad Air 2. It also says that Apple is considering inclusion of an Apple SIM as standard, just like the cellular iPads.
For some context, the iPhone first shipped with 1 GB of RAM in 2012 with the iPhone 5. This means a RAM jump is now about ‘due’, with many expecting an increase last year to help accommodate the increased asset size required by the Retina HD iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Although 9to5Mac cannot directly backup the claims, the advancements feel like an obvious progression for the device given Apple’s inclusion of 2 GB of RAM in the iPad Air 2 as well as the introduction of the Apple SIM last fall. Note also that Apple has doubled RAM every few generations of iPhone, and given that many were expecting an increase last cycle, it is not surprising to see it rumored for the ‘iPhone 6s’, which is likely to feature new and improved internals like other ‘tock’ years.
When the Apple SIM was introduced, it was obvious that Apple would want to bring it to other products eventually. However, it is likely Apple will face some pushback from the carriers about including the Apple SIM in iPhones as it erodes even more of the carrier’s control. This makes the situation more complicated than a RAM bump, as it involves inter-company negotiations and not just hardware changes. Even on the iPad, Apple SIM is currently only supported by four carriers worldwide. Apple would likely need to get more carriers onboard before considering including the Apple SIM as standard for the iPhone.
Greg Joswiak was asked about the Apple SIM in an interview at Code/Mobile last year. Joswiak said that the Apple SIM was currently iPad only as it more necessary for that device as there are more sales of cellular iPads at Apple Stores than carrier stores. This contrasts to the phone, where the majority of devices are sold through carrier channels rather than Apple directly. Joswiak would (obviously) not comment on future plans for the iPhone and Apple SIM however.
AppleInsider has also commented on the possibility of Force Touch for the next iPhone. Again, this is a logical progression from the Apple Watch to the iPhone. Bloomberg has been predicting Force Touch for the iPhone since 2013 in fact. The report does not detail any specifics about how the technology would be implemented on iOS, which results to little more than educated guesswork. By contrast, Apple Watch OS has been developed with Force Touch in mind to open a context menu-like interface.
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If all force touch did was replace shake to undo, I’d be happy. But I have some big hopes for it outside of a right click function.
I was telling to myself I’ll wait for a next iPhone so I’ll buy the current one a little cheaper. Well, I probably won’t be able to resist the next one :D
Is this an article of obvious comments. All year all we hear is what the next iPhone is rumoured to have, it doesn’t really matter until they announce it next September.
2GB of RAM for that optimization release known as iOS 9? If iOS 9 is lacking on new features and focused on optimizing, expect the 6S to still have 1GB to make room for a greater wow factor with iPhone 7 iOS 10.
Context menus are a must to work with my company’s website. Thank God it will be now on iOS.
Yout company’s website seems to suck endlessly…
Maybe force touch could get rid off a physical home button? I’m not sure how to implement it with Touch ID… If I read up correctly isn’t it like a superpowerfull multi-touch. Maybe build it in to the entire display, if so? Not going to lie, force touch to tell it to start scanning, anywhere on the glass, would be pretty cool.
My Oneplus One has 3gb of ram, 64gb storage, 13mp camera, 5mp front camera, 5.5 inch 401ppi screen, and snapdragon 801. It costs $350. $500 less than an iPhone, 6+. It doesn’t bend in my pocket either
And… ? :D
Oh. So you like to brag about specs instead of appreciating performance. Huh?
Battery lasts all day and performance is good. I got to hand it to apple, they do a great job with fine tuning iOS to make it run on low range hardware. But apparently performance had taken a hit on older iPhones with iOS 8 and iOS 9 is suppose to fix it.
Windows phone runs great on low end hardware too but 512mb ram is limiting on some devices.
I wish my 2010 MacBook pro could run decent. Takes forever to boot up and is sluggish. Probably need to update hdd and RAM.
I wonder how consumers will respond to Google’s Project Ara, a modular phone you can build yourself.
Does it run iOS?
No it is cyanogenmod 11s but you ain’t controlled by the manufacturer so you can put whatever rom you want on it. So glad to be rid of iOS. I miss being able to download iTunes music directly from my phone but that is about it
how bout some Real home screen widgets and letting ME decide where i want my icons instead of that stupid auto arrange puzzle.
“This means a RAM jump is now about ‘due’, with many expecting an increase last year to help accommodate the increased asset size required by the Retina HD iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.”
Huh? If it can now work with 1GB of RAM and Retina HD, why would it need 2GB ‘to help accommodate’?
None of that matter without a great battery life and a 1080p display !!! All Bull…
Force touch coming to the iphone might signal some interesting improvements. Perhaps it could mean the removal of the physical home button. It no longer being necessary would mean that the bottom bezel, and hence the top as well, could be shrunk by some mm making the device shorter. The whole of the button bezel could become touch sensitive, and therefore making possible several extra input gestures in iOS. One of those could be right and left swiping to switch back and forth between apps. This is done by four finger swiping on the ipad, and to me is a very important productivity feature. They might just need to find a new way of implementing touchID, which I’m sure they can.