The iPhone 6 release date might still be a number of months away but that hasn't stopped the iPhone 6 rumour mill churning out all manner of teases and premature sightings.
Although the iPhone 5S remains one of the most popular handsets on the market right now, going head-to-head with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, attention has firmly turned to the upcoming iPhone 6 release date and the possibility of an all new Apple smartphone direction. According to recent reports, the iPhone 6 will feature a refreshed, larger form factor and screen to better rival its main Android rivals.
What's more, having shaken things up last year with the colourful, plastic bodied iPhone 5C, recent iPhone 6 rumours have claimed the next Apple handset could share the limelight with the company's first phablet offering, a handset which would look to rival the upcoming Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
Helping ensure you are kept up to date on all the latest iPhone 6 news and rumours, including details on the eagerly awaited iPhone 6 release date, we will continue to update this page leading up to the iPhone 6 launch, so bookmark it now.
iPhone 6 Release Date
Although an exact iPhone 6 release date is currently unknown, it has been suggested by reported Chinese insiders that the phone will be unveiled as part of Apple's annual WWDC conference in June. While early iPhone's were unveiled around this time of year, based on Apple’s past habits, we can take a pretty good stab in the dark and say that these claims are rubbish.
What is far more likely is that the iPhone 6 release date will be held in either late September or the opening days of October - a launch which will follow an unveiling less than two weeks earlier.
With the iPhone 4S having marked the company’s first move to a late summer unveiling, the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5S have all made their first appearances around the same time of year.
Adding further backing to an autumn release, KGI Research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has reported that the iPhone 6 will touch down with a new 4.7-inch screen during the very latter period of Q3 - so late September. It has been suggested that the iPhone 6 will land as a busy second half of the year for the Cupertino-based giant, a period which will also see new iPads, MacBooks and the much mooted Apple iWatch land.
Separate reports out of Japan and Taiwan have both suggested that the iPhone 6 will enter full production in July in order to meet launch demands. One thing you can bet on is that the iPhone 6 will not be hit by the same level of stock shortages as the iPhone 5S, a device which faced 6-8 week shipping delays on day one.
You may also like:
NEWS ROUND-UP: Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Release Date, Rumours, News, Specs and Price
NEWS ROUND-UP: iOS 8 Release Date, Features, Apps, News, Rumours
GUIDE: Five Big-Screen iPhone 6 Problems Apple Needs to Solve
GUIDE: Quantum Dots Explained: What they are and why they're awesome
iPhone 6 News
The most common iPhone 6 rumour to do the rounds in recent weeks is that the handset will feature a larger screen than past Apple handsets. With the likes of the LG G2 having already pushed flagship Android phone displays to 5.2-inches, Apple is likely to make another jump in size, having moved from 3.5-inches to 4-inches with the iPhone 5. At present, it is believed the iPhone 6 will host a 4.7-inch display - similar to the original HTC One - with an Apple phablet to follow with a 5.5-inch panel.
“The electronics giant has begun evaluating a plan to offer iPhones with screens ranging from 4.7 inches to as high as 6 inches,” mooted “people familiar with the matter” have been quoted as stating in recent reports.
With dozens of leaks all pointing towards the iPhone 6 featuring a larger screen, notorious Apple tipster Brian White has added that an iPhone 6 screen size “could approach 5-inches.”
Topeka Capital analyst White added: “The next iPhone will offer customers more choice in terms of screen size. The Company has never offered multiple screen sizes for a single model, we believe this is about to change with the next iPhone offering different screen sizes that we believe will allow Apple to better bifurcate the market and expand its reach.”
Seeing a larger iPhone 6 screen all but confirmed, even component suppliers have been getting in on the premature unveiling act, teasing an increase in smartphone size. Speaking with Asian media, an unnamed Foxconn executive reportedly revealed that “Apple has been particularly interested in recent tests for a 4.8-inch screen.”
With latest reports suggesting the iPhone 6 will line up with a 4.7-inch display, it is believed that the handset will still be smaller than many of its leading Android-based competitors, instead lining up similar in size to the Motorola Moto X.
Although it has been suggested that the iPhone 6 will gain its larger display as part of a total redesign, leaked images of the phone's front panel have hinted that Apple will retain a similar aesthetic for its next flagship phone.
Surfacing courtesy of iPhone.fr, the teased image (above) has hinted that Apple will retain iPhone look, simply expanding the screen area on the phone's body.
iPhone 6 Rumours
Size isn't the only change expected for the iPhone 6's screen. Building on the manufacturer's past Retina offerings, it has been suggested that the 6 will make use of new, Quantum Dot display technologies.
Before you start scratching your head in confusion, Quantum Dot screens improve colour reproduction in the Retina display by emitting the light through a thin film of quantum dots. The technology also allows a wider gamut of colours to be shown more accurately.
Despite grabbing headlines, the technology isn't new. Quantum Dot displays have already featured on the Amazon Kindle Fire HDX tablet line.
Earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased the company's plans to introduce improved displays to its mobile products, a remit sure to include the iPhone 6.
“We want to give our customers what’s right in all respects – not just the size but in the resolution, in the clarity, in the contrast, in the reliability”, Cook said during an interview earlier this year. “There are many different parameters to measure a display and we care about all [of] those, because we know that’s the window to the software.”
As part of the handset's refresh, a number of small design changes are expected, with those claiming insider knowledge suggesting Apple could relocate the phone's power button for the first time since the original iPhone was introduced.
“Our understanding is that [the] iPhone 6’s power button might be moved from the top to the side,” analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated. “We think this change is meant to facilitate one-hand operation and might indicate new application that require more frequent use of the power button.”
Despite the iPhone 6 being set to be one of Apple's biggest launches of 2014, the next-gen smartphone might have to share the stage. With Apple having repeated teased and hinted a wearable gadget potentially being in the works at its Cupertino HQ, it has been suggested that the iPhone 6 release date could be held in conjunction with an Apple iWatch launch.
Tipped to boast a 1.3-inch touchscreen, the Apple iWatch will reportedly feature a curved screen manufactured by LG and launch as a companion to the iPhone 6.
Although iWatch reports have circled for some time, the iPhone 6 rumour which continues to generate the most talking points is the potential move to a larger display. With insiders and component suppliers chattering about a bigger display, analysts have got in on the act too, with Topeka Capital analyst Brian White also pointing at a 4.8-inch form factor.
One iPhone 6 rumour which seems to be stretching the realms of possibility, is collection of iPhone 6 concept images which have shown the phone with a curved, wraparound display. While these images have grabbed the attentions of many, even the concept’s designer has questioned its likelihood.
“Such a design may appear on the iPhone 6 or 7, or maybe never,” designer Nikolay Lamm said. “It’s a cool design, but one which is unlikely to give Apple a sustainable competitive advantage.”
Further iPhone 6 rumours have seen a proposed move to a Sapphire glass display reportedly set to the manufacturer back a staggering £350 million. While the move would help improve screen clarity and toughness, if the Samsung Galaxy S5 is on the receiving of its 2K display improvement, this upgrade might not be enough for Apple to compete with its Korean rival.
iPhone 6 Specs
The iPhone 6 specs sheet is set to have a few surprises in store following the incremental updates from the iPhone 5 to the iPhone 5S.
With the Touch ID fingerprint sensor having made an appearance aboard the iPhone 5S, it is expected that the biometric security measure will become something of a standard on flagship models, and make another stop within the iPhone 6’s home button. On this front, with the Samsung Galaxy S5's own fingerprint sensor being made compatible with Paypal payments, you can guarantee Apple will be working on further partnerships and tie ins of its own.
Further iPhone 6 specs will likely see the increased screen and completely overhauled design partnered with an even speedier 64-bit processor and revised camera. Although the recently confirmed Qualcomm Snapdragon 805, Snapdragon 808 and Snapdragon 810 chipsets are to power the next wave of Android powerhouses, Apple is likely to continue to shun the leading mobile CPU provider in favour of its own chip sets.
Although the iPhone 6 camera looks set to retain the same 8-megapixel sensor as its predecessor, recent reports have suggested that integrated snapper will be improved by a move to improved glass optics to boost image quality and clarity.
Further and more precise iPhone 6 specs are still unclear.
What is clear, however, is that the iPhone 6 will become one of - if not the - first device to run iOS 8 direct from the box. An evolution more than a revolution of its mobile operating system, iOS 8 is set to have a strong, fitness based focus. Leading this new direction will be the heavily leaks Healthbook application, an aggregator of a variety of dedicated fitness and wellbeing applications and services that can be tied in to a selection of third party peripherals.
Further features set to be introduced to the iPhone 6 through iOS 8 include enhanced CarPlay features, vast Siri improvements and major Apple Maps updates.
As has become customary, the iPhone 6 is expected to be made available in 16GB, 32GB and 64GB storage forms, although a new 128GB handset is also believed to be on the cards.
iPhone 6 Price
Although Apple isn’t short of a few bob, the iPhone 6 price, like that of its predecessor is sure to hit you where it hurts, the wallet.
The iPhone 5S price was increased over its predecessor, and with the iPhone 6 expected to get a bump in screen size and an all new design, you can expect and even lofty rise in costs next time around. We will bring you further details on the iPhone 6 price as and when we get them.
Read More: iPad mini 2 rumours