iPhone 6

Lately, there has been a storm of rumored iPhone 6 images, renders, schematics, and videos. We’ve seen just about everything that the rumor mill has to offer at this point. All of the mockups that have been floating around may not match up with Apple’s official iPhone 6 design, but they are definitely convincing to an extent.

We recently put together a video comparing an iPhone 6 mockup to the iPhone 5s and fifth generation iPod touch, but what about Apple’s other iOS devices? In the video below, we compare this alleged iPhone 6 design to the iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhone 4/4s, iPhone 5s, iPhone 5c, and iPod touch. Hopefully this massive comparison will put an end to any other questions regarding the rumored iPhone 6 design, but based on the mockup units we’ve obtained the iPhone 6 is going to be a very large device and possibly feature a sharper 1704 x 960 resolution display.

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According to Shanghai Mobile analyst Frank Hill, Apple has reached a deal with mobile payment provider China UnionPay that would enable the next iPhone to make purchases at millions of supported Chinese point-of-sale devices. This would work in conjunction with NFC hardware said to be included in the next iPhone model.

UnionPay works with many of China’s major banks, and is the only domestic mobile payment company operating in the country. Several banks have reportedly been invited by UnionPay to participate in the development of a new system that is compatible with iOS devices.

While rumors of NFC in the iPhone have been relatively rare compared to some previous upgrade cycles, this isn’t the first time this year we’ve seen mentions of the technology finally making its way into Apple’s smartphone. Last month a report from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo indicated that we’d see near-field communication in the upcoming device.

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Based on all of the iPhone 6 dummy units we’ve seen, this rumored design closely resembles Apple’s fifth generation iPod touch, but that’s not all. As shown in the video below, the alleged iPhone 6 design looks very similar to another flagship smartphone released this year.

The HTC One M8 and iPhone 6 mockup look like cousins or long-lost brothers when it comes to their design. Of course there’s no confirmation that Apple is actually using this design for the iPhone 6, but almost all of these mockups have been manufactured based on “leaked” schematics and specifications.

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We’ve recently obtained two iPhone 6 mockups in Gold and Space Gray and have put together a video comparing them to Apple’s iPhone 5s, fifth generation iPod touch, and the alleged iPhone 6 cases we’ve previously covered. We’ve seen quite a bit of news surrounding these dummy devices, but most of the time, the photos aren’t the best and we’re left wanting more information and details.

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This isn’t the first time we’ve seen rumored schematics for Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6, but this time we’re presented with a detailed set of 3D renders. These images are claimed to be the source of design for all of the recent dummy iPhone 6 units that we’ve reported on, and allegedly, from a supplier based on Apple’s design.

We’re a bit skeptical of these renders, as anyone should be when dealing with these types of leaks. These images were originally obtained by the Wei Feng network (via G4Games) from “informed sources.” These alleged 3D schematics include dimensions and look very similar to all of the mockups that we’ve seen in the past.

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Another day, another dummy. We’ve recently obtained new images showing what appears to be a gold iPhone 6 mockup pictured next to the other two color variations that Apple currently offers. As mentioned, this is definitely a dummy model, but it’s also the first time we’ve seen a gold one.

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The newest reports from Taiwanese media indicate that the iPhone 6 could possibly be revealed in August, not September. According to these rumors, the smaller, 4.7-inch model could be available for purchase the same month, with the larger 5.5-inch version going on sale in September—the month in which most rumors had originally predicted the reveal.

As we’ve previously reported, the next iPhone will likely be available in two versions, each with a different size screen larger than the current 4-inch iPhone 5s. Both phones will feature sapphire displays, which Apple recently began manfucaturing in China using sapphire crystal processed at its new Mesa, AZ facility.

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GT Advanced Technology has given an update on the status of its contract to supply Apple with sapphire displays for the upcoming iPhone 6 displays. According to the information provided with the company’s Q1 2014 financial report, Apple has already made three of four payments to GT Advanced for the sapphire, and GT notes that so far it is on track to meet demand.

Apple struck a deal with GTA last year to manufacture the sapphire displays that are expected to appear in the next-generation iPhone at a new plant in Mesa, Arizona. Earlier this year the plant was outfitted with enough sapphire crystal furnaces to create an estimated 100-200 million displays. At the end of April, Apple started sending its first shipments of sapphire to China, where the new iPhone models will be manufactured. These displays are expected to make their debut in the fall of this year along with two new iPhone models, each sporting a different size sapphire screen.

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Have you ever wanted to create your very own iPhone 6 mockup video? Well, today is your lucky day. Thanks to Chinese site Taobao you may have the opportunity to purchase one of these sketchy dummy devices. (Rumors not included.)

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More images of an iPhone 6 mockup have recently been published via NoWhereElse. At this point, publishing these dummy models has become somewhat of a daily ritual, but they are definitely interesting to look at.

If it means anything, these are definitely the most detailed iPhone 6 dummy models that we’ve seen to date. Like previous mockups, there’s nothing special to see here, but if these models are designed around the rumored specifications, it may give us an idea of what’s coming down the line later this year.

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Here’s your daily dose of iPhone 6 mockups. This time, images of a white/silver iPhone 6 dummy have been posted on Chinese website Baidu. The images don’t reveal anything exciting or new, but they may give you a better idea of what could be coming later this year.

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There’s a certain marketing genius to Apple’s tiered pricing for flash storage on its iPhones and iPads. Since customers can’t add storage via a microSD card later, they have to decide in advance how much storage they need, and many of us are going to err on the side of safety, bumping our purchase up to a higher price-band.

Adding $100 or $200 to the price of an iDevice for maybe $5-10 worth of flash storage/controller capacity is an important source of income for Apple, and one of the reasons its margins are so high. Whatever the company makes on a 16GB device, if it can upsell you to a 32GB or 64GB (or even 128GB, in the case of the iPad), almost all of the premium charged on those beefier models is pure profit.

It’s not money Apple would give up lightly, but I do wonder whether it’s sustainable … 
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New images from Nowwhereelse.fr show some sort of physical mockup of the alleged ‘iPhone 6’ design we have seen from many sources in the past few days.

The purpose of this mockup model is not clear. At first glance, it seems like some sort of dummy model, that could be used by case manufacturers to validate and refine case designs. This is what the site has to say on the matter, via Google Translate:

Published by a member of a well-known Chinese forum indiscretions cabbage lovers, the three photos that I propose to examine in this article are meant to introduce the physical model of one of the two future iPhone rumored ad with a lot of leaks for several months already. Prototype for reference molding to prop in mobile telephony.

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Case designs and claimed leaked sketches are a less than wholly reliable method of predicting what the new iPhone 6 might look like, but we do seem to be hearing a fairly consistent story of a significantly slimmer handset with a rounded back. Very much like a larger iPod Touch, in fact.

Slimmer is likely to be welcomed, though there are those among us who’d prefer to stick to the existing thickness in return for greater battery-life, but with the iPhone expected to be available in 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch sizes, it’s likely that a larger battery will be possible even with a slimmer format … 
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UkranianiPhone.com has posted images of what it claims are iPhone 6 renders aimed at helping manufacturers produce accessories for the upcoming device.

The images appear to be better quality versions of the schematics leaked a few weeks ago. They depict the full-metal backplate with inlets at the top and bottom, assumedly related to the antenna structure. The cutouts for these lines match the image from the previous leaks. Interestingly, the renders also give specific measurements saying that the phone is 138mm in height, 67 mm in width, and 6 mm in depth.

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Tim Cook may well be right that iPad sales didn’t really fall 16 percent year-on-year, and that the number was artificially deflated by reduced retail inventories. It’s also true that it’s been the fastest-growing product line in Apple’s history, and his argument that its success in education will drive future demand also has merit.

But this chart from Business Insider tells a story that can’t be denied: the overall trend is for flat iPad sales.

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With it seeming increasingly likely that Apple plans to launch two versions of the iPhone 6, one with a 4.7-inch screen, the other with a larger 5.5-inch display, which one will you buy?

Last time we ran a poll, we didn’t know what sizes were on the cards, so simply asked you to choose from a range of sizes. At that point, most of you opted for something in the 4.6-5 inch range, with only 7 percent wanting something larger than five inches.

Now that the likely sizes seem more certain, and you’ve had a chance to look at a whole bunch of concept images, we thought it would be interesting to see whether you’re still of the same view, or whether or are now tempted by the idea of a 5.5-inch screen … 
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