iPhone 6

798 'iPhone 6' stories January 2013 - July 2014

The iPhone 6 ($199 and up from the Apple Store) is quite possibly the most popular product Apple currently sells. Equipped with a 4.7″ Retina HD display, the iPhone 6 has 1334×750 resolution at 326PPI, boasting increased color accuracy and a wider viewing angle than prior iPhones. Three capacities (16/64/128GB) and three colors (gold/silver/space gray) are available.

Apple has upgraded the iPhone 6 with a second-generation 64-bit A8 chip, delivering 25% faster CPU performance and up to 50% faster graphics than the iPhone 5s. Despite the superior processing and a thinner body, the iPhone 6 improves a little upon the battery life of the iPhone 5s, though not to the extent of the (much larger) iPhone 6 Plus. Apart from battery, screen, and small camera differences, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus have identical hardware: 802.11ac Wi-Fi support, Voice over LTE with Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and others abroad, and Wi-Fi calling using T-Mobile in the US. It also has a Touch ID sensor with full support for secure Apple Pay transactions, both in retail stores and online.

The 8MP iSight camera has been improved. Although the 1.5µ pixels and ƒ/2.2 aperture aren’t hugely different from before, there’s an all-new sensor that improves focus, face detection, and digital image stabilization. The iPhone 6 lacks an optical image stabilization feature found in the iPhone 6 Plus, but camera performance is extremely similar. Video can be recorded in 1080p at 30 or 60fps, with slo-mo video at 120 or 240 fps. Small hardware improvements to the front-facing camera come from a new sensor and a larger ƒ/2.2 aperture, as well as H.265 video support for much smoother FaceTime calls.

Even with a larger screen and improved hardware relative to the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 measures only 6.9mm thick, versus the iPhone 5s’s 7.5mm and the iPhone 6 Plus’s 7.1mm. It is easier to fit in a pocket than the iPhone 6 Plus, which some users will like.

Photo by freestocks.org on Unsplash

Major case makers banking on leaked iPhone 6 design

Mike Beasley Jul 23 2014 - 5:04 pm PT

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For the past few months there have been a host of leaked schematics and dummies of the next-generation iPhone. While the veracity of those leaks won’t be fully confirmed until Apple shows the device off to the public later this year, at least one case designer is already creating covers for the phone based on those schematics.

As noted by iLounge, case maker Spigen has revealed its line of Thin Fit and Thin Fit A cases for the unannounced phone. Provided the iPhone 6 actually matches the leaked design, the Thin Fit lineup will run for $15 and be available in both clear and opaque styles in a selection of colors. The Thin Fit A will be available in gunmetal and black for the same price, with the only other difference being a cutout on the back for the Apple logo to show through.

The cases are scheduled to go on sale in late September, pending the announcement and release of the actual phone they’ll protect. You can find more photos over at iLounge.

Apple ‘tentatively’ plans mid-September iPhone event as iOS 8 nears completion

Mark Gurman Jul 23 2014 - 7:38 am PT

18 Comments

Apple is gearing up for its first major hardware and software launches of 2014. The Cupertino-based company is “tentatively” planning a keynote address in mid-September to announce the iPhone 6 and provide final details on iOS 8, according to sources briefed on the plans.

These people say that the second and third weeks of September are the mostly likely weeks for the event to be held, but they add that manufacturing uncertainties could alter the event’s timeframe. A decision has not been finalized, and sources made it clear that the plans are in flux.

The event will showcase at least the new iPhone 6 with a 4.7-inch screen, the sources say, but a final decision on debuting the larger, 5.5-inch “phablet” model at the event has not been made. The 4.7-inch variant of the new phone is farther along in both internal testing and manufacturing preparation, the sources added.

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Opinion: Will the iPad be left behind in the shift to larger iPhones?

Ben Lovejoy Jul 23 2014 - 7:30 am PT

63 Comments

With Apple reporting lower-than-expected iPad sales for the second quarter in a row, it’s likely that Tim Cook will be once again be called on to reassure investors that the decline in year-on-year sales won’t continue indefinitely.

Cook has been very bullish on the iPad, despite the numbers, pointing especially to growing sales in the education sector and the opportunity for tablet growth in enterprise.

The penetration in business is low, it’s only 20 percent. If you looked at the penetration of notebooks in business it would be over 60 percent. We think there is a substantial upside in business.”

I think he’s right, especially with the IBM partnership. I mentioned in my opinion piece then that increasing penetration in enterprise could also help drive consumer migration from Android, as it gives people exposure to iOS devices. But the impact this has could well be offset by the iPhone 6 …
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Apple’s gross margins are the key takeaway from yesterday’s results, say analysts

Ben Lovejoy Jul 23 2014 - 5:33 am PT

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While Wall Street may have been slightly disappointed by some of the numbers Apple reported yesterday, they should feel reassured by Apple stabilising and growing its gross margins, say Apple bulls – analysts who expect the stock price to rise.

Business Insider noted the above chart tweeted by Benedict Evans with the commentary:

Very stable long-term gross margins. Painful contrast to rest of the industry …

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AAPL’s report card: how Q3 results fared against analyst expectations

Ben Lovejoy Jul 23 2014 - 4:25 am PT

5 Comments

Here’s how Apple’s Q3 results stack up against the analyst expectations compiled by Fortune. Revenue grew 6 percent, but Wall Street was expecting more. Earnings per share was marginally higher than expected, at $1.28 per diluted share. Gross margin was higher than expected at 39.4 percent.

iPhone sales were slightly lower than expected, while iPad sales were significantly below analyst predictions. Mac and iPod sales, in contrast, were higher.

Overall, market reaction was muted, with a slight drop in the share price in post-market trading – but with overall results broadly in line with expectations, all eyes now will be on Q4. Apple has issued wider than usual revenue guidance of $37 to $40 billion, but with the WSJ reporting that the company has ordered a record number of iPhones from suppliers, expectations will be at the high end.

Chinese sellers taking iPhone 6 pre-orders two months before anticipated launch

Ben Lovejoy Jul 22 2014 - 4:33 am PT

6 Comments

It might be two months before the rumored launch date of the iPhone 6, with a working phone yet to be sighted and no clue as to the retail price, but that isn’t stopping sellers taking pre-orders, reports the WSJ.

More than thirty sellers on Alibaba’s Taobao marketplace said they can help purchase the upcoming new iPhone 6s from the U.S. and Hong Kong. But there’s one catch: consumers have to pay a deposit ranging from 500 yuan ($80) to 7,999 yuan ($1288).

One seller even went as far as putting together a laughable mockup of an Apple webpage for the iPhone 6 (the full page can be seen below).

Another seller claimed the price of the unsubsidized 4.7-inch model would start at 5,288 yuan ($851) , with the 5.5-inch version starting at 5,988 yuan ($964), but there is absolutely no reason to think they have any information on Apple’s pricing plans.

Back in the real world, it’s been reported that Apple is looking to produce 70-80M iPhone 6 handsets by the end of the year, with production expected to begin imminently after Foxconn confirmed hiring 100,000 new workers for the project.

Here, for your amusement, is that full hilarious attempt at mocking up the iPhone 6 page on the Apple website (complete with the line that it was ‘made for iOS 7’) …

WSJ: Apple prepares record number of 80 million 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones for production

Mike Beasley Jul 21 2014 - 5:09 pm PT

18 Comments

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple has told its suppliers to prepare to build a record number of next-gen iPhones. According to the Journal, Apple is looking to produce 70-80 million units by December 30th. As reported earlier this month, both the 4.7-inch and the larger 5.5-inch models of the upcoming iPhone are expected to enter mass production in the coming weeks.

This is a big jump from the previous iPhone models. Last year the company only ordered 50-60 million of the iPhone 5s and 5c. Manufacturing parter Foxconn recently hired as many as 100,000 new workers to help meet the increased demand, and even ordered a custom line of robotic equipment to facilitate the production of iPhone 6.

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New Samsung ad says ‘we’ve had it for two years’ to those anticipating iPhone 6’s larger screen

9to5 Staff Jul 21 2014 - 1:18 pm PT

135 Comments

Samsung is continuing its approach of pushing anti-iPhone ads on its YouTube channel. Today’s ad showcases two friends, an iPhone user and a Galaxy S5 user, speaking to each other about the upcoming iPhone 6’s larger screen. “Dude, iPhone might be getting a bigger screen” excitedly states the iPhone user “That hasn’t happened yet?” slyly responds the Galaxy S5 user. Check out the full advertisement for yourself below:

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Will Apple also update the next iPads with rounded edges? (Poll)

Ben Lovejoy Jul 21 2014 - 8:14 am PT

21 Comments

One of our favorite designers of Apple concepts, Martin Hajek, has put together this visual showing how a new iPad mini design might compare with the existing one if it were based on the design of the iPhone 6.

The existing design, top, has the familiar flat front and tapered, chamfered edge. The bottom one, Hajek’s concept, has the rounded edge now familiar from countless iPhone 6 renders, mockups and purported leaked parts …

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Light-up logo rumors for iPhone 6 likely have a more mundane explanation

Ben Lovejoy Jul 21 2014 - 7:30 am PT

14 Comments

While we can’t say for sure that rumors of a MacBook-style glowing logo in the iPhone 6 are false, the evidence for this idea is rather … ah … thin.

We first saw photos of what appears to be an ultra-thin rear casing more than a month ago, with some sites then claiming this would facilitate a light-up logo. A new claimed leaked photo is doing the rounds today apparently showing a cut-out logo aperture with a plastic backing thin enough to allow light to shine though.

Those images fuelled speculation that the logo would light up when new mails, SMS messages or updates arrived, allowing owners to put their handset on its front and still be made aware of people contacting them. Today our snaps, which we worked with leaks-world lynchpin Sonny Dickson to source, could offer conclusive proof that this is indeed the case.

Possible? Sure. Conclusive proof? Um, no. Exhibit A, the logo cutout on the iPad:

The reason the logo is cut out in this way is that while people love metal casings, radio signals don’t. Apple positions the wifi antennas behind the plastic logo to allow the radio signals to pass easily through.

On the iPhone 5s, Apple allows GSM, LTE, Bluetooth and wifi signals to pass through the casing by topping-and-tailing the metal rear casing with glass sections:

With the iPhone 6 visuals we’ve seen, there are breaks in the metal casing which are likely to be for radio signals, but they are much thinner than the end-caps on the 5s.

Positioning some of the antennas behind a plastic logo would be one way to make that work.

We’re not saying a glowing logo on the iPhone 6 is impossible, just that we certainly haven’t seen anything close to proof.

Alleged 4.7-inch iPhone 6 sapphire display meets sandpaper and Joe Rogan’s mean archery skills

Dom Esposito Jul 18 2014 - 8:43 pm PT

39 Comments

Last week, YouTuber Marques Brownlee got his hands on what is claimed to be a sapphire glass panel from Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6. The initial video (found here) put the panel through a variety of torture tests including, knives, keys, and even a flexibility test to show off the panel’s durability. While there were no scientific tests performed to prove the front glass is actually sapphire, the result of each test was very impressive. Well, apparently that wasn’t enough…

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New photos of purported Lightning and audio connections for iPhone 6 surface

Mike Beasley Jul 18 2014 - 7:45 pm PT

6 Comments

A user on the MacX forum [translation] claims to have gotten his hands on a part from the upcoming iPhone 6 that features the data and audio connectors, as well as one of the device’s microphones. The source of these photos? According to the poster:

Source is one of my junior high school classmates, he never phones in Shenzhen, the manufacturing industry a few years, I did not ask him where to come

Given the fact that this is from an unknown source, it would be prudent to question the veracity of any claims made regarding these images. That said, there’s also a chance the part could be real. Let’s take a closer look at the second photo:

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Can’t wait until September? The Goophone i6 is out now, and it will fool your friends

Ben Lovejoy Jul 18 2014 - 4:37 am PT

7 Comments

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z2C8ED4piM]

The iPhone 6 may not actually exist yet, but that hasn’t stopped Chinese clone manufacturers releasing functional knock-offs based on the leaks and mockups. Now Goophone – the company which previously made an extremely close copy of the iPhone 5s – has joined the party with the WICO i6.

As ever with Goophone, the quality of both the casing and the iOS-themed Android skin is certainly good enough to fool the casual observer – almost worth getting one to prank people …

As for the real thing, production of the 4.7-inch model is expected to start next week, and the 5.5-inch version the second week in August, Foxconn hiring 100,000 new workers for the assembly process.

There’s been a steady stream of claimed leaked parts from the phone, including a scratch test of a sapphire display; both photos and video of the back of the phone; the LCD bracket; the chassis; a ‘more durable’ Touch ID sensor‘; and a battery and camera sensor.

Problems with Hannover Apple Store reportedly resolved, opening in September

Ben Lovejoy Jul 18 2014 - 3:58 am PT

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Humidity and mold problems that delayed the opening of the new Apple Store in Hannover, Germany, have reportedly been resolved, and the store is now expected to open in September, reports ifun, citing several sources involved in the project.

The store had originally seemed close to completion in March, but humidity in the building reportedly led to mold in the fabric of the building, requiring remedial work.

The site ifun reported that employees who had already been hired based on the previous anticipated opening have been informed of the latest developments, and is speculating that Apple may time the opening to coincide with the launch of the iPhone 6, rumored to be on 19th September.

Following with the appointment of retail head Angela Ahrendts, Apple announced an ambitious international expansion program for its retail stores, with around 20 expected to open this year. International stores already opened this year include the first ever Apple Stores in Brazil and Turkey, the fourth store in Switzerland and the eighth store in Japan.

Earlier this month, Apple was granted a European trademark on the design of its retail stores.

4.7-inch iPhone production to start third week of July, 5.5-inch second week of August as Foxconn confirms hiring of 100K workers

Mike Beasley Jul 17 2014 - 7:04 pm PT

29 Comments

Apple is set to begin mass production of the next-generation iPhone next week, the Economic Daily reported today. According to the report, the smaller 4.7-inch model will enter production in the third week of July, while the larger 5.5-inch variant will enter production in the second week of August. The bigger of the two models is said to be facing production setbacks that could lead to a much later launch date than its smaller cousin.

iPhone manufacturer Foxconn added some credence to the timing of the production rumors by officially confirming plans originally reported earlier this month to hire 100,000 new workers to build the upcoming device. Sapphire crystal for the displays (which we’ve recently seen in multiple videos) has been in production at Apple’s Mesa, AZ plant for several months now in preparation for mass production.

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Analysts believe sapphire display covers will be limited to high-end iPhone 6 models only

Benjamin Mayo Jul 17 2014 - 6:27 am PT

12 Comments

Analysts at JP Morgan securities suggest that production output of sapphire display covers are not enough to satisfy all iPhone 6 demand and say that sapphire will be restricted to higher-end variants of the iPhone 6 only, in a report highlighted by the Taipei Times.

JP Morgan says that sapphire display cover volume will be about 10 million units in 2014. To put this number into perspective, Apple sold 51 million iPhones in the first full quarter of iPhone 5s sales last year.

“Sapphire covers will also be restricted to high-end iPhones, possibly the 128GB [gigabyte] ones,” the brokerage said in the report.

The report says that sapphire will be limited to higher-capacity iPhone models, “possibly” only the 128 GB SKU’s. The additional cost of sapphire over Gorilla Glass also factor in, aside from pure production limitations.

Matching a report from yesterday, the analysts also suggest that not all iWatches will ship with sapphire coatings, either. Both the iWatch and the iPhone 6 are expected to be announced in the third quarter.

Sketchy rumor of 13MP camera in iPhone 6, as earlier battery power rumor backed by claimed photo

Ben Lovejoy Jul 17 2014 - 4:25 am PT

21 Comments

GforGames is citing a Chinese web forum for a rumor that the iPhone 6 camera will get a bump from 8MP to 13MP as Apple switches to to an improved version of the Sony Exmor sensor. The Sony Exmor IMX220 is a larger 1/2.3-inch sensor that can support up to 20MP, but Apple is said to be planning to use it in its 13MP incarnation.

While a Chinese web forum is generally as unreliable a source as you can get, GoforGames claims that this one has a good track-record with Sony-related rumors …
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Claimed photos emerge of “more durable” Touch ID sensor for iPhone 6

Ben Lovejoy Jul 16 2014 - 7:01 am PT

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French site NWE has posted photos from Japan of what it claims is the Touch ID sensor for the iPhone 6.

The photos don’t give anything away, with the only visible differences being in the location of screw holes – which is to be expected given the significant redesign of the new model iPhone.

There have been rumors that Apple has made changes to the Touch ID sensor to improve durability, but there’s nothing here to shed any light either way. For whatever it may be worth, though, you can see the second photo below …
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iPhone 5s remains world’s best-selling phone, iPhone 5c takes number 5 slot

Ben Lovejoy Jul 15 2014 - 7:06 am PT

14 Comments

Sales channel data from 35 countries compiled by Counterpoint shows that the iPhone 5s remained the world’s best-selling phone as of May, some eight months after its launch. This backs up a report from ABI Research that the phone had retained the number one slot through Q1.

Apple’s iPhone 5s continues to be the bestselling phone in the world, a spot that many expected to be taken by Samsung’s Galaxy S 5. The highly anticipated Galaxy S5 comes in at second place but still a quite distant number two in terms of (sell through) unit sales.

The news wasn’t quite so good for the iPhone 5c, which came in at number 5, behind both the Samsung S5 and last year’s S4 – as well as the company’s Note 3 phablet.

The iPhone 4S keeps on trucking: two-and-a-half years after its release, Counterpoint shows it at number 6 – one notch down from ABI’s Q1 data.

Overall, Samsung has roughly twice Apple’s market share thanks to a huge range of handsets at all price levels, a statistic that is unlikely to keep Tim Cook awake at night even if market share doesn’t increase, as Apple takes home the lion’s share of the profits – something you can watch in real-time thanks to an interactive graphic.

It’s widely expected that the iPhone 6 will boost Apple’s share of the market as it taps into demand for larger displays, with Cook saying last month that there is more growth to come from Android migration.

(via Business Insider)

Apple is refused Touch ID trademark by USPTO – has six months to respond

Ben Lovejoy Jul 15 2014 - 4:24 am PT

3 Comments

Patently Apple reports that the US Patent & Trademark Office has refused Apple’s application for a trademark in Touch ID. The decision – made in May but only now made public – is because another company already holds a trademark for Kronos Touch ID, and there is a “likelihood of confusion” given the very similar names.

USPTO states that “Trademark Act Section 2(d) bars registration of an applied-for mark that so resembles a registered mark that it is likely that a potential consumer would be confused or mistaken or deceived as to the source of the goods and/or services of the applicant and registrant.

In this case, the following factors are the most relevant: similarity of the marks, similarity of the goods and/or services, and similarity of trade channels of the goods and/or services.

A search of the USPTO trademark database shows that the Kronos Touch ID trademark also related to a fingerprint recognition system, and that it has held the trademark since 2001:

Apple only applied for its trademark in January of this year:

Apple has six months to respond to the USPTO with a suggested remedy, otherwise the trademark application will be treated as abandoned and it would be forced to rename the feature. As we can’t imagine this happening – especially as we expect Touch ID to appear on iPads in the fall – it seems most likely that Apple will be heading over to Kronos’s offices, check-book in hand …

KGI: 5.5-inch iPhone 6 likely to be delayed until after October, possibly until 2015

Mike Beasley Jul 13 2014 - 4:21 pm PT

34 Comments

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has provided accurate Apple product information in the past (timing aside), has released a new research note predicting that supply constraints on key components may result in a serious delay in the release of the larger iPhone 6 model with a 5.5-inch display. According to the note, issues with the in-cell touch panel and coloring of the device could push the launch of the device back to a post-October date, possibly as late as next year:

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Apple paid out over $3 billion to small businesses last year through SupplierPay program

Mike Beasley Jul 11 2014 - 5:16 pm PT

4 Comments

Apple’s operations chief said today that the company paid out over $3 billion to small businesses that supplied Apple with parts for its products in 2013. That money was split up between around 7,000 different suppliers as part of the SupplierPay program started by the White House.

SupplierPay is an extension of a federal program called QuickPay that required the government to issue payments to small business partners within 15 days of billing in an attempt to promote economic growth. With SupplierPay, the program is extended (optionally) to private businesses like Apple.

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4.7-inch iPhone 6 LCD bracket shown in new photo?

Mike Beasley Jul 10 2014 - 2:32 pm PT

7 Comments

A new photo posted to Apple.Club.tw shows off what is claimed to be the LCD and home button bracket for the upcoming 4.7-inch iPhone 6. We’ve already gotten a look at several parts of the unannounced smartphone in recent leaks, from the sapphire crystal glass to the front of the shell in both black and white. Yesterday we got a look at the back casing for this device as well.

It’s difficult to tell if this part actually belongs to the iPhone 6. It is possible this is a frame for the upcoming Amazon Fire Phone which has a similar structure and camera components on all four corners. The frame also appears less round and thicker than the previously leaked iPhone 6 frames.

These aren’t the first such leaks in recent months. We’ve seen other photos of the front and back of the 4.7-inch phone from last month. The part shown in this new photo seems to fit with those components.

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The sketchy iPhone 6 rumors keep coming – haptic feedback & 68M orders

Ben Lovejoy Jul 10 2014 - 4:05 am PT

12 Comments

GforGames is citing Chinese site Laoyaoba and Taiwanese site Business Weekly for a couple of sketchy iPhone 6 rumors.

First, that the new iPhone will use haptic feedback – using a more sophisticated vibration motor to provide simulated tactile feedback on the display. This report is extremely light on detail, stating only that the motors are made by AAC (an existing Apple supplier) and Jinlong Electrical, and that they cost around two to three times the 60 cent cost of the vibration motor used in the iPhone 5s and 5c …
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