The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are only a few months old, but reports are now flying in about Apple’s next-generation iPhones
It might be rather groan-worthy to only just have the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus on store shelves and already be talking about the successor model, the iPhone 7, but that's just the nature of the rumour mill these days. Apple's established a habit of launching one or two handsets every year, and they're always planned well in advance, so we knew it was coming and it's not too surprising the rumours have started already. Truth be told, if anything they're a little late, as we were already hearing about the iPhone 6 before the iPhone 5S even launched.
The company’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus continue to sell well, breaking Apple’s previous iPhone 5s/iPhone 5c records and securing the company a 40% market share in the UK, according to market research firm Kantor Worldpanel ComTech. Both devices scored solid ratings in our tests but, for us, the iPhone 6 Plus is the one most people should be bothered about and the reason for this is simple: its battery life is PHENOMENAL.
Samsung has now confirmed how it plans to take on Apple in 2015. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE are now official and are, well, pretty bloody stunning. A lot of the rumours surrounding the handsets turned out to be true –– Samsung really did pull out all the stops, updating design, hardware, software, features and specs. The resulting devices are VERY impressive indeed. For more information check out the following articles: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE: Everything You Need To Know and Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 EDGE Review: First Look and Initial Impressions.
In 2015 Apple will further expand its portfolio of products with the release of a wearable in the form of the Apple Watch, a larger tablet device (currently called the iPad Pro) and a new version of its iOS platform –– iOS 9. And after a record 2014, largely backed by iPhone sales, the company will be keen to show growth in other areas of its business, hence the re-focus on tablets with the iPad Pro and the issuing of a brand new, wearable device.
Apple has now confirmed that it will unveil the Apple Watch on March 9. The event will, of course, take place at the company’s usual haunt, the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco. Apple will likely detail a lot more about the Apple Watch’s features, capabilities and how it ties in with iOS aboard as well concrete details on a release date and pricing.
“Rumours have also hinted at a brand new MacBook Air design and a revised take on Beats Music's streaming service,” according to The Verge. “There's no telling if Apple will also share these announcements (or others) on stage in San Francisco; the company may well devote the entire presentation to its most important product in years.”
iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 Release Date: 2015's Launches To Be Staggered?
Reports suggest Apple is looking at halving its smartphone update cycle in 2015, meaning we could see two iPhone launches in a single year. It's claimed the company is potentially prepping the release of one handset –– the iPhone 6s –– alongside the Apple Watch during the first half of 2015 and then another –– the iPhone 7 –– in the iPhone’s usual late-Q3 launch spot; around September.
Earlier reports have claimed Apple is looking to discontinue the iPhone 5c and iPhone 4s, with production of the handsets winding down in the second half of 2015. Apple has yet to comment on the rumour –– it never does –– and we, for one, will certainly be sad to see the back of the iPhone 5c.
“The new schedule is expected to stagger the releases of two devices in 2015 to capitalise on sales,” reports The Mail Online. “Apple could release the iPhone 6S to people who want to upgrade to a slightly cheaper model, before announcing its flagship iPhone 7 in the autumn.”
“Our source says that Apple is hesitant about launching the iWatch in the spring of 2015 without a new iPhone to go along with it,” said the report. “This could give hesitant consumers an excuse to wait on buying both until the fall.”
There’s been little other evidence to back up the claims, however, and while the idea if Apple staggering its handset releases does kind of make sense –– you have two distinct sales periods instead of one –– it could just be hearsay, yet another rumour in the on-going “this is what the next iPhone will be like-saga”. Still, it is certainly a very interesting turn of events: would staggering the release of handsets mean more sales?
“Rumours abound that Apple is preparing to ditch this pattern –– iPhone X to iPhone Xs –– and skip straight to the iPhone 7. The main reason cited for this change in strategy is that the "S" range is thought to be more down-market than the model that preceded it, and Apple is very much focused on being a premium product company,” reports PC Pro. “We’re not sure about this rationale just yet, however some of the rumours around major redesigns of the next handsets to be released could point to the launch of a newly numbered set of phones. It's probably about time too.”
iPhone 6c Imagined in Beautiful Render
No one knows whether Apple plans to continue with its “c” line of iPhones. The iPhone 5c was definitely a popular release, you see them everywhere, and a lot of this – no doubt – is down to it coming in a range of colours. Rumours suggest Apple “may” rekindle the “c” range in 2015, just don’t hold your breath. On the off chance that it actually does, though, we’d love it if the handset looked as good as this little beauty from 3D Future ––
“The concept iPhone 6c features several design attributes adopted from the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus,” reports Mac Rumors, “including a slimmer design, rounded edges, pill-shaped volume buttons, circular speaker grilles and a slightly protruding rear-facing camera. The smartphone also appears to have a 4.7-inch display and is pictured alongside the iPhone 6 for a side-by-side comparison.”
iPhone 7 Display –– Don't Expect Sapphire
“Sapphire glass was one of the things that we were hoping would make it into the iPhone 6,”reports Expert Reviews. “This incredibly tough material (second only to diamonds), was said to make the glass front of the phone virtually indestructible. So where is it? It turns out that there are quite a few complexities to solve before we'll see such big panels.
“For starters, sapphire glass is extremely scratch-resistant, but it can be shattered. This is the reason why Apple is not using sapphire glass in the Sport version of the Watch; the other editions do have sapphire glass. Corning, the manufacturers of Gorilla Glass, recently cited this exact problem in a report on CNet.
"We told you last year that sapphire was great for scratch performance but didn't fare well when dropped," said James Clappin, president of Corning Glass Technologies. "So, we created a product that offers the same superior damage resistance and drop performance of Gorilla Glass 4 with scratch resistance that approaches sapphire.”
iPhone 7’s A9 Chipset
Apple attempted to move away from Samsung with the iPhone 6’s A8 chipset, the bulk of which were built by TSMC with Samsung picking up the crumbs. In 2015, however, this will change and Samsung and Apple will once again be working together on Apple’s next-generation A9 chipset.
Samsung semiconductor head Kim Ki-nam has now confirmed Samsung will be providing 14-nanometer processors to Apple for use inside its 2015 iPhones and iPads. Ki-nam confirmed this victory would have a HUGE affect on Samsung's bottom line in 2015. Samsung's technological progress with its 14-nanometer process, an area it has invested heavily in, swung the pendulum away from TSMC and back in of favour of Samsung.
“The balance of power has shifted back to Samsung,” reports RE/Code, “thanks to its advanced fabrication technology. That same advantage is said to be putting pressure on Qualcomm, which has been the biggest maker of chips in high-end phones. Owing in part to its own manufacturing edge, Samsung is expected to use its Exynos processors in forthcoming handsets instead of Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810, which is made in TSMC’s factories.”
Samsung has invested a HUGE sum on money into its display and semiconductor businesses, a reported sum of $21.4 billion. All of this was done to ensure Samsung remains in growth and profitable for 2015/16 and beyond.
Dr. Kinam Kim, president and general manager of the semiconductor business of Samsung, told press Samsung’s profits would improve dramatically in 2015 with the addition of Apple’s 14nm A9 chipset for its upcoming iPhone 7.
“Samsung LSI hasn’t directly confirmed Apple as its 14nm customer. But the company sounded confident about 14nm FinFET ramp in the second half of this year during its Q4 2014 earnings call,” said Strategy Analytics analyst Sravan Kundojjala. “Samsung LSI is looking to regain share in applications processors with the help of 14nm FinFET chips after seeing a steady share decline in its AP shipments over the past few years.”
iPhone 7: BIG TouchID Updates Planned
Apple will radically update its TouchID mechanism aboard the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7. Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst with KGI Securities, projects that Touch ID module shipments will grow 12.4 percent this year to 262 million total, reports Apple Insider.
The new module will apparently “offer a better and safer Apple Pay user experience by reducing reading errors.” Kuo reckons companies in Apple’s supply-chain will begin ramping up for production during Q2 2015 ahead of Apple’s usual late-Q3 launch and release pattern.
“Though Apple has filed patents for the integration of Touch ID and touch panel, this isn't likely to bear fruit near term as complex algorithms and sapphire cover lens are also required,” Kuo added “We therefore don't see any impact on supply chain momentum.”
iOS 9 To Be Focused On STABILITY
Apple’s iOS platform, for the longest time, was incredibly stable but after a string of large, feature-packed updates inside iOS 7 and iOS 8 a lot of this stability was compromised, forcing the company to issue plenty of memorable “patch” updates to fix issues.
“For 2015, iOS 9, which is codenamed Monarch, is going to include a collection of under-the-hood improvements. Sources tell us that iOS 9 engineers are putting a “huge” focus on fixing bugs, maintaining stability, and boosting performance for the new operating system, rather than solely focusing on delivering major new feature additions. Apple will also continue to make efforts to keep the size of the OS and updates manageable, especially for the many millions of iOS device owners with 16GB devices,” reports 9to5Mac.
But stability is likely to be just the tip of the iceberg. Apple has been carefully building the world’s first 64-bit mobile platform, and in 2015 with the launch of iOS 9 the company will likely unveil myriad new ways for developers to create content for both mobile and OS X, meaning crossover is inevitable, notes Computer World.
“iOS 9 devices will also enjoy tremendous integration with Apple’s Macs, making both platforms the best-in-class choice for anyone who wants to get things done – from consumer to the enterprise; from oil and gas exploration using M2M facilities, iPads and IBM-driven big data systems to gurning grinning gamers.
“It is possible iOS 9 will only be made available for 64-bit devices, so that’s any iPhone since iPhone 5S and post-October 2013 iPad Air and iPad mini tablets. Those on older devices may need to upgrade.”
Apple’s renewed focus on stability will apparently mirror similar initiatives done by the company with its OS X platform. According to multiple sources, Apple will release public betas of iOS 9 to the public ahead of a gold-standard release. The idea being that once the platform goes official, it will be completely bug-free and as smooth and stable as iOS used to be prior to the launch and release of iOS 7 –– when Apple started pushing lots of new features into the mix.
"In an effort to eliminate bugs from upcoming iOS versions ahead of their general releases," reports 9to5Mac, "Apple plans to launch the first-ever public beta program for the iOS operating system, according to multiple people briefed on the plans. Following the successful launch of the OS X Public Beta program with OS X Yosemite last year, Apple intends to release the upcoming iOS 8.3 as a public beta via the company’s existing AppleSeed program in mid-March. This release will match the third iOS 8.3 beta for developers, which is planned for release the same week. Apple then expects to debut iOS 9 at its June Worldwide Developer Conference, with a public beta release during the summer, and final release in the fall…"
iPhone 7: First With 2GB of RAM
The iPhone 7, like Apple’s new iPad Air 2, will be the first smartphone by the company to pack in 2GB of memory. Many expected to see the jump from 1GB to 2GB inside the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This didn’t happen, of course. Not that it really mattered all that much. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are plenty powerful. But as we move forwards in app development the types and function of applications, and future use-case scenarios, will likely make more memory a necessity aboard iPhones.
"A new report out of Taiwan claims Apple is planning to double the RAM for next year’s iPhones and iPads," reports TechnoBuffallo. "That would mean 2GB of RAM in new smartphones and 4GB of RAM in new tablets. While Apple’s devices generally run pretty smooth more RAM could mean improved multi-tasking, especially in Safari where opening too many tabs at once often causes them to reload."
According to MacRumors, the new RAM modules "offer lower power consumption" as well as a “significant performance increase” over the current models.
“Moving to RAM twice as fast and doubling the amount of it in the iPhone 6S and iPhone 6S Plus suggests major change is afoot,” notes Gordon Kelly over at Forbes. “Currently LPDDR4 carries a 35% premium compared to LPDDR3 and Apple would be using twice as much. That’s a significant investment that even bulk pricing would not come close to eliminating and it may mean price rises for the new models, unless Apple is prepared to cut its famously robust profit margins.”
In December 2014, the only Apple analyst worth listening to, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi “Crystal Ball” Kuo, released a report about Apple’s future A-series chips found inside its iOS devices (the most recent chips are the A8 in the iPhone 6 and the A8X in the iPad Air 2). In his report Kuo said the A9 will be 14 nanometer setup while the A10, due in 2016, will be 10 nanometer built using its long-time partners TSMC and Samsung.
RBC Capital’s Doug Freedman believes Apple –– alongside plenty of Android handset makers –– will ramp up RAM inside their respective 2015 releases. This is why Freedman got all bullish about Micron, a RAM supplier, recently.
“We think the Street expectation is that the ‘6S’ AAPL smartphone could ship 1.5-2GBs (or more) of DRAM in the smartphone, so not only is [Micron] losing unit volume, they also experience less of the impact from increased content,” he wrote. “AAPL will be at 1GB DRAM/ phone for most of the year as they will sell 6/6+ until late September. We estimate that AAPL could sell 60-70mil “6S” units from October-December. So that means that if AAPL sees a 1 GB increase in DRAM and assuming 95% of units are next-gen, that is 65mil more GBs of DRAM (65mil units x 1 additional GB). Total AAPL content would be 130mil gigabytes of DRAM assuming 2GB/phone. Samsung handling ‘at least half’ would be 65mil gigabytes of DRAM content. The magnitude of the shift does not seem to justify the decrease in stock price.”
iPhone 7 Design –– Should You Expect Changes?
Apple tends to leave its design well alone between iterations of iPhone, saving the BIG design updates for every other cycle, as evidenced by the big switch from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This means –– should Apple stick to its guns –– that the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 shouldn’t look too different to current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus models. Although after the success of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, as well as a potentially staggered launch and release date, there is every chance things could once again change in 2015.
“However,” says Mac World, “if Apple does decide to go for a new design for the iPhone 7, we actually think it could be thicker than the iPhone 6, with what Apple calls "sidewall displays.”
The report added: “Apple has published a patent relating to such displays, which hints at a future iPhone with a display that extends onto the sides of the device, providing interactive or touch sensitive portions that give access to the slide to unlock functionality, music player controls, messaging readout, caller ID, system controls and more.”
One area where Apple could differentiate the handsets, though, is to do with build materials. People have been talking about Liquid Metal for a LONG time now and the reason is because Apple has long been interested in the material for its mobile phones. Could we see Liquid Metal take centre stage in the iPhone 7? Build materials and durability are two very important factors and, as any iPhone 6 Plus user will tell you, having to use a case on your shiny new handset is a pain in the ass –– I’d love to be able to keep it au naturel and not have to worry about scuffs and scrapes.
According to the latest information from Economic Daily News (Taiwan), Apple has plans for a "3D touch technology" utilising touch sensors from Avago Tech (a company Nintendo used for the Wii consoles).
The translation is a little fuzzy, but the report indicates that Apple owns a patent which can "simultaneously identify multiple fingerprint recognition technology panels," plus there's mention of "gesture control technology."
It's implied that Apple may be trying to do away with the Home key and transferring its functions into the display surround. Apple already has a similar technoloy in play aboard the Apple Watch called Force Touch, which allows the device to distinguish pressure of touch and react with different control options accordingly. The only thing this doesn't solve is the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, but Apple already has a patent in place for putting fingerprint scanners underneath the display glass.
iPhone 7 Camera Update –– The BIGGEST In Apple's HISTORY
Apple’s next iPhone model will allegedly come with a dual-lens camera setup, according to reports. The word comes via Daring Fireball’s John Gruber, who, during his latest “The Talk Show” podcast claimed he’d heard from “a birdie of a birdie” that Apple’s next phone will feature the “biggest camera jump ever.”
“I’ve heard that it’s some kind of weird two-lens system where the back camera uses two lenses and it somehow takes it up into DSLR quality imagery,” he said.
The immediate and understandable reaction to this is something along the lines of, “what on earth is he blathering about, that’s pretty damn vague and the iPhone 6 only just came out, this is sensationalist bullcrap!” That’s certainly possible, yes; the rumour mill always starts ridiculously early and is fuelled by wild analyst speculation , and a large chunk of it is ill-informed (captive analysts are far more sensible).
But there are a number of reasons to take this news from Gruber a bit more seriously. One, with the way the industry, and particularly Apple, works you can bet your life the next iPhone is already in development, and probably has been for some time. Two, Daring Fireball has actually gone about debunking some device rumours in the past, so is not exactly in the business of sowing misinformation.
On top of this, a dual-camera setup already exists aboard the HTC One M8, though it was not very well received due to HTC’s use of a lower resolution sensor –– still, it’s not exactly fantasy at any rate. While HTC’s tech didn’t live up to expectations, it is true that it used the additional depth sensor to create a depth-of-field effect, which is what DSLR cameras do. The difference being that proper DSLRs do it at a hardware level, while HTC used spatial data and software algorithms.
Lastly, Apple’s usual sensor supplier is Sony, which has recently announced a new sensor it’ll be supplying to, well, whoever wants it really, and that probably includes Apple –– it'll also likely star aboard the new Xperia Z4 handsets said to be in development. This is a new 21-megapixel sensor with a 1/2.4-inch size, making it nice and compact enough for Apple to experiment with in terms of implementation. Apple’s known to have filed a patent inside 2014 for interchangeable camera lenses, which could also be at play here if users are able to swap fixed focal-length attachment lenses to achieve that DSLR-like depth-of-field.
That is, of course, assuming Apple would make use of Sony's latest sensor. For a while now Apple has been down-playing the megapixel rating by repeatedly implementing 8MP sensors with some clever hardware and software tweaks to improve image quality and capture capabilities. A switch to a 21MP sensor would see an end to that, however, it's more likely Apple would make such a move if it could justify it through extra features, such as interchangeable lenses or improved depth-of-field, rather than simply ramping up the megapixels arbitrarily. On top of that, Apple talked about optimal display sizes or the lack of a need for an iPad Mini for years before eventually changing its mind, so a U-turn isn't out of the question.
A new report from Phone Arena, citing sources in Apple's supply chain, points to a series of key updates to Apple’s camera technology. The iPhone 6 setup was impressive, but what Apple has in store for the iPhone 6s and iPhone 7 looks to seriously up the ante, as you can see from the below extract.
"What will eventually be new, though, is a thoroughly redesigned camera module, with dual lens design, perhaps similar to the HTC One (M8) or Huawei's Honor 6 Plus units, a shot at a "zoom function," and sensor capable of soaking in more light. An optical zoom part is hard to believe, despite phones like the ZenFone Zoom that were just revealed at the CES expo, since it will require protruding lens. There are some periscope-style optical zoom designs, but the bodies of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are so thin, we doubt Apple can fit anything like that inside. On the other hand, there are lossless zoom options, and alternative approaches to optical zoom, though we don't know how close these are to mass production. We'll see whether this pans out at all."
There is cause for concern, however, as reports from Asia suggest Apple may keep the same 8MP sensor inside its upcoming new iPhone release. “Analyst Jeff Pu recently discussed the financial situation of Largan Precision Co. – Apple’s major camera lens supplier. Pu forecasts that, this year, Largan faces limited growth because the industry is transiting to higher-res cameras too slowly,” reports G For Games. “As for the iPhone 6S, Jeff Pu speculates that because the smartphone will not push a larger than 8 MP camera to the market, Largan Precision Co. will have a difficult time increasing its stock price in H2 2015.”
Latest iPhone 6 & iPhone Plus News & Features
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- Best HealthKit Apps – A selection of the best apps which can tap into iOS 8's HealthKit API
- Apple's Metal Explained – Console-like gaming on iPhone is now a reality, and it's all thanks to Metal. Here's everything you need to know about the biggest thing to happen to mobile gaming since Angry Birds.
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- What Is HealthKit? – What it is and how it works inside iOS 8.
- What Is HomeKit? – You're home of the future is just around the corner. Here we take a look at how iOS 8 –– via Siri and HomeKit –– will allow you to control your house using your Apple Watch and iPhone 6.
- iOS 8 Beta 5 Review – An advanced look at iOS 8 ahead of its scheduled Sept. 17 release.
- EVERYTHING You Need To Know About Apple Watch – A detailed look at Apple's first wearable devices, AKA the Apple Watch
- Will Apple Watch EVER Play Nice With Android? – Evan Blass –– AKA @evleaks –– discusses why he believes Apple should play-nice with Android
iPhone 7 Concepts: An All-Screen Affair, Reckons Hajek
If you follow iPhone rumours you know who Martin Hajek is… and if you don’t, well, he’s basically a designer that produces photo-realistic iPhone mock-ups, based on rumoured spec and hardware. The results of his endeavours are always interested and, as a result, appear everywhere on the web. And when you take a look at his latest iPhone 7 designs, done in conjunction with Business Insider, you’ll see why…
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