Though they may reflect the overall design, the iPhone 6 mockups have been produced quickly with low quality materials. This haphazard construction misses a few key design elements, the most notable of which is a curved glass display that Nikkei sources say will seamlessly transition into the aluminum shell that encloses the device.
Nikkei sources also say the antenna breaks, shown on the back of some mockups, will not appear in the final version of the iPhone 6. These white-striped lines are thought to mark out the location of the back panels and are not part of the final external design. As a result, the backing on the iPhone 6 may closely resemble the styling of the iPhone 5/5s.
At this point in time, it appears that different splinters of information agree on the exterior of the iPhone 6, which reminds a whole lot of the iPod Touch, the iPhone 5c, and even the new design language of the iPad Air and new iPad mini. In other words, the many dummies and schematics we've seen pop online so far, paint a more rounded design, and a noticeably slimmer body, which is rumored to measure in at anything from 5.58mm (0.22'') up to 6.1mm (0.24''). Regardless of which of these two extremes we take for granted, we're still talking about a significant slimming down when compared with the iPhone 5s (7.6mm, or 0.3''). As for the overall dimensions, one of several schematics that have been leaked suggests a 138 x 67 mm (5.4 x 2.6 in) config, and the rest don't really deviate significantly from those numbers. That's quite the (expected) growth compared with the iPhone 5s' dimensions of 123.8 x 58.6 (4.87 x 2.31 in).
The latest leaks suggest that the Touch ID fingerprint scanner will go through a small design upgrade, and come with a more pronounced chrome encasing this time around.
Display
Quote:
In any case, one guess so far is the somewhat odd 966 x 1600 pixel resolution (16:10, 398 ppi) -- the exact resolution of a purported iOS 8 screenshot taken on the iPhone 6. On the other hand, Apple insider Sonny Dickson, who had a great run with iPhone 5s/5c leaks, disagrees with that number, and instead suggests a pixel density 389 ppi. Close enough.
Further still, according to 9to5Mac, the new resolution could very well read 1704 x 960, or 416 ppi (more likely). The only ground for this assumption is Apple's rather pragmatic (and thus, predictable) approach to resolution bumping in the past, where it has always kept these upgrades simple enough for developers to be able to easily scale and migrate existing visual assets to the next level. In that sense, a bump to 1704 x 960 would entail a 3x bump of the base 16:9 resolution of 568 x 320 (which is half the current resolution of iPhone 5/5s).
It's also worth pointing out that Apple has been investing heavily into the development of sapphire glass for use in smartphones, and at this point it appears very likely that we'll see the company adopt the extremely tough material for use with its displays. Sapphire glass is already used to protect the iPhone 5s' camera and Touch ID sensor, as it's harder to scratch than Gorilla Glasss (though more brittle). In fact, Apple actually patented a method of fusing a sapphire laminate layer with a device's screen, further corroborating the notion of a break-up with Corning. On a related note, a November 2013 report from Bloomberg claims that Apple is working on new designs for the iPhone's display, and is working on something rather enigmatic, called 2.5-dimension glass. In Bloomberg's own words, "... the material lets manufacturers taper the edges of the screen where the bezel meets the frame of a smartphone." That said, there's no reason to believe that such tech will end up in the iPhone 6, even if Apple is, indeed, working on it.
Camera
Quote:
For one, and as expected, Apple is again going to sit out on the megapixel arms race, and likely stick to an 8MP snapper, though a 10MP unit has also been suggested. Instead of pursuing pixel count, the iPhone 6 is instead said to improve on its photographic capabilities by offering a larger, 1/2.6'' sensor (vs. a 1/3'' one in the iPhone 5s), with larger, 1.75μm pixels, and wider, f/2.0 aperture. Lastly, we're told that despite initial rumors, the iPhone 6 will pass on Optical Image Stabilization, likely to avoid extra production costs and in order to keep thickness in check. Instead, the analyst-in-chief at ESM-China, Sun Chang Xu, claims that Apple will opt for Electronic Image Stabilization.
As far as the system chip that will power the iPhone 6 is concerned, we obviously still don't have anything that is confirmed. That said, the aforementioned Sonny Dickson has suggested that a 2.6GHz A8 chip could be what we'll find inside the iPhone 6. However, considering Apple's current track record, and especially its latest 1.3GHz, 64-bit A7 chip found in the iPhone 5s, we find it hard to believe that Apple will distance itself from its approach in such a drastic way. According to the folks behind 9to5Mac, the new silicon will introduce a relatively smaller performance boost, and will instead focus on bettering efficiency. Makes sense -- the current crop of iPhones sure isn't known for its longevity.
iPhone 6 Mockups of Low Quality, Antenna Breaks Not in Final Design
Quote:
..the iPhone 6 mockups have been produced quickly with low quality materials. This haphazard construction misses a few key design elements, the most notable of which is a curved glass display that Nikkei sources say will seamlessly transition into the aluminum shell that encloses the device.
Nikkei sources also say the antenna breaks, shown on the back of some mockups, will not appear in the final version of the iPhone 6. These white-striped lines are thought to mark out the location of the back panels and are not part of the final external design. As a result, the backing on the iPhone 6 may closely resemble the styling of the iPhone 5/5s.
This isn't the first report that claims the iPhone will feature a curved glass display. A report this year from Mac Otakara and an earlier one last year from Bloomberg also claimed the iPhone 6 will ship with a curved display that will lay flush with the phone's round corners.
According to new reports, there will be a curved glass display that "seamlessly transitions into the aluminum shell" and the antennas won't be visible on the back.
iPhone 6 Mockups of Low Quality, Antenna Breaks Not in Final Design
Quote:
We've seen a steady stream of mockup devices that claim to represent the form factor of the rumored 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6. While these mockups provide a fairly accurate look at Apple's upcoming iPhone hardware, they may not be completely accurate, claims Nikkei (via GforGames).
Though they may reflect the overall design, the iPhone 6 mockups have been produced quickly with low quality materials. This haphazard construction misses a few key design elements, the most notable of which is a curved glass display that Nikkei sources say will seamlessly transition into the aluminum shell that encloses the device.
Nikkei sources also say the antenna breaks, shown on the back of some mockups, will not appear in the final version of the iPhone 6. These white-striped lines are thought to mark out the location of the back panels and are not part of the final external design. As a result, the backing on the iPhone 6 may closely resemble the styling of the iPhone 5/5s.
iPhone 6 Dummy "Leaks"
