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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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Rumors of next gen iPad get louder

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Rumors of the much anticipated iPhone 6 have been flowing through the rumor mill for months, yet little is known about the next update to Apple’s highly successful iPad line. Rumors surfaced Tuesday that the next generation of iPads will feature a anti-reflective coating which could make it easier for users to use the device outside and under harsh lighting.

According to the source at Bloomberg, “Mass production of a full-sized iPad with a 9.7-inch screen is already under way, with an unveiling projected for the end of this quarter or early next, said two of the people, who asked not to be identified because the details aren’t public. A new version of the 7.9-inch iPad mini is also entering production and will probably be available by the end of the year, they said.”

Outside of this new rumor, little is known about the next generation iPads. There are assumptions, however, that seem likely. For example they are expected to come equipped with Touch ID sensors, which up until now have been the sole province of the iPhone 5s (and eventually the iPhone 6). 

Other expectations point to an upgrade to the next generation Apple processor, which is expected to be called the A8. Outside of the name, not much is known.

Finally, it is expected that Apple will continue to release their two new iPad models in October, around a month after their September iPhone event. Both the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina Display are expected to be upgraded.

Enough to Save the iPad

Apple doomsayers point out that the iPad sales have been declining over the last few quarters. This past quarter saw sales decline nearly 9% year over year. Some analysts say that despite these recent rumors, the new iPads need to pack a punch if they want to stop the bleeding when it comes to iPad sales.

The iPad is different from the iPhone however. The iPhone has continued to grow despite swift competition because of the way the smartphone market is structured. People upgrade their phones every couple of years. The iPad market is much more similar to the computer market, where people only upgrade every four or five years, or only when they have to. 

For Apple this means that iPad sales will bottom out similar to the trajectory of the Mac. The Mac has never been as good a seller as the iPhone, and the upgrade cycles on those products is much longer than that of a smartphone. That, perhaps, is one of the reasons why Apple’s product cycle on the Macs (like the Mac mini and the Mac Pro) are much longer than the iPhone, which gets updated every year. 

For those reasons, many Apple watchers find it unsurprising that the most recent iPad upgrades will underwhelm those looking for more iPhone-like upgrades.

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Intel releases details on possible next gen MacBook chips

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Monday, Intel detailed the next generation chips that could be headed for the next iterations of the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro. The chipset, named Broadwell, comes out of Intel’s next generation fabricating process which outputs chips at 14-nanometer. That means that Intel can create chips that are both more powerful and more battery efficient. In this case there is also the added benefit of lower heat generation, which means computers like the MacBook Air can rely less on fans.

Benefits of Broadwell

In addition to the added power that is expected with a new Intel chip release, these new Broadwell chips will allow Apple to make slimmer laptops. According to the chipset’s design specifications, the chips have a thermal design point that is two times less than the previous generation. Bypassing the technical aspect of that, it basically means that these chips run about two times cooler than the pervious Intel chipset.

Currently the MacBook Air is one of the thinnest notebooks on the market. The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, remains much thicker. With the inclusion of these new chips, that could change.

Retina-Ready

The added power and battery benefits of these new Broadwell chips may finally allow Apple to release a retina-equipped MacBook Air. The previous Intel Chips had neither the power nor the battery savings needed in order to run a computer with a retina screen. Apple’s Retina MacBook Pros use the higher-end Intel processors, and have much bigger batteries.

There have been rumors of a 12 inch Apple MacBook that is similar to the MacBook Air in design, but contains a larger battery and a retina display.

Timing

Like most Intel chips that come off a new fabricating process, the Broadwell chip family has been constantly delayed. Part of the announcement today detailed the release schedule for the new chips. Intel says that computers containing the lower-end, battery saving processors will be out by the end of this year.

Looking at Apple’s release cycle, this announcement may have come too late to see any new Macs with these processors this year. Apple traditionally updates its MacBooks in the fall at its October event or in June at WWDC. If Apple does choose to release new hardware using Broadwell, it’s likely that any major refreshes don’t appear until sometime in 2015.

The chipset family includes several different chips. The only one that will be ready for release this year is the Core M processor. Unfortunately, that will be too small for any Apple laptop, as it only runs at 5 watts, not the 15 that runs in Apple’s MacBook Air line. The larger chips that contain the power Apple would need for the rumored 12 inch retina MacBook are slated for early 2015, making it much more likely that Apple will have to wait to release new hardware equipped with the latest Intel chipset.

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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.

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Apple iPhone 6 will be introduced to the world on September 9th

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According to a new report, Apple may be planning to release the highly anticipated iPhone 6 on September 9. The report comes from the technology site Re/code, which has a staunch reputation when it comes to getting Apple rumors right.

Others reputable sources are also confirming the date:

The iPhone 6 is expected to come in two new screen sizes, 4.7 inch and 5.5 inch. Some reports have speculated that the larger size will be delayed until later this year or early 2015 due to production issues.

In addition to bigger screens the device is expected to be totally redesigned. Over the last several months there have been multitudes of leaks pointing to a new mostly-aluminum design with rounded corners, similar to that of the current generation iPod Touch.

One of the most contested rumors points to the use of a sapphire display. The use of sapphire for the display would allow for a near indestructible front panel for the new smartphone. Apple’s devices are notoriously easy to break. The problem for Apple (and any other company that wants to use the material in their phone) is that it is difficult and expensive to produce en mass. This has led to some rumors that say that a sapphire screen will be included on the iPhone 6; some that say that it’ll only be included on the 5.5 inch version; and some that say that it won’t be included at all because of those production issues.

Internally, there isn’t much known about the iPhone 6 upgrades. Based on past releases, it is safe to assume that the iPhone 6 will see a faster processor. Battery life and capacity is another rumor that hasn’t been consistent over the last few months. Some reports point to the same size battery in the iPhone 6 as is already in the iPhone 5s. This points to slightly worse battery life due to the extra strain added by a larger screen. Yet other reports point to a significant upgrade for the iPhone 6 battery.

Other hardware rumors point towards the use of a new Wi-Fi chip (802.11ac), the possible inclusion of NFC for the first time, and the inclusion of wireless charging technology. Many of these rumors are considered extremely sketchy by those in-the-know.

Finally, it’s known (or at least safe to assume) that the device will launch with iOS 8, which is a significant upgrade from iOS 7. One of the features users are looking forward to the most is called extensions, which will allow app developers to send data and interfaces between third party apps. This also means that iOS will see third party keyboards and third party widgets for the first time.

When it comes to Apple rumors, it’s best to take everything with a grain of salt. No pundit or technology journalist knows exactly what Apple will announce when Tim Cook takes the stage on September 9.