Tag Archives: iphone 6

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Battery rumors for iPhone 6 begin piling up

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The iPhone 6 is expected to be revealed in just a few weeks, so it’s not unusual that rumors are starting to pile up. Two separate reports surfaced today that point to larger batteries in both the 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch devices. 

The first comes out of China, and shows pictures of a purported 2,915mAh battery, which is supposedly headed towards the 5.5 inch, aptly named by the same source, the iPhone 6L. Previous to this, there have been very few leaks pertaining to the larger version of the new iPhone. Most rumors for the 5.5 inch version point to an announcement alongside the 4.7 inch iPhone 6 on September 9th, but a release sometime towards the end of 2014.

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2,915mAh battery via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 internals via appledaily.com.tw
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iPhone 6 screen via appledaily.com.tw

The second report points towards a bigger battery for the 4.7 inch device. It purports to show a 1,810mAh battery, which is about 25% smaller than the current generation iPhone 5s. This seems to confirm a report that came out in July that showed similar pictures of the iPhone 6 battery. However, it seems to contradict analysis from famed Apple speculator Sun Chang Xu, who claimed that the 4.7 inch device would contain a 2,100mAh battery. 

Of the two reports, the second seems to be the most reliable, as it confirms another rumor that appeared in the press before. What’s most interesting, however, is that this marks the first time that parts for the larger version of the iPhone 6 have appeared online. There are two possible reasons for this. Either the report is false (read: made up), or the 5.5 inch iPhone 6 really is much farther behind in production than the 4.7 inch version. Which it is, is still a matter of speculation and doubt, and will be until the devices are launched in early September. 

In addition to parts leaks, iOS 8 is still getting closer to release, with a new beta expected sometime in the next week and half. iOS 8 contains highly anticipated additions to Apple’s iPhone operating system, including Extensions (for inter-app communication and third party keyboards), Continuity (for app continuous client between Apple devices), and Health (Apple’s first foray into the health market). 

There are still many questions, however, when it comes to Apple’s next iOS devices. For example, it is still unknown what is going to happen to the iPhone 5c. Will there be an update to it, or will that wait until next year? Will the iPhone 5s be this year’s marked down phone (replacing the 5c)? All of these will only be answered once Tim Cook stands on the stage on September 9th.

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Preview: Quick look at the forthcoming iPhone 6

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The iPhone 6 may be the most anticipated iPhone ever. Like every Apple product, there is always a plethora of rumors and speculation put out about the product months before the device is released. This year it looks like Apple will release two brand new iPhone models (last year they released the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c). 

iPhone Air: Screen Sizes

The most prominent rumor out there is that Apple will release two new iPhones with significantly larger screens. One will be a 4.7-inch iPhone, the other a 5.5-inch device. This also seems to be the most solid of the rumors we’ve seen thus far. 

When it comes to timing, the rumors are less clear. There have been some reports that the two devices will be released at the same time, while others claim that the 5.5-inch model will be delayed either later in 2014 or sometime in 2015. There are rumors from respectable tech blogs that Apple is planning to hold an iPhone-related event on September 9.

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iPhone 6 size comparison

Another murky area is the resolution of the iPhone 6 screen. Some rumors claim that Apple will stick with their current aspect ratio and pixel density, while others claim that they will eschew it and go for a more standard resolution like 1080p. The current batches of iPhones are all situated at 326ppi. If Apple sticks with a resolution that keeps that pixel density, they will make developers happy, since apps will be easy to upgrade to the new resolution. However, a more standard resolution like 1080p may make the device more future proof.

iPhone 6: Internals

Beyond size, there are other less-certain rumors relating to the internal components of the iPhone 6. Battery life, for instance, is something that hasn’t been nailed down by the rumor mill. Some rumors claim that it will be about the same as on the iPhone 5s, while others claim that the iPhone 6 might see a 45% increase. 

As for chipset, many analysts speculate that the iPhone six will see a system on a chip called the A8. Some rumors point to this being the first Apple SOC to see 2.0GHz. 

Finally, we know for sure (or at least it’s safe to assume) that the iPhone 6 will be the first device that comes with iOS 8. iOS 8 was announced in June at Apple’s annual WWDC developer event. It comes packed with new features like extensions and Continuity. 

iPhone 6: The Name

Similar to before the iPad announcement in 2010, many are speculating that this will be the year Apple changes the iPhone naming convention. Some speculate that they will mimic the iPad name change, and release an iPhone 6 (which will be the 4.7-inch version), and the iPhone Air (the 5.5-inch version).

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Only premium iPhone 6 models to receive sapphire displays

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The iPhone 6 is expected to be announced on September 9th, just a few weeks from now. In a normal year, the next iPhone would be well into production by now, with Apple producing the millions upon millions of devices they’ll need to meet the demand of the masses. This year, if reports are to be believed, Apple hasn’t yet finalized things as much as they would like.

According to a report out of the Wall Street Journal, Apple may still be deciding on whether or not to include the highly anticipated sapphire display on every version of the upcoming iPhone 6. The sources, named as “people familiar with the matter”, say that if Apple does decided to put a sapphire display on the iPhone 6, it’ll only be available on premium models. 

The rumors of a sapphire display have been around for the last year, and started with a partnership between Apple and GT Advanced Technologies, which produces sapphire products. In current models of the iPhone, Apple uses Corning’s Gorilla Glass. Sapphire displays would allow for a near indestructible display, something that is of interest to a great number of Apple iPhone users.

The difficulty, according to the WSJ report, is that sapphire displays are hard to make and are very expensive. That is what has led to their sources saying that the iPhone 6 models that do come with this new display technology will be more expensive than those that don’t. There are also inherent problems with using sapphire displays. They aren’t as clear as glass, which makes them harder to see through in sunlight. The displays are also much more prone to shattering, which seems to go against the rationale for using them on an iPhone, which has a reputation for shattered screens. 

Other rumors point towards only the 5.5-inch iPhone coming equipped with the sapphire display. It’s highly anticipated that the larger of the two new iPhones will be priced higher than the 4.7-inch version. 

The report isn’t concrete, however. The report seems to be coming out at a time when Apple should have already made these decisions. If these decisions still need to be made, the larger story would seem to be that there will be very few iPhone 6 models ready for launch in mid-September. 

As is per usual in these cases, the reader should take everything with a grain of salt. The Wall Street Journal does have a decent enough track record when it comes to Apple rumors, but like any other publication, they’ve been wrong almost as often as they’ve been right. 

If one had to speculate, it seems entirely possible that Apple will leave the sapphire display out of the equation until they can produce enough of the product to meet their demand while keep their prices the same and their margins high. That seems like the Apple thing to do.

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Apple iPhone 6 enters pre-production testing

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According to a new report out of China, the highly anticipated iPhone 6 has reached the final testing stage before entering mass production. According to the report the device has entered what’s called a Product Validation Test (PVT). It is used for final quality assurance testing. If the device fails, the production line can be altered to fix the issue. If the device passes, mass production can begin. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 6 at a media event on September 9th.

This report contradicts an earlier rumor that said the 4.7-inch model would be going into production in July. That rumor, frankly, makes much more sense, given the small amount of time between now and the expected launch of the device. It’s possible, however, that this new report refers to the 5.5-inch model, which has been rumored to be facing production delays due to battery and screen problems.

The iPhone 6 is expected to come in two different sizes, 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch. This will be the first time that the iPhone maker has released an iPhone bigger than 4-inches. The device is also expected to come with a fresh design, similar to the iPod Touch, as well as improved battery life and faster processors. As is usual during the pre-iPhone hype-fest, there have been hundreds of rumors leading up to the event in September.

In addition, the iPhone 6 will come with iOS 8, which is one of the most anticipated updates to the iPhone OS to date. It comes equipped with extensions (which will allow app-to-app communication), Continuity (for continuous-client between Mac and iOS), as well as many other long-sought after additions. 

Also, as usual, Apple is staying mum on the subject, declining to comment on any rumor or speculation. 

Looking Forward

The rumors themselves may or may not be true, hence the word rumor. However, looking at the rumors gives us an idea of what exactly Apple will announce when Tim Cook steps on stage September 9th. It seems fairly certain now, given the velocity of rumors that we will at least see a 4.7-inch iPhone 6. The larger screened phone, 5.5-inches, is much less certain. It seems probable that Apple has an iPhone that has that screen size, however, there haven’t been as many hardware leaks for it as there have been the 4.7” device.

Some rumors have pointed to the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 being delayed until later in 2014 or early 2015. As is almost always the case, rumors of any caliber should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

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New iPhone 6 battery could be 1,810 mAh or more

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According to a rumor, the new iPhone 6 may see a significant increase in battery capacity. Analyst Sun Chang Xu stated on social media that the highly anticipated iPhone 6 will come equipped with a 2,100mAh battery, which is a 45% increase in capacity over the current iPhone 5s.

The iPhone 5s has a 1,440mAh battery. Over the last few generations of iPhones, the capacity of the battery hasn’t differed significantly. Most of the iPhone’s battery improvements over that time have come from software optimizations done in iOS.

Apple will be able to include a larger battery because of the extra space provided by the larger screen, however that may not relate to longer life given the obvious increase in demand for power. It is widely expected that Apple will announce a 4.7 inch and a 5.5 inch iPhone 6 some time in September (recent rumors point to September 9 for the announcement).

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New iPhone 6 battery shown by the French site nowhereelse.fr

The battery capacity of the upcoming iPhone has been one of the least consistent rumors over the last few months. In July, a photo of a 1,810mAh battery floated around the internet. That would only be a slight increase over the 5s and could point to only a slight improvement in battery life, or perhaps none at all.

Recently, however, more reports similar to the rumor from Sun Chang Xu have surfaced. Historically, Apple has spent more time optimizing their software than building in ultra high capacity batteries in their devices. With iOS 8 arriving this fall, it’s possible that could be the case again.

The difference in this cycle, it seems, is that the amount of power that the iPhone 6 will require will be higher because of the significantly larger screen size. To put it all in perspective, some Android phones (which have had larger screen sizes for some time now), have significantly longer battery lives compared to the smaller iPhone.

The iPhone 6 is expected to bring a complete hardware redesign to the most popular smartphone in the world. Historically, Apple brings a new hardware design on whole number releases of the iPhone (iPhone 3G, iPhone 4, iPhone 5), while bringing incremental updates in between (iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5s). The iPhone 6, if rumors are to be believed, will keep on with this tradition.

The only thing the Apple community knows for sure is that nothing is set in concrete until Tim Cook steps on stage to announce the new device.