iPhone 6

798 'iPhone 6' stories January 2013 - March 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

Japan Display shows off 5.5-inch, quad-HD mobile phone display that might land in iPhone 6

Mike Beasley Mar 28 2014 - 4:01 pm PT

23 Comments

Full-size image below

Japan Display—one of Apple’s iPhone display suppliers—announced a new 5.5-inch mobile phone display this week that could provide a hint at what we’ll see in the next iPhone. The display. The display sports a resolution of 1,440x 2,560 (or quad-HD) and a pixel density of 538ppi—well above “Retina” quality.

The display will go into mass production very soon, lining up with reports that the next iPhone display would also be entering this phase in the next month or so in order to achieve a September launch. The new Japan Display model matches up with the iPhone 6 rumors in size, resolution, and production schedule.

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This week’s iPhone 6 concepts seemingly inspired by iPod Nanos

Ben Lovejoy Mar 28 2014 - 5:41 am PT

51 Comments

One of our favourite concept designers, Martin Hajek, has been busy again – this time with an iPhone 6 concept reminiscent of the iPod Nano design, commissioned by Dutch site iPhoneclub.

The iPhone 6 is widely expected to be launched in two different sizes, with Bloomberg and Nikkei specifically suggesting 4.7- and 5.5-inch sizes. Hajek’s design shows the 4.7-inch model, though thinner bezels and reduced casing top and bottom mean that the exterior dimensions don’t increase too dramatically.

Three of the images contrast the new concept with the iPhone 5s, shown in the gallery below …
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Pegatron reportedly starting iPhone 6 mass production in Q2

Mike Beasley Mar 17 2014 - 9:27 pm PT

15 Comments

Pegatron is gearing up to start mass-producing the next-generation iPhone, according to a report by The Commercial Times. Production of the next iPhone (or iPhones) is said to be starting in Q2, though there aren’t many more specifics available, and no indication of just how many devices will be produced at that time.

Currently not much is known about the so-called iPhone 6 aside from a few details about its display, which is said to be made of sapphire (possibly at Apple’s new Mesa, AZ plant) and will be bigger than the current iPhone display. Some reports even indicate that there could be two new models with differing screen sizes, both bigger than the iPhone 5s.

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iPhone 6 concept video shows off 4.5″ curved display with iPad Air design

Zac Hall Mar 13 2014 - 1:06 pm PT

23 Comments

As mockups go, this iPhone 6 concept video via Ran Avni and company shows off much of what I would love to see in the next iPhone redesign. The design language from the iPod touch, iPad Air, and iPad mini is just begging to be coupled with the iPhone. Personally, I’m a big fan of the smoother, less boxy look. See for yourself below.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdOHASuFB-0]

Update: here’s another:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y6ZAH8c1MM]

Get into AAPL in April, suggests analyst, anticipating soft Q2 numbers before new products kick in

Ben Lovejoy Mar 13 2014 - 5:10 am PT

1 Comment

Wedge Partners analyst Brian Blair has suggested that Apple’s share price could be temporarily depressed by disappointing Q2 results in March before climbing by as much as 20 percent in response to new products in the fall, reports Barrons.

This gap between what is actually happening at Apple and investor sentiment is providing an opportunity for investors. We believe this opportunity should be taken advantage of before Apple’s next array of products hit the market, though the best time to own the stock may be in April after we get the March quarter/June guide behind us.

Blair cites several factors for expecting the stock to take a hit in March when Apple reports its earnings for its Q2 fiscal year (Q1 calendar year). Among them are the general slowdown in the saturated high-end smartphone market, continued soft demand for the iPhone 5c, overly-optimistic market forecasts for China Mobile sales and a reduction in the number of people upgrading their iPhone as they wait for the rumored larger-screen phone(s) in the fall.

The longer-term outlook is, however, excellent, believes Blair. He expects Touch ID to be rolled out across all iPhones and iPads in readiness for the launch of a mobile payment solution, and he thinks the expected larger iPhone 6 will sell well, especially in Asia.

In terms of completely new products, Blair is predicting the launch of the iWatch in September and a 12-inch display device he expects to see unveiled at WWDC, whether it is the much-rumored iPad Pro or a new 12-inch MacBook Air.

As ever, make your own decisions where investments are concerned …

Via CNET

Will Apple extend sapphire screens to iPads, even at a cost to its margins? [Poll]

Ben Lovejoy Mar 11 2014 - 7:46 am PT

27 Comments

While it’s not yet certain that the iPhone 6 screen will get a sapphire layer, that’s certainly the way things look at present – providing a screen that is pretty much impervious to scratches (though no more resistant to breakage).

The problem with sapphire is it’s about ten times as expensive as Gorilla Glass. There have been vague suggestions that new manufacturing techniques might narrow the gap, but it still seems likely that Apple will have to sacrifice a bit of margin to introduce the material.

That’s likely a cost the company can afford, given the marketing benefit of an effectively scratchproof screen. But will we also see sapphire screens on iPads … ?
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Most iPhone 6 concept videos are silly, this one could be fairly accurate [Poll]

Ben Lovejoy Mar 10 2014 - 5:47 am PT

41 Comments

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPY5Bu67iY4]

There are a lot of very silly iPhone 6 concept images and videos around, from convex curves that maximize reflections and vulnerability to damage, to completely transparent phones (invisible batteries and circuit boards are the new black, apparently). This concept by Sam Beckett isn’t terribly exciting, but it is likely reasonably close to what we might expect Apple to do …
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Gorilla Glass maker Corning (predictably) slams sapphire, saying weaker and dimmer

Ben Lovejoy Mar 5 2014 - 4:47 am PT

16 Comments

In the tech equivalent of a turkey dissing Thanksgiving dinners, Corning SVP Tony Tripeny has criticized sapphire as a material for protecting phone screens, coming up with a whole list of claimed drawbacks, reports CNET.

We see a lot of disadvantages of Sapphire versus Gorilla Glass. It’s about 10 times more expensive. It’s about 1.6 times heavier. It’s environmentally unfriendly. It takes about 100 times more energy to generate a Sapphire crystal than it does glass. It transmits less light which…means either dimmer devices or shorter battery life. It continues to break. I think while it’s a scratch resistant product it still breaks and our testing says that Gorilla Glass [can take] about 2.5 times more pressure that it can take.

Sapphire is far more resistant to scratches than Gorilla Glass, but Corning argue that it is more likely to be smashed.

Apple is expected to switch to a sapphire coating for the iPhone 6, manufacturing the material at the plant it jointly operates with GTAT in Arizona. While the material is indeed currently much more expensive than glass, it has been suggested that the costs could be substantially reduced with new production techniques.

Could this be our first look at the much larger iPhone 6?

Michael Steeber Feb 12 2014 - 2:33 pm PT

112 Comments

Update: These appear to be fake…

Sonny Dickson has posted images today which claim to show the casing for the next generation iPhone. The metal shell, which closely resembled both the industrial design of the current iPod touch and iPad Air, appears to be of unibody construction. While it’s impossible to verify the legitimacy of these images at this time, they provide an interesting look at what Apple might be planning.

We’ve been hearing reports that the next iPhone will feature a larger, sapphire crystal display, and these images support those rumors, sporting what looks like much larger casing. The report also hints that the current iPhone 5s may stick around, but be manufactured out of cheaper materials, alongside both 4.7 and 5.5″ iPhone models. But what does that mean for this shell?

We’ve got lots more images in the full gallery below:

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Next iPhone reportedly sports a larger screen and sapphire crystal display

Mike Beasley Feb 11 2014 - 8:52 pm PT

101 Comments

Apple is preparing to release not one, but two new versions of the iPhone in September, according to the South China Morning Post. Each version will ship with a larger display than the iPhone 5s, coming in at a whopping 4.7″ and 5.5″, respectively. The displays are said to have a pixel density of 441ppi, much higher than the current 326ppi found in the iPhone 5 and later.

The report also states that both displays will be made from sapphire crystal, which fits with recent reports that Apple is planning to have its latest sapphire plant in Mesa, AZ operational in February for a “critical” product component. The displays will also be flat, not curved, the Post says.

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Chart shows how much of your iPhone is actually display

Jordan Kahn Feb 11 2014 - 11:28 am PT

18 Comments

Have you ever wondered how much of your phone is actually screen? That is, how much of your phone is usable screen real estate in relation to the overall size the device? The chart above from @somospostpc shows you exactly that for some of the most popular devices from LG, Samsung, HTC, Nokia, Motorola and Apple. The LG G2 comes out on top at 75.7% display compared to 60% and below for the current lineup of iPhones.

Apple is at a disadvantage because of the home button/Touch ID rather than the on screen buttons of Android. Also, the iPhone is symmetric meaning the same big bezel on the bottom is needed at the top so that the screen sits in the exact middle of the phone.

If the rumors are true, we could start to see manufacturers try to increase screen real estate by eliminating even more of the bezel. In Apple’s case, that would likely require eliminating the home button and moving the TouchID sensor under the glass.

Double debunk: bezel-free iPhones, sapphire iWatch only?

Jordan Kahn Feb 11 2014 - 10:24 am PT

7 Comments

Two Apple rumors have popped up today originating from the KoreaHerald and Chinese media outlet MyDrivers (via Gforgames) that claim to share new details about upcoming next-generation iPhones. The first report from MyDrivers claims that industry sources from Taiwan say Apple won’t move to sapphire for the next-gen iPhone display. It cites cost and limited production capacity, but claims Apple is prototyping an “iPhone 6” with sapphire display anyway. The biggest problem with this report— apart from the site’s track record— is that Apple recently acquired enough equipment for its new Arizona sapphire plant to produce 100-200 million 5-inch iPhone displays a year. While the report adds that Apple will likely use sapphire for the rumored iWatch display, it’s certainly preparing its Arizona plant to produce much beyond just that product.

Next we have the KoreaHerald report claiming that both Samsung and Apple are working on bezel-less displays and that Apple is prototyping one that includes a fingerprint sensor:
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Sony expands camera operations to likely supply Apple with front-facing iPhone cameras

Zac Hall Feb 11 2014 - 10:01 am PT

1 Comment

Sony is positioned to dramatically increase its sales of CMOS cameras to Apple for use in an unreleased iPhone, Nikkei Asian Review reports. Sony already supplies most of the rear-facing iSight cameras shipping on iPhones today, and as the report suggests, negotiations between Sony and Apple to double the amount of CMOS sensors supplied points to Sony also providing the sensor for the front-facing iPhone camera…
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Future iPhones could be built by Google robots on Foxconn production lines

Ben Lovejoy Feb 11 2014 - 5:37 am PT

7 Comments

In what would be a rather amusing twist, future iPhones could be built by Google robots as Google’s robotics division assists Foxconn to “speed up robot deployment” at its factories.

The WSJ reports that Foxconn was looking for assistance in automating its production lines, while Google is aiming to introduce robots to manufacturing processes that have so far been largely manual – electronics assembly being a key example. It takes around 600 people to make each iPhone.

Foxconn has been working with former Android executive Andy Rubin since last year to carry out the U.S. company’s vision for robotics.

To speed up robot deployment at its own factories, Foxconn Chairman Terry Gou met with Rubin in Taipei recently and they discussed new robotic technologies, they said.

At the meeting, Gou expressed excitement over new automation technologies demonstrated by Rubin, they said. Rubin also asked Gou to help integrate a technology company that Google is acquiring as Foxconn’s strength lies in mechanical engineering.

Google has acquired eight robotics companies over the course of the past year, and is believed to have ambitions to create a robotic operating system that would be to manufacturing what Android is to smartphones. Foxconn is looking to reduce operating costs and boost efficiency.

“Foxconn needs Google’s help to step up automation at its factories as the company has the lowest sales per employee among the contract makers, given its large workforce,” said Wanli Wang, an analyst at CIMB Securities.

Tax-breaks for jobs: How Arizona attracted Apple to Mesa w/ tax breaks & perks for new Sapphire plant

Jordan Kahn Feb 10 2014 - 7:39 am PT

3 Comments

If you were wondering why Apple chose Mesa, Arizona, as the location of its latest manufacturing plant in the U.S., a story today from Bloomberg explains that Apple, not shy about going after tax breaks, has taken advantage of many perks put in place by the suburb’s mayor:

So last year, when Apple was searching for a place to house a factory that makes a stronger glass for its gadgets, Mesa pulled out the stops. The city, which was ravaged by the 2007 housing crash, offered tax breaks, built power lines, fast-tracked building permits and got the state to declare a vacant 1.3 million-square-foot facility that Apple was exploring a foreign trade zone. With unemployment high, such are the lengths that towns are willing to go to to lure the world’s most valuable company.“Any time you have a company like Apple come in and invest in your area, especially with this type of operation, it’s significant,” said Smith, who triumphed late last year when Apple spent $114 million to buy the factory. The mayor celebrated by placing bowls of green and red apples in City Hall.

Smith added that original preparations were done before the city even knew it was Apple, but later Apple requested additional perks before moving in and even got construction permits expedited. Among the other advantages of choosing Mesa for Apple was a $10 million building grant from the Arizona Commerce Authority and an agreement with the city’s power company to build solar and geothermal installations and a new power substation for the plant:
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Speculation and circumstantial evidence points toward possibility of Apple using solar in upcoming products

Ben Lovejoy Jan 29 2014 - 7:34 am PT

35 Comments

Image: 1iphone5wallpaper.com

There has long been speculation about Apple incorporating a solar panel into its products, both for environmental reasons and to boost battery-life. There have been Mobile-Solar Apple Jobs that have vanished after discovery, tons of patents, trial rumors and of course the Solar effort/expertise on Apple’s Data Centers and new Campus 2 building. This week, Seeking Alpha has a highly speculative piece by Matt Margolis suggesting that the evidence may be mounting for the iPhone 6 being the product Apple uses to bring the Solar idea to market.

Before we get too far into the speculation, it is worthwhile to note that the surface area of an iPhone would hardly be enough to keep a charge let alone recharge a phone even with the most efficient solar technology in labs today. However, all of the evidence weighed together might make you forget all of that ‘science’…

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WSJ says two larger screened iPhone models due this year, plastic 5c to be scrapped

Mark Gurman Jan 23 2014 - 9:03 am PT

27 Comments

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is planning to release two distinct iPhone models with larger displays later this year. This corroborates a report from Bloomberg News published late last year, so this is not entirely new information. The first new iPhone is claimed to have a screen between 4.5 and 5-inches while the second model will go beyond 5-inches in size:

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Opinion: What approach will Apple take to deliver a larger-screen iPhone 6?

Ben Lovejoy Jan 17 2014 - 8:29 am PT

100 Comments

Concept image: Nikola Cirkovic

I wrote in an earlier opinion piece that 2014 is the year when I expect Apple to finally give in and opt for a larger iPhone display. Assuming I’m right, the question then becomes: what approach will Apple take?

There are two ways of increasing the size of a display. First, you can keep the resolution the same and simply use larger pixels. That’s what happens when a manufacturer makes a 1080P HD TV in both 40- and 50-inch sizes, for example. Both have 1920×1080 pixel displays, it’s just that the 50-inch display has larger pixels.

That would be by far the simplest approach for Apple to take. Provided it keeps the aspect ratio the same as the iPhone 5/c/s, then it can continue to use an 1136×640 display. All existing apps continue to work as-is, developers don’t have to do any work to support the larger display and everyone is happy . Or are they…
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Pegatron will make half of iPhone 6 supplies, says sketchy rumor

Ben Lovejoy Jan 10 2014 - 4:26 am PT

1 Comment

iPhone 6 concept by Nikola Cirkovic

Pegatron, which currently makes the iPhone 5c and iPad mini, is said to be gearing up to make around half of the production run of the iPhone 6 expected to be launched in the fall. It’s a pretty sketchy rumor, based on an anonymous source cited by Taiwanese site Liberty Times, but it is a plausible one at least.

While Apple has so far relied on Foxconn for the bulk of its manufacturing, it’s no secret that supply-chain maestro Tim Cook has been keen to diversify manufacturing in order to reduce risks, a desire reportedly intensified by quality-control issues at Foxconn. As of last August, work for Apple made up 27 percent of Pegatron’s turnover.

The iPhone 6 is, of course, simply the subject of speculation at present. Rumors so far suggest that the iPhone 6 will have a larger screen (possibly in two sizes, though I remain skeptical about that personally), something our own poll suggested would be popular. A completely unverified pair of photos claims the new phone will be slimmer.

It’s also been said that Apple will stick with an 8MP camera, focusing its attentions on low-light and dynamic range rather than the pixel count. Plus, of course, we have the traditional annual rumor that Apple will shift its chip production from Samsung to TSMC.

While nothing is actually known, there are plenty of concept images around to keep us entertained.

Report suggests iPhone 6 could once again retain 8 MP camera, focus on improved optics

Zac Hall Jan 9 2014 - 7:53 am PT

55 Comments

When Steve Jobs introduced the iPhone 4 in 2010, Apple began focusing heavily on the device’s camera as an area for continuous improvement and promotion. That device featured a 5 MP backside camera, and the next three models (iPhone 4s, iPhone 5, iPhone 5s) featured an 8 MP iSight camera with various improvements along the way.

That pixel count may not change according to a report from The China Post (via MacRumors) which cites financial group Nomura Securities and falling shares of Largen Precision Company.

According to Nomura Securities (野村證券), Largan’s recently lagging performance in the market is caused by rumors that Apple may adopt an 8 mega-pixel (MP) camera with improved optical image stabilization on its upcoming handset, instead of the 16 MP upgrade anticipated by industry observers.

While the report leaves room to speculate a minor bump in pixel count could see the light of day, it’s not too farfetched to believe Apple’s successor to the iPhone 5s could resist increasing pixel count in favor of further improving optical performance with low light and high dynamic range capturing…
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Incredibly sketchy, thin, and unverified next-generation larger iPhone frame photos surface

Mark Gurman Jan 8 2014 - 10:57 am PT

26 Comments

The latest iPhone model came out just a few months ago, so that means that rumors and speculation about the next model are already emerging. Sometimes reliable CTech posted the above snaps on Weibo. They and others believe that the above kit represents frames for the rumored larger-screened iPhone. While such a device is due out later this year, the above photos appear to be incredible sketchy in nature. They are also completely unverified by us. The frames also look particularly thin, but in the age of the iPad Air, maybe there is some truth behind the blur.

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Opinion: What might we expect from Apple in 2014?

Ben Lovejoy Dec 31 2013 - 7:50 am PT

93 Comments

Image: wallsfeed.com

Tech journalists don’t often have to battle our way across hostile terrain in sub-zero temperatures, fight crocodiles with our bare hands, or abseil from helicopters to rescue hostages (though that remains my cover story for the time I broke my elbow by tripping up in an airport).

We do, however, occasionally do something almost as dangerous: make predictions about the tech future, knowing full well that our words remain forever archived on the web for people to dust off a year from now and gleefully point out just how wrong we were.

This is never more risky than in the case of Apple, a company notoriously secretive about its activities, and where there are way more false rumors than reliable ones. But hey, what’s life without a little adventure? So here are my predictions on what I think we can expect from Apple next year …
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Questionable analyst roundup: 10M home automation iWatches? 12-inch MacBook Air and much more

Ben Lovejoy Oct 11 2013 - 4:40 am PT

4 Comments

Home automation image: insideci.co.uk

There are a couple of analyst rumors doing the rounds at present that are best described as … questionable.

First, we have Brian White claim (via VentureBeat) that the key focus of the long-rumored iWatch is as a control for home automation systems.

As an Apple supplier, our contact offered insight into the “iWatch” and described this potential new device as much more than an extension of your iPhone but as a multi-purpose gateway in allowing consumers to control their home (i.e., heating/cooling, lights, audio, video, etc.)

You may recall that Mr White is a man who likes his remotes: he predicted back in April that the Apple HDTV (which he always claims is going to be released in the next quarter or two) would be controlled by an iRing …
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Rumor: Apple will be moving to TSMC for A8 chip production for the 4th year in a row

Ben Lovejoy Sep 30 2013 - 4:01 am PT

6 Comments

A 20nm test chip from TSMC

Oh, Digitimes. This is the 4th year in a row that you’ve reported that Apple would be moving its chip business away from Samsung in Texas to the friendly local confines of the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC). This time however, the report hedges the bet saying only a portion of the production will move to Taiwan. It also sources a Korean publication Hankyung.

Apple shifting production of its iPhone and iPad chips away from Samsung to TSMC is one of those constant rumors, dating back to at least 2011.

Taiwan-based Commercial Times said a trial with Apple was set to kick off in Q1 for the A6X chip, which didn’t happen. DigiTimes, a site not noted for its accuracy, regularly reports that Apple is shifting its chip production to TSMC, and claimed back in June that this would be the case for the A8 chip, saying that production would start in early 2014. Since we’re not expecting the iPhone 6 until the fall, it’s hard to see why this would be the case.

The WSJ reported back in June of this year that a deal had finally been struck, but big investments by Samsung in its new Austin, Texas plant suggest that multi-year contracts are likely in place, and The Korea Economic Daily is claiming that Samsung will still make 30-40 percent of the A8 processors in next year’s iPhone 6.

This is said to be TMSC experiencing difficulties (presumably yield rates) with its manufacture of 20nm chips. It was recently confirmed that the A7 chip in the iPhone 5s was made by Samsung.
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