Tech

Here's Everything We Know About The iPhone 6

Lisa Eadicicco

2014-08-05T17:42:00Z

iphone 6 concept — An iPhone 6 concept. Johnny Plaid

The next iPhone is most likely only a few weeks away, now that reports say Apple will hold its iPhone 6 event on Sept. 9. Still, rumors about the new device are spreading like crazy.

We've combed the web for leaked photos, rumors, and gossip and rounded them all up here in one place.

The iPhone 6 will be unveiled on Sept. 9

Apple will hold its press event to introduce the iPhone 6 on Sept. 9, according to Re/code, which has a strong track record when it comes to reporting accurate Apple news.

The iPhone 6 will probably have a larger screen.

The most prominent rumor surrounding the iPhone 6 is that Apple will bump the screen size up to 4.7 inches. It all started exactly one year ago when Reuters reported that Apple was testing 4.7-inch smartphone displays. Since then, other reports have been consistent.

There have also been reports Apple will release a 5.5-inch model of the phone.

The display may be made of scratch-resistant sapphire.

Your next iPhone may be less prone to damage. Earlier this year, Gurman also reported that Apple had purchased enough equipment to make hundreds of millions of sapphire glass screens for iPhones. Next to diamonds, sapphire is the second-strongest glassy material.

The screen looks like it'll be insanely durable.

YouTube user Marques Brownlee recently posted a video showing what he said was the iPhone 6's sapphire crystal display. In the video, he puts the display through a rigorous torture test, which includes scratching it with a knife, bending it under his shoe, and scraping it with keys. The screen was able to hold up without any noticeable damage.

And it's supposedly bendable, too.

Blogger Sonny Dickson, who has a strong track record when it comes to leaking Apple products, recently posted a video showing how flexible the iPhone 6's display will be. That doesn't mean we should expect to see a bendable iPhone, however.

Component makers have yet to find a way to make processors and other internal parts flexible, which has been a big barrier in creating truly foldable electronics like some vendors, such as Samsung and LG, envision. If this truly is the iPhone 6's display, the fact that it has flexible properties probably means it'll be more durable than your average screen.

Not only will the next iPhone's screen be larger, but it'll probably be sharper, too.

If Apple does increase the iPhone's screen size, it'll probably upgrade its resolution as well. Well-connected Apple blogger Mark Gurman of 9to5Mac says the iPhone 6's 4.7-inch screen will feature a 1704 x 960 resolution display, which is a step up from the 4-inch 1136 x 640 resolution display.

The screen may buzz when you touch it depending on which app you're using.

The iPhone 6 could come with a new haptic feedback feature that allows the screen to lightly vibrate when you touch it. Haptic feedback is ideal for touch screen keyboards because it provides feedback when you type the keys — making it feel as if you're actually typing rather than just tapping glass.

Apple may also release an even larger "phablet" version of the iPhone.

If 4.7 inches isn't big enough for you, Apple may release a giant 5.5-inch iPhone as well. Initial rumors suggested that both versions would launch together, but multiple reports have also said that Apple was experiencing production issues with the larger model.

What will it look like?

We're not sure, but it seems pretty likely that it'll be even thinner than the iPhone 5s. In fact, it may look more like the fifth-generation iPod Touch than an iPhone.

The iPhone 6 will probably come in dark black and silver.

We've seen a ton of silver iPhone 6 leaks, but newer images show a purported iPhone 6 shell in a dark black color, too.

And gold, too, just like the iPhone 5s.

Apple may continue its gold color option with the iPhone 6 when it launches. A leak from uSwitch claims to show the rear panel for the gold version of Apple's next iPhone.

You may be able to pay for items or exchange info by simply tapping the iPhone 6.

Although it seems far-fetched, there's a chance we'll finally see NFC built into the iPhone, according to VentureBeat. The publication claims to have spoken with a source close to Apple that shared this information. NFC was reportedly supposed to land in the iPhone 5s, but Apple felt the mobile payment space wasn't ready yet, VentureBeat reports.

Apple's next smartphone might support wireless charging.

Here's another one that seems a little unlikely — the iPhone may support wireless charging. VentureBeat's sources also said that a test model features a surface under its shell for connecting to an inductive charging surface for transferring energy.

It'll probably offer faster performance and better battery life, too.

Apple always upgrades the processor inside its iPhone. Presumably called A8, rumors suggest Apple's next chip will focus on power consumption, meaning the iPhone 6 may offer better battery life.

You may be able to use Touch ID to make PayPal purchases.

Apple may consider working with PayPal in the near future. A source told Business Insider that developers from PayPal attended a Touch ID session at this year's World Wide Developers Conference, hinting that the two companies may eventually work together. It's just speculation at this point, but it lines up with other rumors we've heard about Apple getting deeper into the mobile-payments space.

In fact, this may be the fingerprint sensor for the iPhone 6.

French blog Nowhereelse.fr claims to have obtained these Touch ID components for the iPhone 6. Rumors also suggest that Apple may be tweaking the home button to feel more durable.

Expect some significant camera improvements.

ESM China analyst Sun Chang Xu believes Apple will include a technology called electronic image stabilization in the iPhone 6's camera, according to MacRumors. This would offer the benefits of optical image stabilization, which eliminates any noticeable blur from hand movement in images while keeping the camera component slim. Apple may also bump up the size of its camera's microns from 1.5 um to 1.75 um, which means it will be able to take in more light when capturing photographs. This, in turn, would boost overall image quality.

It may even come with a barometer for detecting the temperature, air pressure, and altitude.

A developer discovered code hidden inside iOS 8 for a feature referred to as "altitude tracking," which means the iPhone 6 could be Apple's first smartphone to come with a barometer inside.

Now, let's talk about the software.

Apple's next big iPhone update, iOS 8, will include a new app called Health. Like most health apps, Apple's can measure you steps, count your calories, and also works with third-party fitness apps. The iOS 8 update will bring a bunch of new features to the iPhone that add more functionality to camera, messaging, and email apps among others. iPhones from the 4s and up (and iPad 2+) will be able to run the free update when it launches the fall. The iPhone 6 will presumably come with this software preloaded.

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