iPhone 6 - Page 3 of 4

iPhone 6 Dummy Prototypes show up

Posted on March 25, 2014 by sales

Photos of a new “dummy unit” of Apple’s alleged iPhone 6 have surfaced on the site of case manufacturer Bling My Thing (via 9to5Mac community post). The photos show a black device that could be used as part of a mold to create cases based on that body design.

There are several issues with the case shown in the photos, however, including a round hole for the LED flash on the rear camera instead of the oval hole introduced on the iPhone 5s to accommodate the new True Tone dual-LED flash. Given the improved flash performance possible with dual LEDs, Apple will presumably continue to use dual-LED flash in future iPhones.

The photos also appear to show a slight change to the design of the earpiece area of the iPhone, with the proximity sensor window moving from next to the earpiece to next to the front camera. The ambient light sensor (not easily visible) is currently in this location. The dummy unit also shows the earpiece/camera/sensor features moved higher on the device’s front, to the point where the front camera unreasonably appears to sit at the very top edge of the device.

Some of the rumored specs:

Two sizes – 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches
Screens made entirely out of sapphire crystal
Pixel density of 441 pixels per inch, from the current 326 ppi display
There will be optical image stabilisation for the 8 megapixel camera
f/1.8 aperture lens – an improvement over the iPhone 5s’ current f/2.2 lens
New 802.11ac Wi-Fi standard
Pressure, temperature and humidity sensors
Possibly a solar power charger built into the screen

Larger iPhone 6 May Cause Massive Spike in Upgrades

Posted on March 18, 2014 by sales

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 is widely rumored to include a larger display, which could encourage a significant number of users to upgrade in 2014, according to analyst Brian Marshall of ISI Group, who released a note to investors today.

Echoing past iPhone 6 rumors, Marshall suggests Apple will release two versions of the phone, one with a 4.7-inch screen and one with a 5.5-inch screen. The launch of two phones, both of which offer a total redesign of the existing 4-inch iPhone 5s, could spark a massive upgrade cycle.

Apple’s current installed base is estimated to be at 260 million users, and ISI Group calculates that half of today’s iPhone purchases are made by upgraders, users who are upgrading their iPhones from an existing iPhone to a new version of the product.

ISI indicates that while the upgrade rate (percentage of installed base upgrading devices in a given quarter) was at 10 to 11 percent in 2011–2012, it has now dropped to approximately 9 percent because users have fewer reasons to upgrade with the iPhone 5c and 5s not introducing any significant design changes.

Peak quarters have seen upgrade rates of 12 to 14 percent, and ISI expects a similar upgrade rate during the second half of 2014 when the iPhone 6 is launched, resulting in a higher number of sales. An iPhone 6 with an increased screen size may also lure customers who have switched to Android from the iPhone because of the latter’s lack of a large display.

“Large-screen envy” is prevalent among the iPhone installed base and we believe a ~5” form-factor iPhone would spark a massive upgrade cycle as well as many “Android switchers” returning back to the iPhone (we refer to this as the “mother lode” of all Apple upgrade cycles).

Citing both “large-screen envy” and “pent-up demand” ISI Group suggests the new iPhone 6 models could result in an extra $3.00 earnings per share following release in the second half of 2014.

Higher demand for an iPhone during a redesign year is not unreasonable, as it has now been two years since the 2012 introduction of the iPhone 5. While the iPhone 5s included multiple internal improvements and the Touch ID fingerprint sensor, it retained the same 4-inch display and design of the iPhone 5, as did the iPhone 5c, which was just a repackaging of the existing model.

iPhone Air Shown Off In New Concept Video

Posted on March 10, 2014 by sales

The upcoming iPhone 6 has been incorporated into a new concept video by designer Sam Beckett, which was initially posted to The Verge forums. According to the dimensions Beckett provides, his “iPhone Air” concept includes a 4.7-inch display, a 1920 by 1080 resolution and 468 pixels per inch.

Beckett’s concept is 8 percent larger than the iPhone 5s and 9 percent thinner. The slimmer profile is in line with previous iPhone 6 rumors, which have suggested Apple has improved itsbacklighting technology to allow for thinner devices.

The phone is only 8% larger than the existing iPhone 5S, this increase is to accommodate the larger screen. Some extra space could be potentially utilised by reducing the width of the side bezels and by also slimming down the top and bottom of the phone frame too. The depth of the iPhone Air is 7mm, coming in 0.6mm smaller than it’s predecessor. This modest reduction in the device depth and larger increase in the width and height could help create a bigger space for the battery and other components.

Like several other iPhone 6 concepts, Beckett’s design keeps the same general size and shape of the existing iPhone 5s while doing away with thick side bezels. The design incorporates thinner side bezels with a sapphire crystal display, both features the phone is rumored to include.

Beckett also draws on a number of other rumors for the video, suggesting the iPhone 6 will include a 10-megapixel sensor with an aperture of f/1.8 and a faster A8 chip, which is reportedly already in production with TSMC.

As with any concept, it is unclear if these ideas and rumors will make it into the next-generation iPhone, but the video does imagine how a larger iPhone could possibly look. Apple is said to be developing two larger iPhones for release in 2014, one near 4.7 inches and one quite a bit larger at approximately 5.5 inches.

Apple Will Release 5.6-Inch ‘Experimental’ Phone Without iPhone Branding

Posted on February 19, 2014 by sales

Apple is planning on introducing two new phones this year featuring displays of 4.7 and 5.6 inches, with the former using a traditional Gorilla Glass display and the latter featuring a sapphire screen, according to a new report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News [Google Translate] (via Mac Otakara). The report also states that due to its experimental nature, Apple’s 5.6-inch phone will not be known as an iPhone.

While it is somewhat probable that Apple could release two versions of the iPhone as previouslysuggested by other reports, it is very unlikely that the company would drop the iPhone name for the larger phone given the iconic reputation of the brand.

The report adds that Apple’s next-generation phones will once again be assembled at primary supplier Foxconn (also known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co.), with other suppliers including Cheng Uei Precision Industry and Simplo Technology also helping with production. Furthermore, the sapphire displays to be used in the 5.6-inch phone are said to come from new Apple partner GT Advanced, which was reported to be gearing up for massive production of devices with sapphire displays earlier this month.

Apple has been experimenting with a range of screen sizes for the next-generation iPhone since early 2013, with size rumors varying from 4.7 to 5.7 inches. Last week, the South China Morning Post stated that the company would be launching two new iPhones with larger flat sapphire displays in September, while The Korea Herald reported that the iPhone 6 would adopt a “bezel-free” display.

In addition to a new display, other reports have indicated that the iPhone 6 will feature a slimmer profile due to thinner and lighter backlights and a 10-megapixel or higher camerawith an improved filter. The iPhone 6 is generally expected to arrive in the same September-October timeframe seen in recent years.

Apple Likely to Slim Down iPhone and iPad with Thinner and Lighter Backlights

Posted on February 13, 2014 by sales

As Apple continues its quest to make its iOS devices thinner and lighter, the company will take advantage of advancements in LED backlighting technology to shift to thinner components for the iPhone 6 and upcoming iPad models, according to a report fromLEDinside, a division of research firm TrendForce.

The report notes that a thinner design will see Apple shifting from 0.6 mm thick side-view LED backlights to 0.4 mm thick modules, but also questionably claims that the iPhone 6 will arrive in June. The iPhone 6 is generally expected to arrive in the same September-October timeframe seen in recent years.

According to sources from Apple supply chain, the iPhone 6 is likely to be released in June 2014, and will have larger monitor size of 4.7”. Industry insiders also projected the iPhone 6 will have a much lighter frame, which will lead to upgrades in LED backlight specs. In the previous generation, the iPhone used 0.6t side-view type LED, in contrast the new iPhone will probably be adopting 0.4t side-view type LED.

Apple has been rumored to be increasing display size for the iPhone 6, and whileLEDinside‘s report only mentions a 4.7-inch model, a number of other claims have included an even larger model at 5.5-5.7 inches. Larger displays will undoubtedly lead to larger device bodies, but that extra height and width could give Apple more room to spread out components and reduce device thickness from the current 7.6 mm of the iPhone 5s, and thinner backlights could aid that goal in an industry where fractions of a millimeter count.

LEDinside claims that similar changes are coming for the iPad, particularly with a rumored12-inch model. According to the report, new iPads will see their backlights shift to 0.6 mm thick modules from the current 0.8 mm components.

Apple Will Launch Two New iPhones?

Posted on February 13, 2014 by sales

Apple will reportedly release two versions of its next-generation iPhone featuring 4.7 and 5.5-inch sapphire screens in September, reports the South China Morning Post. Citing industry insiders who have “seen the prototypes,” the publication also states that both phones will feature a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch (PPI) compared to the 326 PPI currently found on the displays of the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c.
Furthermore, the Hong Kong-based newspaper adds that the new devices will feature a flat screen instead of a curved screen as suggested by prior reports, and that Apple will be discontinuing the iPhone 5c in favor of an iPhone 5s made of lower-cost materials.

Apple has been experimenting with a range of screen sizes for the next-generation iPhone since early 2013, with size rumors varying from 4.7 to 5.7 inches. The Korea Heraldreported yesterday that the iPhone 6 would adopt a “bezel-free” display.

It was also reported last week that GT Advanced, the company that has partnered with Apple to open a plant in Mesa, Arizona, was gearing up to mass produce sapphire displays meant for the iPhone 6. While another report yesterday said that Apple’s initial sapphire production would target the iWatch instead of the next-generation iPhone, the volume of raw material and equipment the company is purchasing would suggest plans to manufacture approximately 200 million 5-inch sapphire displays to meet iPhone demand.

iPhone Win the U.S.Smartphone Race in 2013

Posted on January 17, 2014 by sales

Research firm NPD today announced the results of its latest Connected Home Report, showing that Apple increased its share of the U.S. smartphone installed user base by seven percentage points, from 35 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 to 42 percent in the same quarter of 2013. Second-place Samsung increased its share of the market by a smaller margin from 22 percent to 26 percent, while other major manufacturers saw their shares drop.

NPD’s data, which is based on a survey of roughly 5,000 consumers, is in close alignment with recent data from comScore that showed Apple with 41.2 percent of the market and Samsung at 26.0 percent in the September-November period.

Both firms track installed user base rather than sales, offering a more realistic picture of real-world usage but which is slower to react to shifting market trends given typical handset lifespans. Apple has shown steady increases under these studies over the past several years, even as Android has experienced significant growth. One recent study of trends by Asymco’s Horace Dediu has predicted that Apple’s share of installed user base in the U.S. will peak at 68 percent in 2017 when the smartphone market hits a saturation point at 90 percent of the country’s population.

While Apple’s performance remains strong in the U.S. and several other countries, Android has had more success attracting customers in many other markets around the world. Data from Kantar Worldpanel for the August-October period pegged Apple’s share of the market in many European countries and China in the 15-20 percent range, with iOS barely registering in some countries such as Spain.

‘iPhone 6 Frame’ Shown in New Photos

Posted on January 9, 2014 by sales

Earlier today, Chinese site C Technology posted a pair of photos of what was claimed to be an internal frame for Apple’s next-generation iPhone, a device said to be carrying a display measuring at least 4.7 inches, significantly larger than the current 4-inch standard for Apple’s most recent iPhones. The photos were picked up by GizChina.com and have since made their way to increasingly prominent sites expressing varying degrees of skepticism about their authenticity.

While we had initially decided to refrain from posting the images due to their extremely dubious nature, their increasing visibility today bears addressing. For a number of reasons, including several outlined here, we believe that the part shown in these images is not legitimate.

– The part appears to be a midframe such as that found in earlier iPhone models, allowing components to be attached to both sides of the part before being enclosed in the device’s shell. Apple did away with midframe components as of the iPhone 5, opting for a unibody rear shell design that allows components to be mounted directly to the shell, yielding a thinner design. A return to a design requiring a midframe part would seem unlikely given Apple’s emphasis on thinness.

– The frame seems to show accommodation for a headphone jack at the same end of the device where a circular feature presumably corresponding to the device’s rear camera is positioned, undoubtedly the top end. With the shift to the narrower Lightning connector in the iPhone 5, Apple shifted the location of the iPhone’s headphone jack to the bottom edge of the device, matching the position seen on the iPod touch since its launch and allowing the headphone cable to naturally fall so as to not interfere with viewing of the device’s screen. Moving the headphone jack back to the top edge of the device for the iPhone 6 appears unlikely, though not impossible.

In the face of those apparent inconsistencies with Apple’s design direction, there is essentially no evidence in favor of this part being from an iPhone, leaving only the original poster’s claim as support. The part is rather unremarkable with what appears to be fairly poor finish quality, meaning that it could be from one of any number of devices in the Asian supply chain.

What’s Next for Apple in 2014: iWatch, Larger iPhone 6, 12.9-inch iPad Pro

Posted on December 31, 2013 by sales

Over the course of 2013, Apple released a number of exciting new products, including the radically redesigned Mac Pro, a thinner and lighter iPad Air, and an iPhone with cutting edge fingerprint recognition technology.

2014 will likely bring even more innovation to Apple’s product lineup, with current rumors hinting at highly anticipated products like the Apple smart watch, a larger iPhone and iPad, and new developments with the Apple TV. A number of these products have been rumored for some time, but the spate of Apple product releases over the past few months and the imminent turning of the calendar offers a chance to bring those rumors back to the forefront.

According to Apple CEO Tim Cook, Apple has plans to create “great products” in areas the company does not participate in today, and in a recent email, Cook told Apple employees that there’s a lot in store for Apple in 2014, “including some big plans that we think customers are going to love.”

In the list below, we’ve highlighted Apple’s prospective 2014 product plans, outlining what customers might see from Apple in the next 12 months based on current rumors.

iPhone 6
Apple’s next iPhone is rumored to come equipped with a larger screen size, somewhere between 4.7 and 5.7 inches. Some rumors have suggested that Apple might release the phone in two separate sizes, both of which are larger than the current 4-inch iPhone 5s/5c.

Left to right: iPhone 5, Galaxy S III, “iPhone Plus”, Galaxy Note II (Source: Marco Arment)
The larger iPhone, which will likely incorporate a faster 20-nanometer A8 chip from TSMC, may also include sweeping design changes in the form of a curved display. While it is possible Apple will release an updated iPhone earlier in the year, the most likely release target for the larger-screened device is September or October.

Read full roundup for iPhone 6

iPad Pro
Along with a larger iPhone, Apple may be planning to add a larger iPad to its current tablet lineup, which comprises the 9.7-inch iPad Air and the 7.9-inch iPad mini. The “iPad Pro” or “iPad Maxi” as it has been called by the media, is rumored to include a larger 12.9-inch display, which would be most similar in size to the current 13.3-inch MacBook Air.

Mockup of the 12.9-inch iPad next to a 13-inch MacBook Air
The display reportedly offers higher pixel density nearing ultra high-definition quality and it will likely adopt many of the design elements offered in the current iPads, like an ultrathin chassis and narrow side bezels. Aside from a larger screen size, not much is known about Apple’s larger iPad, and it is unclear when such a product might be released.

iWatch
Apple’s much-anticipated “iWatch,” which was a major rumor focal point in 2013, will likely be released in 2014. According to rumors, the smart watch will primarily function as an accessory to the iPhone and the iPad, providing at-a-glance access to common iOS functions.

The watch may also include a multitude of biometric functions, possibly offering a pedometer and heart rate monitor, among other things, and it could also serve as ahome automation hub. While it is entirely unclear what the iWatch will look like, rumors have indicated that it could have an OLED display in the range of 1.3 to 1.7 inches, possibly coming in multiple sizes for a customized fit.

Apple’s iWatch may incorporate an ultra durable sapphire glass screen, as the company recently signed a deal with GT Advanced to ramp up sapphire glass production. Rumors have also hinted at a flexible, curved design.

Over the course of 2013, Apple ramped up its work on the iWatch, with a team of 100 product designers working on the project. The company also filed for iWatch trademarksin multiple countries throughout 2013.

Currently, Apple’s iWatch is expected to debut during the second half of 2014.

Read full roundup for iWatch

Apple Television
Apple has been long rumored to be making some upgrades to its Apple TV, either in the form of a revamped set top box with additional functionality or a full blown television set. It is unclear what Apple will do in the television arena in 2014, however, as rumors have suggested that the company has shelved its TV plans for the time being in order to focus on wearables like the iWatch. Television remains an area of “intense interest” for Apple, according to Tim Cook.

If Apple does release a television-related product in 2014, it will likely be a new set top box that could bundle key features like an App Store and Siri, along with additional content offerings.

In 2013, Apple worked hard to beef up content offerings, adding several new channels, including WatchESPN, HBO GO, Vevo, Yahoo Screen, and PBS. The company is also said to be in talks with cable provider Time Warner and a deal with that company, as well as other improvements in content, could come in 2014.

Improving content and reaching deals with various cable companies and content providers is a necessary step before Apple can make headway in the television industry.

Read full roundup for Apple TV

4K Display
Many people believed Apple would introduce a new Thunderbolt Display alongside the Mac Pro, as it has been two years since the last Thunderbolt Display update. No new display appeared, but it is possible that the company will debut a new display product in 2014, likely offering a 4K resolution of 4096 or 3840 x 2160 pixels.

In late 2013, Apple supplier AU Optronics introduced new 27 and 32-inch 4K display panels, sparking speculation that revamped Thunderbolt Displays were on the horizon, though concrete information on a new display or a possible release date is unavailable at the current point in time. In lieu of a 4K Thunderbolt Display, Apple is offering a 4K 32-inch Sharp display as an add-on to the Mac Pro.

Read full roundup for Apple Displays

Other updates: iOS 8, OS X 10.10, MacBooks, and More
As it does every year, Apple will undoubtedly offer refreshed MacBooks over the course of 2014. Recently, a rumor has suggested that a 12-inch MacBook with a MacBook Air-style design and a Retina display could make its debut in the middle of 2014, and other incremental updates to products like the Retina MacBook Pro will come as well.

Apple has several products that have not been refreshed for quite some time, including its lineup of iPods and the Mac Mini, which could see updates in 2014.

New versions of both iOS and OS X are also expected, though few details are available on the software at this time. iOS 8 may include improvements to Maps, iOS in the Car, and a possible Siri API, while the next version of OS X could take on some iOS 7-style design elements. iOS 8 will probably arrive during the fall along refreshed iPhones, and it is likely that a revamped version of OS X will come during the same general time frame.