We follow rumors for upcoming Apple products all year, which can often lead down some wild goose chases. However, Apple has officially announced a new event schedule for next Tuesday, September 9 at the Flint Center for Performing Arts in Cuppertino, California—and we’ll finally get a peak at what Apple has been up to.
Although rumors also point to an iWatch announcement, Apple will almost certainly be showing off the next generation iPhone—dubbed the “iPhone 6”. As is to be expected, as the date has gotten closer, some rumors have been thrown out and some have been solidified. Here are the five iPhone 6 rumors that you should know about ahead of time:
1. 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Size iPhones
This rumor has been going around for a while, but it’s also been one of the most confirmed over the past few months. The 4.7-inch option is likely to available soon after launch while some pundits have the 5.5-inch option coming out at a later date due to production issues. Renown Apple blogger, John Gruber, reports that the 4.7-inch screen will have a resolution of 1334 × 750 with 326 pixels per inch and the 5.5-inch version will have a resolution of 2208 × 1242 with 461 pixels per inch. Aside from the big jump from the current 4-inch screen, this would mark the first time that Apple would truly release two new versions of the iPhone within the same year (considering last year’s iPhone 5c was just an iPhone 5 in a different case).
2. Thinner iPhone
Alleged leaks of the schematics suggests the next iPhone will be thinner and lighter than the current iPhone 5s, which is currently at 7.6 mm and weighs 112 grams. The 4.7-inch version is said to be 6.9 mm thick and the 5.5-inch version be 7.1 mm. Some rumors point to Apple doing away with the size bezels as well adding a bit more screen room to the sides of the phone. Each version of the iPhone has been thinner than the predecessor so this should come to no surprise.
3. Sapphire Crystal Display
It’s nearly twice as hard as standard glass, and nearly as hard as diamond. In practical terms, that means it’s almost impossible to scratch, unless you happen to carry a bunch of diamonds in your pocket. Also, initial rumors suggested the screen feature a slight curve, but it doesn’t look like that will be the case anymore. Apple already uses a laser-cut sapphire crystal in the home button on the current iPhone 5s, and although the material is expensive, we wouldn’t be surprised if Apple implemented it further in one of their iPhone 6 models.
4. A8 processor with 1GB of RAM
Given the trends of the processor increases from the past (A6 in the iPhone 5 and A7 in the iPhone 5S), it’s likely that Apple will include a faster and more powerful A8 chip in the new iPhone that will be smaller and more energy efficient. However, recent images of the logic board suggest the A8 be limited to only 1GB of RAM (same as the A7). Apple’s proprietary chips usually come with an integrated GPU, so the upgrade to A8 will mean an increase in fluidity, multitasking, and graphical performance. Don’t be surprised if we see an impressive new game at the event to show off the device’s raw power.
5. NFC Technology
NFC (Near Field Communication) could finally make its way to the new iPhone as leaked pictures of the motherboards have suggested. Having reportedly made deals with Visa, Mastercard, and American Express, Apple is rumored to launch its own mobile payments platform like Google Wallet. With NFC, you could make mobile payments with a single tap of your iPhone to participating retailers as well as swapping information with other people with the same capability (in the same way that you can at an Apple Store). This is something Apple has been rumored with for a while now with it’s previous iPhone launches but has never come to fruition.