Today’s the day when Apple will launch its hotly anticipated iPhone 6. And the iWatch. Possibly. We don’t know yet for sure.
Not everyone is feeling the hype.
iPhone 6 Improvements: • Larger logo • increased smugness • More gigabyte thingies • Basic Cloud security • Less stained by sweatshop blood
— JamieDMJ (@JamieDMJ) September 9, 2014
What we do know is that today, September 9th, is the day when Apple has booked out a large venue in Cupertino, California. And that they’ve added a large white box to it. And that Bono and the rest of U2 are going to play.
The eighth generation iPhone will promise to have the greatest technological updates to the smart device since… well, the last iPhone. But since we don’t know exactly what’s coming out today, we thought we’d take you through some of the rumours and hearsay surrounding the launch.
What’s in a name?
This one is generally rather predictable. Apple has proven to be a fan of ordinal numerical naming, with the iPhone 4 graduating to the 4S. Then the 5, the 5S, and the 5C. So the assumption is that the iPhone 6 is what will be snatched out of eager commuters hands for the next few months, as the most coveted smartphone grabs the eyes of unwanted attention.
But, there’s a problem; the scuttlebutt has it that Apple will be dropping two different sized iPhones at the same time. The 4.7-inch version is expected to go by 6, with the 5.5-inch phablet named iPhone Air.
What will it look like?
Leaked photos over the past week have been pretty consistent in terms of design. The new phone looks slick and curved, an update of the present-day line with a modern-looking tribute to the rounded contours of the original. Basically, it looks pretty.
China Telecom's leaked advert to buy the new phone (Image: China Telecom)
Size comparison of old and leaked new iPhone (Image: NDTV)
The more intriguing design rumour is the glass screen. Is the much-touted sapphire glass going to spell the end cracks when you drop it?
The crystal is stronger than steel, and considerably harder than the Gorilla Glass that’s prone to blemishes when sitting unattended in your pocket with your car keys. But don’t get too excited – Apple’s latest earnings report suggests that sapphire glass won’t be going into mass production on its phones until the near future, as it’s just too expensive to make right now.
What about its specs’ appeal?
Look, gone are the days of charging your old Nokia 3210 every three days while playing snake like a boss and composing monophonic ring tones. But the rumour mill says the new battery will be the most robust to date. You might even get a whole day out of it.
That said, there are whispers of wireless charging floating about out there. And that lightning will strike twice, with the traditional pin-shaped headphone jack replaced by the Lightning plug.
Hit the road, traditional earphone jack (Image: GottaBeMobile)
Along with the eagerly awaited iOS8 upgrade, most experts seem to agree that the camera will be improved – with image stabilisation the buzz word.
It’s unexpected that Apple will roll out iWallet this time around – essentially turning your phone into a credit-card. Recent high-profile iCloud leaks won’t have done anything to inspire consumer confidence in handing over all of your details to your phone.
Now a warning:
Bear in mind that Apple has been known to keep its launches a closely kept secret, so all these rumours could prove entirely false. After all, a rumour predicted a rotary-dial phone using a classic iPod's wheel to dial and text.
(Image: PatentlyApple.com)
And, come on, how ridiculous would that be?!
And finally... is this Bono's profile as the artist logo on iTunes?
A listener named Dave-areeno says it's Bono's profile in the logo for artist on the iPhone music. Can this be true?? pic.twitter.com/rCFwScWeyu
— Joe Donnelly (@kildarejoe) September 9, 2014
