The iPhone 6 release date could be just a matter of weeks away, with latest iPhone 6 rumours suggesting the eagerly awaited handset will be unveiled on September 9 with NFC connectivity in tow.
Despite the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C remaining two of the most popular handsets on the market, consistently outselling the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S5 and HTC One M8, the iPhone 6 has been the subject of tipsters' attentions for a number of months.
With the iPhone 6 wildely expected to feature a completely refreshed, larger design and screen to better rival its main Android rivals, it has also been suggested that the phone could benefit from a super slim profile similar to the iPod touch.
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.
With a September 9 launch event being widely teased for the handset, an iPhone 6 release date is being tipped for the following Friday, September 19. This launch date would fit with the 'fall' timeframe handed to the iOS 8 launch.
Last Update: 11/08/14: We will continue to update this page leading up to the iPhone 6 launch and the confirmation of the precise iPhone 6 release date.
iPhone 6 Release Date: When will the iPhone 6 go on sale?
Although some had claimed that the iPhone 6 release date would be announced during WWDC 2014, we now know this to be pure nonsense, with June's conference keynote focussing on iOS 8, OS X Yosemite and a raft of new developer features.
Now, what is looking far more likely is that the iPhone 6 release date will be held in mid September - a launch which will follow an unveiling less than two weeks earlier.
Despite multiple reports claiming the iPhone 6 release date will be held on September 26 (and this is where we are placing our bets), claimed supply chain sources have now also hinted at a potential September 9 unveiling. This scenarios would likely see the eagerly awaited phone hit retailers on September 19.
"Apple has scheduled a big media event for Tuesday, Sept. 9," the tipsters claimed with little indication as to where this information has originated from.
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, analysts and claimed insiders have 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.
Could a second 5.5-inch iPhone launch in 2015?
What might happen however, at least according to one analyst, is that the oft-rumoured 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could be delayed until 2015. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has stated that the larger iPhone 6 could be edged back into 2015 due to construction issues.
“We are conservative about 5.5-inch iPhone launching by end-2014. Even if the product is launched in 2014, it is likely to take place after mid-4Q14, which is later than the September-October of consensus, with shipments being lower than consensus of 15- 20mn units,” Ming-Chi Kuo told investors.
On the potential delay he added: “We think the 5.5-inch model will also have issues with the yield rate of in-cell touch panel and color unevenness of metal casing. Indeed, these problems will likely be even more complicated with a larger size.
"In addition, from a technical perspective, we don’t expect sapphire cover, used for the first time on the 5.5-inch model, will easily pass the drop test near term.”
A clear sign that the iPhone 6 release date is growing near, joining the mass of handset leaks, the phone's retail packaging has recently been caught on camera for the first time. With box art showing off the phone's refined design, the phone has also been spotted doing the rounds in the wild.
NEWS ROUND-UP: Samsung Galaxy S6 Release Date, News, Rumours, Specs and Price
iPhone 6 News: What do we know so far?
While it can be hard to separate the fact from the fiction in the outpouring of the iPhone 6 rumour mill, a number of reports have pointed to the device making the switch to toughened Sapphire glass to protect the phone's display. With Apple long been known to be working with this material, we think this might be closer to the 'fact' end of the spectrum.
The Sapphire screen
With Sapphire glass featuring toughened properties that make it seriously difficult to scratch, it seems like the ideal fit for a smartphone screen.
The Sapphire coated iPhone has even popped up on video (allegedly) coutesy of tech YouTube personality Marques Brownlee.
With Sapphire glass already used in watch faces and even the iPhone 5S's TouchID fingerprint sensor, Brownlee has claimed that the iPhone 6 prototype he got his hands on was “straight off the assembly line iPhone 6 part from Apple” and featured a full Sapphire glass front.
“I couldn’t get the surface to even scratch a little bit at all. The worst blemish on the surface was actually my fingerprint marks and the dust from handling it so much,” Brownlee said of the device.
The iPhone 6 will be even thinner than ever
With iPhone 6 rumours having long focussed on the size of the handset's screen, attention has now turned to the phone's thickness with latest iPhone 6 leaks all pointing to a super slim device skinnier than even the 6.18mm thick Huawei Ascend P6.
While we in the TrustedReviews offices aren't sold on the idea of excessively skinny handsets, alleged iPhone 6 renders reportedly sent to case manufacturers have claimed the iPhone 6 will be just 6mm thick, 1.6mm slimmer than the 5S.
Bringing this remodelled form factor to life, an iPhone 6 mock-up has been created based on the leaked renders, offering a video-based insight into exactly how the next-gen Apple handset might look.
According to separate reports the S5 rival will be not only super slim but the proud host of a curved display and body.
As unlikely as we find it, reports out of Japan have cited "reliable information" in claiming that a curved display with rounded edges is on the cards.
We do, however, believe the claims of a super slim form could come to fruition as the skinny iPhone leaks continue to flow. Joining the renders and schematics, a claimed iPhone 6 case has leaked online, again suggesting the next-gen handset will be considerably thinner than its predecessor. The teased peripheral itself is slimmer than an iPhone 5S meaning the 6 will be heavily cut down in size. What's more, it has shown off the much mooted increase in screen size.
A 4.7-inch screen is likely and possibly more than one option
Another of the most common iPhone 6 rumours 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.
GUIDE: Five Big-Screen iPhone 6 Problems Apple Needs to Solve
iPhone 6 Rumours: Will the iPhone 6 use Quantum Dots?
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 iPhone 6 will make use of new, Quantum Dot display technologies.
Quantum Dots improve colour reproductionby emitting the light through a thin film of quantum dots, particles that have properties that improve the range of colours the display can produce.
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.”
Could the iPhone 6 include improve haptic feedback?
Improved haptic feedback is also rumoured to be on the iPhone 6's incoming features list.
Now don't go getting too excited, this isn't going to be futuristic haptic feedback that lets you feel the texture of a clothing or the prickles of a thorn bush through the glass, more an improved vibration motor which will also allow for more intricate, and potentially more powerful, gaming feedback.
The power button could move
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.”
The iPhone and the iWatch as one
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 repeatedly 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 that 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.”
GUIDE: Quantum Dots Explained: What they are and why they're awesome
iPhone 6 Specs: What features will be included?
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 chipsets.
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 HealthKit hub, 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 HomeKit, new Messages feautres, the iCloud Drive storage service, a new QuickType keyboard and Notification bar widgets.
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.
On a connectivity front, Apple is expected to finally give a nod to NFC as the Cupertino-based company looks to adopt wireless payment systems.
Having been rumoured to feature on past Apple handsets, NFC looks set to finally join the fray. Although uses for NFC have been slow to appear, a number of retailers and transport systems are now accepting tap-to-pay NFC payments direct from phones.
NEWS ROUND-UP: iOS 8 Release Date, Features, Apps, News, Rumours
iPhone 6 Price: How much will it cost?
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.
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