New Delhi: One of the biggest smartphone launches of 2014 will certainly be iPhone 6. Riding high on the success of iPhone 5S, Cupertino-based Apple says it is already looking ahead with the grand launch of the the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6, new iPhone or iPhone 2014.
Though there is not official word from the company regarding the new iPhone, rumour mill is churning in full capacity regarding the new gadget.
According to information coming out of China's Weibo platform, several Foxconn insiders have revealed that production of the new iPhone 6 will be split between two models, one with a 4.7" screen, and a 5.7-incher. That means Apple will try to crack the “phablet” market by even crossing the 5.7-inch mark.
Rumours also suggest that all variants of the new device will have at least one form of biometrics, which could include fingerprint or eye recognition.
It is also believed that the iPhone 6 will be made with Liquidmetal, as Apple has exclusive rights to the material. In November, five new Apple patents relating to Liquidmetal were published. Liquidmetal is extremely strong and durable, and therefore can be used in smaller quantities to get the same level of build quality as aluminium. That means the new iPhone will be lighter and even more thinner.
Apple is also rumoured to have spent $578 million to fasten the development process of sapphire glass displays destined for the iPhone 6. Sapphire glass, currently used for the iPhone 5s's Touch ID Home button and the cover of the iPhone's rear-facing camera, is twice as durable than Corning's Gorilla Glass, and is "virtually scratch free" according to glass makers GT Advanced Technology. Sapphire glass will make it possible for Apple to create a bigger iPhone.
Although there are rumours that suggest that the Home button on the new iPhone 6 will be removed. But it is unlikely given that the company has recently introduced the Touch ID fingerprint scanner feature to the Home button in the iPhone 5s. Rather there may be a possibility that the new iPhone 6 will expand the use of Touch ID to banking applications and other apps that require passcodes.
Since the iPhones are refreshed roughly once a year, the new iPhone is likely to hit the market later this year. But some analysts suggest that Apple may decide to launch a new iPhone earlier in the year, perhaps at the company's annual WWDC event in June. This is certainly a possibility.
