Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) next iPhone will not be called iPhone 6. According to the latest rumours originating in China and doing the rounds across the global media, the upcoming iteration of the iPhone will be called iPhone Air, and not iPhone 6.
But we already told you that back in February. Read: Apple’s iPhone 6 may not be called iPhone
However, a wave of new leaks suggests that it will be unveiled on Monday, September 15, and will be available in stores by Thursday, September 25 later this year.
According to MacRumors.com, an unofficial yet credible source of pre-launch information about previous iPhones and iMacs, Apple’s 2014 iPhone is expected to include a larger redesigned form factor, with 4.7" and 5.5" diagonal screens.
While the site said earlier that 4.7" model will be introduced first around September, with the 5.5" model following later, it now maintains that, due to production issues that may or may not be resolved, the larger 5.5-inch iPhone could launch alongside the 4.7-inch version.
On Thursday, the Twitter handle of Chinese website iFanr (@ifanr) posted what they claimed were the front glass panels of the two unreleased iPhones. The magazine also posted a video link of the new versions on YouKu, China’s biggest video site (YouTube remains largely inaccessible in China).
As far as pricing is concerned, the latest reports are in line with previous rumours – that the unlocked 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will cost about $850 (Dh3,150) and that the anticipated 5.5-inch iPhone (6 or Air) will set you back by about $965 (Dh3,550).
According to Apple Insider, the latest alleged iPhone 6 parts leak claims to show the device’s front glass panel, with a video showcasing its larger 4.7-inch size and how much of the display can be reached by holding it with one hand.
“One-handed use was a key focus for Apple when the company introduced the larger 4-inch display on the iPhone 5 in 2012, but it may now be willing to eschew those principles to follow the trend of larger display sizes, if the new part obtained by Chinese website iFanr is legitimate,” it said. “In the video, the part is compared to a genuine iPhone 5 glass panel, and the site noted that both seem to be similarly designed,” it added.
According to a Google Translation of the iFanr report, the edges of the glass have a “certain arc,” sporting curved edges as opposed to the rounded off corners on the iPhone 5 glass. In addition, the front glass of the iPhone 6 also appears much thinner than its predecessor.
Also, website Macitynet.it, which says it continues to examine of the mock-ups of the iPhone 6, published a video recently that it claims verifies the actual use of the upcoming iPhone with one hand.
The video compares the existing iPhone 5s with the upcoming larger 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
The glass part also suggests the forward facing FaceTime camera may have been moved to the left of the call speaker. Starting with the iPhone 5 and carrying over to the iPhone 5s, Apple had moved the camera to a central position above the ear speaker.
Given that Apple has launched the previous versions of the iPhone in either June or September, the launch date seems like nothing more than an educated guess. Earlier, German carrier Deutsche Telekom reportedly told its call centre representatives to entice customers to stay with the wireless provider for a mid-September launch of Apple’s hotly anticipated iPhone 6.
According to inside sources cited by the Chinese media, the iPhone 6 will be officially announced on September 15, after which it will go on sale in the US and a handful of other countries on September 25. The source also suggests that China will be among the first countries to receive the iPhone 6, which too seems a good guess given Apple’s recent focus on the Asian market.
But the one report that seems like a bit doubtful is the one that maintains that the iPhone 6 will be called iPhone Air. According to Chinese website China.com, industry sources are telling various media outlets in the region that Apple is planning to name the 5.5-inch ‘phablet’ version of the next-gen iPhone as iPhone Air.
We doubt this because this will thoroughly confuse users about the Air naming convention – the MacBook Air already represents Apple’s smallest and lightest laptops, while the iPad Air moniker has been assigned to the company’s largest iPad. It’ll be surprising if Apple does name its rumoured 5.5-inch phablet as iPhone Air.
According to gaming website G for Games, China Mobile and China Unicom are already testing their 4G network on an iPhone 6 prototype even as we’re still a long way from the finish line.
One thing that everyone seems to agree is this – when the next-gen iPhone launches sometime later this year, the new handset is expected to be markedly different from the current iPhone 5s and 5c versions in terms of design, a relocated sleep/wake button, slimmed-down profile and advanced innards like an ‘A8’ processor.