The Apple iPhone 6: bigger, stronger, feature packed.
The Apple iPhone 6 is expected to be nothing less than the best iPhone yet, by size, construction and hardware features.
Two different size models are likely to be released, at least one of which, around September 2014: a smaller 4.7 inch, and a larger 5.5 inch model. The increase in screen size will be a factor in how most users perceive the iPhone in respect to its Android competition, in light of the increasing consumer demand, which Apple has addressed during an internal presentation.
Why two sizes?
Apple’s previous success with splitting its audience in multiple categories, through the iPhone 5s and 5c makes perfect sense, as the iPhone’s toughest crowds voiced concerns of the iPhone as an elitary product. Production of different versions of the same product available to different income classes of users presents Apple with an opportunity to cater to more users and guarantee profits.
Tougher glass
Larger screen size comes at a cost, as most Android users would know, bigger phones are considerably more fragile and accident-prone. Apple is planning to address the issue by using Sapphire crystal, currently only used in the construction of tiny elements, like the camera lens and home button on the iPhone 5s.
Mass production of Sapphire glass has been prohibitively expensive up until now, but the recent partnership between Apple and GT Advanced, will allow Apple to gather mass quantities of Sapphire crystal sheets at a much lower cost. GT Advanced employs a particle accelerator, as a unique, and far cheaper way to manufacture the Sapphire sheets.
Higher resolution
Large screens mean higher resolution, and the iPhone 6 is expected to outperform any previous model with resolutions as high as 326ppi, or 1334x750 for the smaller version, and 401 ppi, or 1920x1080 for the larger 5.5 inches model.
Apple has been reluctant in introducing higher resolution, to minimize device fragmentation, meaning more work for app developers, yet it is a mandatory tradeoff when introducing larger retina displays.
Curved display might not be in the cards after all, but it will be lighter and brighter.
The iPhone 6 has been rumored to feature a curved display, yet more recent sources deny these allegations, and state that the new phone will continue to be flat.
The device might not feature a curved glass display, but the new design will showcase a thinner and lighter body, thanks to recent advancements in LED backlighting.
A better processor
The iPhone 6 will incorporate a smaller and energy efficient, 20-nanometer A8 chip, from TSMC. Samsung will be involved in the production. The chip will include a quad-core 64bit processor and graphics. The A8 could allow a mere 1GB of RAM, similarly to the A7 currently included in the iPhone 5s.
Better photos and video
While the iPhone 6 will feature the same 8-Megapixel sensor featured in the iPhone 5s, the camera quality will raise the bar in the same way as Apple did for the iPhone 5. Improvements will also include Optical Image Stabilization (OIS), as Apple’s partnership with InvenSense, which uses motion-tracking technology in its OIS technology.
More cool stuff
Compatible with Apple’s HomeKit introduction at the AWWDC, the iPhone 6 might feature several technologies in the realm of home automation and wearable tech, such as sensors able to detect atmospherical states, like humidity, air pressure and temperature.
On the health front, the new device might even include a heart rate monitor working in concert with the TSMC, or Touch ID fingerprint sensor, originally found in the iPhone 5s.
Improved WiFi is also in the cards, as the company is expected to upgrade the model to a 802.11ac standard.
NFC may make it into the iPhone 6 at last, as rumors have not ceased about Apple’s intentions of introducing mobile payment solutions.
iOS8 is also expected to ship with the new phone, allowing for integration between different Apple devices, both mobile and desktop.