Even though we're quite a long way from a release, it's hard not to get just a little bit excited about the iPhone 6, particularly given the reports of two new, decidedly larger devices arriving later this year. The speculation pertaining to a duo of new devices boasting 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch display sizes has been incessant, but in a twist, some new sketches appear to suggest that a couple of lower-end, 'iPhone 6c' devices will also arrive with similar display size configurations. What?
New coverage of the iPhone 6 is hitting the blogosphere on a daily basis now, and in the latest, we may have discovered the schematics of the upcoming device. Interestingly, the dimensions marked upon the drawing, throw everything we've heard so far into considerable doubt, with the measurements apparently pointing to a device with a ~5-inch display.
We've seen an abundance of iPhone 6 concepts in recent months, and with the consensus being that Apple will go considerably larger with its next hardware upgrade, most designers have been experimenting with new form factors. There's no denying that the iPhone's aesthetic hasn't changed a great deal from the iPhone 4, and as such, we've seen concepts based on the likes of the iPad Air, iPod touch, and even the iPhone 5c. Now, though, resident designer Martin Hajek has come up with an intriguing set of renders based upon the oft-forgotten iPod nano.
A new case mold leaked out of Japan may just have given us a glimpse of the iPhone 6's eventual form factor. According to numerous reports, inside info and analyst conjecture, the next-gen Apple iPhone will arrive in two separate size configurations, both of which will be larger than anything that the Cupertino company has hitherto released. As well a phablet-sized device boasting a display of around 5.5 inches, Apple could also drop a 4.7-inch model, and it is this smaller of the two models that has emerged as a case mold.
It's not uncommon, as has been the case over the past couple of months, for talk of the next iPhone to begin swiftly following the release of the current model. But while we've only seen tentative upgrades in terms of the Apple smartphone's form factor since the original handset arrived in 2007, the talk of two new devices - the larger of which may pack a display in excess of 5.5 inches - has raised more than a few eyebrows. With this in mind, ISI analyst Brian Marshall not only believes that we'll see unprecedented numbers of consumers upgrading to the new, larger model, but he also foresees scores of Android users jumping ship as Apple finally decides to go big.
Apple's iPhone 6 is highly expected to be an embodiment of the company's future direction, both in form and function. A number of early rumors have already alluded to the fact that the Cupertino company is intending to step away from the 4-inch form factor that has served the iPhone 5, 5s and 5c so well in favor of something a little larger. In addition to that change of physical size, one well-placed analyst is predicting that the iPhone 6 will introduce a number of new internal sensors that could open up the device to a whole host of new possibilities.
The iPhone 5s, Apple's current flagship, is scarcely six months old, but in smartphone terms, it's an old-timer. In a day when our supposedly beloved handsets have a shelf-life of around one year before we dispose of them and look for something else, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that talk of the iPhone 6 has been prevalent for a good few months already. And now, an interesting concept of the next-gen Apple smartphone, which packs a sumptuous, iPad Air-like design, has been showcased by perpetual designer Ran Avni, and in combining the most popular iOS device with best-designed gadget on the Cupertino company's roster, there was only going to be one outcome..
Even though numerous reports have given us a vague idea of what Apple may have in store for the iPhone 6, most of the details remain a mystery, and since it's going to be quite a few months before the company's next big thing manifests itself, anything that Apple has decided on could be subject to change. Amid the leaks and speculation, concept makers have been teasing some spectacular ideas, and while some, such as Sam Beckett's earlier design, try to be indicative of what we'll actually be seeing, others simply dare to dream. The following concept, which features a holographic display, does exactly this, and while Tim Cook's men probably don't plan on adding such a feature to the next iPhone, we can't help but fall in love with this little effort from SET Solution.
The next Apple smartphone, unofficially dubbed the "iPhone 6," will reportedly arrive in two different configurations - both of which are said to be larger than any iPhone released hitherto. As well as a 4.7-inch model, there will, it has been suggested, also be a 5.5-inch variant, and both of these new handsets could, as other bits of info have implied, be notably thinner than its would-be predecessor, akin to the new iPad Air. With this in mind, one concept maker has come through with an 'iPhone Air' concept, and as well as a stunning appearance, it also boasts a fairly tasty list of specs. Check it out below.
The Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), which recently struck a deal with Apple to begin the production of some of its device's hardware components, has reportedly gotten to work on the new A8 processing chip, which will power the upcoming iPhone 6 later on this year. The report, which has arrived courtesy of the Commercial Times in Taiwan, notes that the A8 SoC began production last month, and although we'd expect it to serve as the workhorse of the next Apple smartphone, it's also reasonable to speculate that the iPad range could also benefit from the upgraded chip at some point this fall.