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Apr 12, 2001
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VentureBeat today posted a detailed overview of features that are said to be built into Apple's upcoming iPhone 6, with the outline provided by an unspecified source. While many of the proffered specifications in VentureBeat's outline echo past rumors, there are a few new specific details worth highlighting.

According to the site's source, Apple will introduce both the 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhones at its upcoming September 9 event, but while the 4.7-inch version will ship in mid-September, the larger 5.5-inch iPhone won't ship until up to a month later. This is in line with rumors suggesting the 5.5-inch iPhone isn't entering mass production until August or September, a month to two months after production is said to have began on the 4.7-inch iPhone.

iphone_5s_6__side_grass.jpg
iPhone 5s with mockups of 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models
Feature wise, VentureBeat points towards a new 2.0GHz A8 chip, NFC capabilities, and 802.11ac WiFi, all of which have been mentioned in previous rumors as possible specifications for the iPhone 6. The site does get into some specifics, however, suggesting the device will use Qualcomm's MDM9x35 cellular modem along with an NFC chip made by NXP and a WiFi chip from Broadcom.

Apple's Touch ID fingerprint sensor is said to include minor improvements that "speed up read times, cut down on false rejections, and improve security for mobile payments and biometrics," and the source suggests the iPhone 6 will not use a sapphire screen.
We've also heard rumors that the new screens will be made of ultra-durable sapphire glass. Our source says the screens are made of an extremely hard material that's slightly harder than Gorilla Glass but not as hard as sapphire. That corroborates an earlier video report showing that the purported iPhone 6 screen is harder than previous models' screens but softer than sapphire crystal.
While a front panel said to be for the 4.7-inch iPhone has undergone some testing that suggests it may not be composed of sapphire, many rumors have pointed towards the use of a pure sapphire crystal display or sapphire laminated glass display in at least one of the iPhone 6 models. The volume of sapphire production at Apple's Arizona sapphire plant run by GT Advanced also points towards the heavy use of the material and it is unlikely that all of the company's sapphire is being allocated towards the iWatch. During Q2 2014 alone, GT Advanced spent over $45 million on "sapphire production ramp up costs", and previous rumors have suggested the plant can output enough sapphire to outfit approximately 100 to 200 million iPhones.

In addition to outlining possible features for the iPhone 6, VentureBeat also suggests that Apple is experimenting with special connectivity between the iPhone and Beats headphones using the Lightning connector. Apple did recently introduce a Lightning Cable MFi specification for headphones, making such a project a possibility.
Our source adds that Apple has also been playing around with some technology that would form a special "handshake" between iPhones and Beats headphones. This consists of a chip that would authenticate Beats headsets on iPhones using the Lightning connector. Whether or not that feature materializes is anybody's guess.
VentureBeat's sources have not been particularly reliable in the past. For example, the site recently suggested Apple was pairing up with Swatch to develop the iWatch, a rumor that was quickly shot down by Swatch CEO Nick Hayek. The site's source also "stresses" that the listed features may not be the "final spec list" for the iPhone 6, so the overall reliability of the provided information is unclear.

Article Link: Detailed Yet Sketchy Report Claims 802.11ac Wi-Fi, NFC, Improved Touch ID, but No Sapphire Display for iPhone 6
 

Z400Racer37

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2011
711
1,664
It haste have sapphire, you can't give everyone else a chance to catch up to you over the next year...
 

Dilster3k

macrumors 6502a
Jul 20, 2014
790
3,206
No sapphire, actually a bit of sapphire, some with some without, no no sapphire is happening... maybe? NFC no, no chance, but actually yes but no.

Guys we have a month left just chill out. :cool:
 
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adamw

macrumors 6502a
Sep 22, 2006
742
1,778
Sounds very good. I like the new features that were given.
 

xVeinx

macrumors 6502
Oct 9, 2006
361
0
California
Seems like this is been kept under wraps pretty well if no one can figure out if Sapphire is being used or not...
 

lincolntran

macrumors 6502a
Jan 18, 2010
843
471
At this point, I don't give a rat ass about iPhone 6 rumors. They're all sketchy at best. Nobody knows anything for sure this time. :apple:
 

LordVic

Cancelled
Sep 7, 2011
5,938
12,458
Can anybody see Apple doing NFC at this point in time????? I am getting the feeling that a lot of these people want to speculate and put "APPLE" in the headline to get hits.

I'm torn.

From an ideology (lol) standpoint, it makes no sense for Apple to do NFC. They were pretty much against putting NFC in. They've taken steps to come up with viable NFCless solutions.


BUT...

Apple has NFC related patents.
 

chrmjenkins

macrumors 603
Oct 29, 2007
5,325
158
MD
Can anybody see Apple doing NFC at this point in time????? I am getting the feeling that a lot of these people want to speculate and put "APPLE" in the headline to get hits.

Yes.

I doubt the 2.0GHz claim though. There were high clock speed rumors for the A7 (~1.7GHz). Then the design showed wide, not fast.
 

hova

macrumors member
Jun 20, 2013
68
1
I bought a 4.7 inch smartphone with NFC and without sapphire glass in 2011.
 

rctlr

macrumors 6502a
May 9, 2012
738
175
I'm still not particularly happy with the screen size, let alone all the NFC idea.
I'll be renewing my phone next month with a 5S, I'm happy with 4". More than a handful is a waste. ;)
 

CrAkD

macrumors 68040
Feb 15, 2010
3,180
255
Boston, MA
If nfc is included they will have to have some big feature ready for it. Otherwise they may include it in the phone but not announce till the accompanying service is ready
 

Rogifan

macrumors Penryn
Nov 14, 2011
24,069
30,944
Do we trust VentureBeat? They were the ones that reported Apple was partnering with Swatch on an iWatch. Which was shot down same day I think.
 

andromeda107

macrumors regular
Aug 3, 2014
140
0
Why has Apple not purchased GT Advanced? Is there any reason for it? It's not like they're short on cash.

Yeah there is a reason for it, you'll need to talk to Tim Cook to find out though. Sorry, no one on here will provide you with that information.
 
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