It's been just over six months since Apple unveiled its much-anticipated sixth-generation iPhone, but for the past two weeks the Web has been abuzz with speculation and leaked information about the iPhone 6.
The iPhone 5 was not as well received by consumers as initially hoped, with many reviews questioning the lack of Apple's innovation following on from the 4S.
While sales continue to increase steadily, so does competition from rival Samsung, with the release of the Galaxy S4. Meanwhile, the HTC One and Sony's Xperia Z are expected to hit South African shelves in April. Locally, the Xperia Z has already impressed pundits, who expect it to be at least on par with, and in some instances better equipped than, the iPhone 5; however, it's unlikely to outsell it.
Speaking of the Xperia Z, some of the leaked images of the concept iPhone 6, on gottabemobile.com, show the two could be peas in a pod in terms of appearance. If this is true, the design team at Apple may be looking to move away from the standard iPhone design, the site says.
The rumours
According to idesigntimes.com, there are rumours that the iPhone 6 would feature a home button, without a fingerprint sensor, and that the handset's chip will be provided by Taiwanese firm Chipbond. It speculated it could also feature indoor mapping, as Apple is said to have paid $20 million for WiFiSLAM, an indoor location tracking start-up. The iPhone 6 is also rumoured to feature an ultra-sensitive Sharp touch-screen, with Sharp working on the technology that would yield an eight times higher level of sensitivity.
It is still unclear though what Apple will do with the screen design. Apple CEO Tim Cook has been dodging all questions about the new handset, as well as the screen size. If Apple decides to go with the Xperia Z-like design, the screen would be substantially bigger, with rumours of a 4.8-inch display.
According to pc-tablet.com, three patents have been filed by Apple for the iPhone 6, which includes a stylus similar to that of Samsung's Note 2. This has also fuelled talk of a larger screen. The patented Identifiable Stylus is rumoured to be able to read barcodes like a scanner, while one of the other patents would enable users to form a unique password by using a specific motion gesture.
Further speculation, from techradar.com, holds that it's a logical step for the iPhone 6 to run iOS 7, with expectation that Apple will unveil its revision of the iOS at its WWDC conference, in June. The Web portal also claims the next-generation iPhone would be powered by a quad-core A7 processor and would have even better 4G LTE.
Meanwhile, a 5S/iPhone 6 debate has also come to light, with Apple tagging interim versions of its handsets with an "S", before moving on to the next model. Most observers believe the 5S will be unveiled by June/July and the iPhone 6 closer to the fourth quarter of 2013.
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