It's been a couple of months since Apple introduced the new iPhone 6 and 6 Plus handsets, so that means it's time to look toward the future and speculate about what the company might have in store for the next iPhone.
Will the next-generation iPhone be called iPhone 6S or iPhone 7? Will it feature an entirely new camera along with overhauled camera software? The rumours have already begun to pop up, and so haven't a few design concepts.
Here's a look at the whole gamut and everything you might expect to see.
Name
What's in a name, right? Well, to Apple fanboys/girls, everything. They'll dice you up into little pieces through their online comments if you dare to guess the name of the next iPhone. That's said, we're still going to discuss it.
What's in a name, right?
Apple typically names each generation of products by either a flagship feature or a design change, according to Tim Cook, the company's CEO. The iPhone 6 Plus, for instance, has a larger screen, so it received a Plus moniker for having a plus-sized screen. If you go way back, theiPhone 4S got the S moniker because it debuted with Siri.
For the next iPhone to have an S name it will have to sport something that makes it standout, but if it stands out too much, sort of like the iPhone 6 handsets do, it'll get a new name like iPhone 7. There are rumours however that claim Apple wants to drop the S name altogether because it carries a mediocre connotation.
We're not fortune tellers though. At the end of the day, it's all speculation, right? So, until Apple confirms otherwise, we're going to call the next iPhone... iPhone 6S.
Release date
It's not hard to pinpoint when the next iPhone will launch, as Apple seems to have settled into a pattern.
Apple seems to have settled into a pattern.
Launches usually occur in September, and for quite a while, Apple has released major updates to the iPhone every other year. In between those years, Apple launched minor updates to the iPhone. It launched the iPhone 5 in September 2012, for instance, followed by the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C in September 2013.
The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus were then launched last September. If you're not catching on yet, that means September 2015 will likely bring the launch of another iPhone. Maybe the iPhone 6S (and even an iPhone 6S Plus).
Design
The design, again, all comes down to the name. If Apple releases an iPhone 6S, it will likely only feature internal changes and may look a lot like the iPhone 6. If Apple releases an iPhone 7, you can expect it to look like an entirely new phone.
Magical Apple products made of Liquidmetal
Display
Apple patents could reveal what Apple has in store, though don't hold your breath. Apple has a patent from May (spotted by Apple Insider) that shows a side-mounted wraparound display on a future iPhone. The display, which runs the circumference of the phone, could be used to add virtual buttons to the edges and replace physical controls.
Sapphire glass
If Apple used such a display on it's next iPhone, it might include Sapphire glass for the display and Liquidmetal for the chassis. Apple added Sapphire to the display of the Apple Watch, after all. Keep in mind however that Apple's primary Sapphire glass supplier is currently seeking to end its “oppressive and burdensome” contract with Apple.
The Wall Street Journal reported that sapphire manufacturer GT Advanced Technologies will close two plants in Arizona and Massachusetts, costing 890 people their jobs. GTAT also filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, indicated it is bleeding money after opening a manufacturing plant with Apple, and wants to finally end its relationship with Apple.
Force Touch
Another screen technology that is likely to be used on the handset or handsets is Force Touch. The pressure sensitive haptic tech knows how light or hard you are pressing or tapping the screen to open up an all-new level of interaction. It is being used by Apple on its Apple Watch and new MacBook, so makes sense that it will look to introduce it to other devices, including iPhone.
The Wall Street Journal cites "people familiar with the matter" as saying exactly that.
Liquidmetal
Going back to Liquidmetal for a moment, Apple has an exclusive arrangement for a metal alloy dubbed Liquidmetal. And for the last four years, many rumours about magical Apple products made of Liquidmetal have popped up. In reality, Liquidmetal is very unique, difficult to work with, and likely too expensive to produce in large quantities.
In other words: the next iPhone could have a wraparound display, Sapphire glass, and a Liquidmetal chassis, but nothing is confirmed at this point and it all sounds a bit like wishful-thinking.
Oh, and according to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is considering a pink version this time around too.
Features
Camera
The next iPhone will feature the “biggest camera jump ever” - and it'll even compare to DLSRs in terms of image quality, according to John Gruber, a blogger and podcaster who is notorious for having inside sources at Apple.
'Birdie of a birdie'
“The specific thing I heard is that next year’s camera might be the biggest camera jump ever,” he said in a recent podcast. “I don't even know what sense this makes, but I've heard: it's some kind of weird two-lens system, where the back camera uses two lenses, and somehow it takes it up into DSLR-quality imagery.”
Gruber cited his source this time around as a “birdie of a birdie”. He also brought upSony's new 21-megapixel image sensor, called the Exmoor RS, and that Apple has used Sony sensors in the iPhone.
Concepts
Yes, there are iPhone 6S and even iPhone 6C concepts already out there. Designer Martin Hajek, who at this point could be dubbed an official concept-maker of Apple products, has published concepts through Business Insider.
Here's one of his better mock-ups:
Anything else?
That's it for now, but keep checking back for all the latest. We promise to update as more and more rumours surface.
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