iPhone 6: All The Hardware Rumors So Far

iPhone 6: All The Hardware Rumors So Far

Apple's next iPhone is always a heavily rumored affair. We gather all the whispers here and make sense of it.

With Mobile World Congress just around the corner, rumors about new and upcoming devices are as thick as San Francisco fog. However, one company that won't be in Barcelona next week is Apple. The Cupertino-based company prefers to steer clear of these big conferences and mass launch events, choosing instead to host their own exclusive events. That way, its news never gets lost in the flood of announcements (as if that could happen to the Apple of today).

What you may wonder, after hearing about all the new phones that are going to arrive through the spring and into the summer, is if the iPhone 6 is will match up to the MWC debutantes. Apple hasn't announced the device yet, and it's not expected to announce anything for a while. After all, the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S were just announced and released in September. Though Apple has traditionally announced new phones at WWDC in June, it's thought the switch to September refresh will carry through to this year. So what can we expect come fall? Below is a round up of iPhone 6 rumors, which we'll update as time goes on.

iPhone Screen

Arguably one of the most important features of a smartphone, given it's what you'll spend all your time looking at. Apple pays special attention to its displays, adding its famed Retina Display with the introduction of the iPhone 4. Talk of the iPhone 6 display Recent rumors suggest Apple is going to use a sapphire display in the iPhone 6. The company’s new Arizona plant will produce sapphire glass, that much we know. Tim Cook confirmed it while speaking to ABC. Now, Apple already uses tiny amounts of sapphire glass for the home button and to keep the camera safe from scratches, and though it’s technically possible that this is all the company needs the new plant for, that seems highly unlikely. Word on the street says Apple will kick things up a notch and make the entire display out of this tough material. This week, Canonical’s CEO complained that Apple had bought up a three year supply of a display Canonical wanted for the Ubuntu Edge. Apple’s either has a huge need for sapphire glass or is stockpiling for a future product while keeping the product away from its competitors. 

iPhone CPU and SoC Chipset

The iPhone 5S was noteworthy for its 64-bit A7 chip manufactured on the 28 nm process. Given the iPhone 5S has only been on the market for six months, this chip is still a really fresh piece of technology. However, with Samsung rumored to have a 64-bit chip of its own on the way, Apple may want to up its game. No surprise then that the latest scuttlebutt points to an Apple A8 chip manufacture red on the 20 nm process powering the iPhone 6. Further talk of a 64-bit A8 points to Apple using Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC) to manufacturer the A8. This would be a move away from rival smartphone maker Samsung, which Apple has used for production of its chips in the past. TSMC hasn’t confirmed the news, and neither has Apple (of course).

iPhone Form Factor

So, the iPhone might have a bigger display, but that’s not to say it will be bigger over all. The rumor mill is churning out whisperings of an edge-to-edge of minimal bezel display, which could theoretically increase the size of the display without making the phone bigger. The real question is whether Apple is willing to ditch the physical home key or make it smaller. We’d say no, considering it just added fingerprint recognitionwith the iPhone 5S, but the home key could be reduced in size or moved to a different location on the iPhone 6. Again, that's unlikely but if Apple wants a bigger display without significantly increasing the size of the phone, this would be one way to do it. One analyst even claims to have gotten wind of such a prototype.

As far as casing is concerned, it's hard to predict what Apple will do. The iPhone 2G was metal, then the 3G brought plastic casing that continued through to the 3GS. The iPhone 4 gave us the glass backing, which was also present in the 4S. The iPhone 5 saw Apple bring back the metal with an aluminum casing, and the iPhone 5S has the same chassis. Discounting the iPhone 5C (Apple brought back the plastic we saw with the 3G but in a range of colors), Cupertino seems to introduce a new case with each full upgrade of iPhone. Word on the street is that the iPhone 6 will also feature a metal chassis, but that it will be lighter and thinner than the current iPhone 5S.

What About the iPhone 5C?

Apple last year introduced us to a completely new breed of iPhone. A slightly lower-spec'd smartphone wrapped in plastic of varying colors, the device looked completely different to any iPhone we'd ever seen before. So is Apple going to introduce a second generation model this year? It's complicated.

The latest rumors, this time coming from Macotakara (via AppleInsider), say Apple has chosen 4.7 and 5.7-inch displays for the 2014 iPhones and that both of these devices will be a cross between the iPhone 5C and Apple’s colorful iPod nano. From the sounds of things, these two devices, despite their different screen sizes, will share the same aesthetic. Apple will apparently be keeping the fun colors we saw with the iPhone 5C along with the same rounded edges and buttons, but ditching the plastic in favor of the aluminum body of the iPod nano. What's not immediately clear is if these new phoneswill be upgraded iPhone 5Cs or if these will be the new flagship iPhone. 

If this is to be the flagship, it makes a lot of sense. First of all, two sizes to cater to the phablet lovers who can’t function with a screen less than 5-inches (and similarly, a sub-5-inch option for those that can’t stand huge phones). Second, it brings Apple back from having two very different iPhones and closer to one device (albeit one that’s available in multiple configurations). It could also solve the problem that the iPhone 5C is somewhat cheap. For a long time before it was revealed, the iPhone 5C was rumored to be a budget or entry level phone, which it is not. Adding the aluminum body will give this iPhone a premium feel, and the colors still allow for a certain amount of jaunty personalization. 

Of course, there's mention that these aren't supposed to replace the iPhone 5C but exist alongside it. Does that mean there's also going to be an iPhone 6? Or are these the iPhone 6? Suddenly we feel like there is far too many iPhones.