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An archive of what we've heard about Apple’s next-generation iPhone 6, including specs, release date rumours, and features


Apple's annual merry-go-round of rumours and speculation seems to start earlier and earlier every generation. Rumours surrounding the iPhone 6 fired up before the iPhone 5S had even been officially announced in September 2013 so that now, as early as January 2014, we already have a boatload of information regarding what the successor model might be like.

Emphasis on the might, of course, because as always Apple is wrapped up tighter than a ridiculously tightly wrapped thing, so until it lets the cat out of the bag we can't know anything for sure.

As with previous models, a big chunk of the rumour pie rather optimistically focuses on the idea the iPhone 6 will be bigger than its predecessors, with a larger display.

Meanwhile, the idea of Apple regularly upgrading its chipsets has become somewhat predictable, in-line with its software. To the extent that, although the company threw a few curveballs with the massive overhaul that was iOS 7 and the upgrade to 64-bit architecture on the A7 chip, we can still confidently say we'll see a boost in power and optimisation, with iOS 8 and the A8 chip bringing these improvements.

Aside from this, there's talk of camera enhancements, solar power, mobile payments, styluses and liquid metal, amongst other things.

Read on to get up to speed with all the latest gossip on Apple's iPhone 6, aka, the iPhone Air, if some theories are to be believed.

iPhone 6 Specs Revealed?



A new report claims to have revealed "every last detail" of the iPhone 6's spec line-up.

The news comes via South Korean investment firm KDB Daewoo Securities, which in a note to investors listed the upcoming handsets key features.

The report reiterates previous rumours suggesting Apple will have multiple models to launch in different size categories. According to BGR, KDB Daewoo is "known for having inside sources that have accurately foretold companies’ plans on numerous occasions in the past." Make of that what you will.

It's claimed there will be a standard iPhone 6 model with a 4.7-inch or 4.8-inch display at a full HD 1920x1080 pixel resolution, and a larger phablet variant with a 5.5-inch display using a 2K QHD resolution at 2272x1280 pixels.

Internal storage for both models will include the usual 16GB, 32GB and 64GB variants, plus a 128GB beast for those with lots of stuff to store. The battery will be rated at 1,800mAh while a 64-bit Apple A8 processor will use 2GB of RAM.

There isn't a great deal of detail about the camera other than to say it's rated at 8-megapixels while the front-facing secondary is a 3.2-megapixel setup. There's no mention of those enhanced autofocus or "Lytro" rumours we've heard of previously, but that doesn't necessarily rule them out either.

The report has a few curveballs though, rather than iOS 8 as previously suspected, iOS 7.2 is listed as the onboard software build. Another oddity is the idea of the iPhone 6 appearing in Q2 or Q3, where most reports are expecting September 2014 as part of Apple's usual anual cycle.

A8 Chipset



The latest rumours suggest the iPhone 6 could arrive in June 2014. According to DigiTimes, Apple has recruited three chip production companies to build its next-gen A8 processor.

Amkor Technology, STATS ChipPAC and Advanced Semiconductor Engineering have allegedly all been drafted in for processor "packaging" processes. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is also said to be involved in the process.

The report states that TSMC will "ramp up" A8 20 nanometre chip production by Q2 2014 aiming for a June launch for the handset at the earliest.

... And It May Integrate DRAM
With the iPhone 6, Apple will be upgrading its chipset to a brand new A8 offering. One report is claiming the A8 will be attempting to bring it closer to being a “system-on-a-chip” (SoC). Currently, the iPhone 5s holds the A7 chipset which includes the CPU, GPU, cache, image processor and TouchID features all on one chipset - there is a lot currently on the chip, but it isn't a complete SoC compared to rival offerings.

Other features such as the accelerometer, gyroscope and compass processing are dealt with on the A7's companion chip, the M7 motion coprocessor andthe DRAM is separate. One report is claiming, however, that Apple will integrate the DRAM into the chipset on the A8. That doesn’t mean there won’t be an M8 motion coprocessor but it’s a step towards the full system being on one chip.

Display: How Big Is It Going To Be?




We’ve been hearing rumours of two iPhone models for a couple of months now and an analyst has given some more evidence that it’s true. What is different is that both handsets will be launched at different times. According to Chinese analyst Sun Chyang Xu, the iPhone 6 will launch in June with a 4.7-inch screen and then a follow-up iPhone 6 with 5.7-inch display will come later in the year.

The analyst said production will begin next month with full scale manufacturing beginning in May ready for WWDC in June. If Xu's comments are correct it would appear Apple is sticking to its two-handset launches from here on out. 2013 gave us the iPhone 5s and the iPhone 5c, and 2014 is likely to follow suit – just with a normal (but still slightly larger) iPhone and a phablet sized one.

Meanwhile in the US, one analyst claims Apple has now decided on what size screen it will use inside its next-generation iPhone. According to Timothy Arcuri of Cowen and Company, the iPhone 6 – or iPhone Air, as some are calling it – will feature a significantly larger 4.8-inch Retina display.

Updates to iOS are likely to focus on things like iBeacon, Touch ID, and Passbook. Arcuri added that 2013’s iPhone 5s was just the start – or, put another way: the jumping board for this year’s products. In 2014/15 the company will focus more and more on mobile payments, leveraging services like TouchID, iBeacons and the currently (pretty useless) Passbook application.

Arcuri relayed news of the larger panel in a note to investors and claims to have spoken to sources within Apple’s supply chain. In addition to a larger display the iPhone 6 will also feature Wi-Fi 802.11ac, as well as a whole host of new software “innovations” inside the company’s next iteration of iOS.Interestingly, Arcuri made no mention of Apple’s rumoured phablet-sized iPhone, however.

Unlike this report from the WSJ, which claims a 4.5-inch handset is near mass production while a bigger device is in “preliminary development.” According to the report both devices will be made of metal and Apple will stop producing plastic handsets like the iPhone 5C. That would make sense after rumours of appalling sales figures for Apple’s “budget” handset.

The report doesn’t have any new details on when either device might hit the market but previous reports have claimed we may see the smaller handset in June and the larger device by September.

In addition to this a report from China in late 2013 – citing Foxconn insiders – suggested there would be two handsets launched later this year. One is said to be a 4.7-inch setup while the other will pack in a 5.7-inch phablet-sized panel. Another detail leaked by the sources is the inclusion of “biometrics” in both handsets, which could mean anything from a fingerprint scanner to something even more advanced, such as an Iris eye scanner.

iPhone 6 Design: The Next Generation Of iPhone
Although it’s early, these could be images of the Apple iPhone 6’s frame. Renowned Chinese Apple leaker CTech has posted two photos alleged to be the iPhone 6's chassis.



Subsequent reports of the leak have estimated the frame in the image could house a display between 4.7-inches and 5-inches, as per previous rumours.

The second image shows the device from the side and it looks incredibly thin, although it's difficult to ascertain if this will be the 6mm chassis earlier rumours referred to. Such earlier rumours also alleged the super-thin iPhone 6 would in fact be called the iPad Air. Not only would this mean a bigger screen to compete with Android rivals, but a lighter weight to the handset too.

CTech has leaked specs for the iPhone 5C in the past which proved to be correct, so there is some hope this leak could also be accurate. It seems pretty early for us to be getting believable images yet but the phone is in development so this could be the real deal. Only time will tell.

Concept images and renders seem to emerge on a fairly regular basis, often updated with whatever the latest rumour is for new features and design elements. It's helpful because it means we can visualise what the iPhone 6/iPhone Air will be like when it arrives, even if it's not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.

The latest comes via Youtube channel ConceptsiPhone and artist Amine Kaddari. Interestingly, a video was also posted showing what is alleged to be iPhone 6 body panels from inside a factory, but the authenticity cannot be verified.

It seems like there are new concept renders of the iPhone 6 almost every week, but this latest one from designer Federico Ciccarese are particularly interesting as they show how the iPhone 6 might compare to the iPhone 5S. As well as depiciting an edge-to-edge display and curved back panel design, the renders are inspired by current rumours for two new iPhone models, one at 4.5-inches and another larger "phablet" model.