iPhone 6: 8 Ideas Ripped From Rivals?
As the iPhone 6 rumor mill speeds up, check out some of the predicted features that we've seen -- in other smartphones.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt69509c9116440be8/blt85af8bc810cc9b8e/64cb581ceace7ca274479d61/iPhone-6-intro-screen.png?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
iPhone 6 makes it big
Ah, another iPhone summer. That's when rumors of the next-generation iPhone -- gossipy tidbits often leaked by Apple's supply-chain partners in Asia -- circulate with abandon. And with Apple's iPhone 6 expected to arrive in either September or October, the scuttlebutt is in full bloom.
Sure, it's a fun season, but this frivolity comes with a price: The element of surprise is lost. By the time Apple unveils its next-gen iPhone, we've pretty much learned everything we need to know about the device, at least on the hardware side of things. (New software features, particularly those developed in-house by Apple, are far easier for Apple to keep under wraps.)
This year's big news appears to be the iPhone 6's dramatic size boost. In particular, the rumored 5.5-inch model brings Apple into the booming phablet market -- a necessary move as the company expands into Asia and other global markets where phone-tablet hybrids are very popular.
The freshest rumor: AppleInsider reports the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is on track for fall debut but the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model could be delayed into 2015 due to "production bottlenecks." That delay could be significant.
In the first quarter of 2014, phablets accounted for 43% of smartphone sales in the Asia/Pacific region and 39% in China, according to research firm Canalys. These numbers either signal trouble -- or create a market opportunity -- for Apple, whose flagship phone, the iPhone 5s, falls solidly in the smartphone category with a relatively tiny 4-inch display.
The phablet market is important for another reason too: Tablet sales are sagging, particularly in the 7- to 8-inch category. New data from NPD DisplaySearch shows that tablet manufacturers shipped about 56 million slates in the first quarter of 2014, down from approximately 59 million in the same quarter a year ago. And rising phablet sales are partly to blame for the declining interest in smaller tablets, says NPD DisplaySearch.
This slideshow provides a guided tour of the iPhone 6's rumored new features. (Yes, we're aware the name "iPhone 6" is far from official, but go with it.) In some ways, the iPhone is now playing catch-up with its Android and Windows Phone competitors. So rather than show clandestine images of iPhone 6 parts, we've opted to show other (non-Apple) phones that already have the next-gen iPhone's alleged upgrades.
To be fair, being first out of the gate with a genre-defining product or feature generally isn't Apple's thing. When this approach works -- obvious examples include the iPod and iPhone -- it can prove wildly successful. When it doesn't, the result can be duds like Apple's music-oriented iTunes Ping social network, which closed in September 2012, just two years after its launch.
But nobody cares about Ping. We're here to explore the iPhone 6 and the smartphones that influenced it. So here we go...
(Source: nowhereelse.fr)
When the iPhone debuted in 2007, its 3.5-inch screen was the big kid in the schoolyard. By the time the iPhone 5 arrived in September 2012, however, its upsized 4-inch display was unremarkable in size, having already been surpassed by numerous Android and Windows Phone models. Well, rumor has it the iPhone 6 will come in two flavors, including a "smaller" unit with a 4.7-inch display. It's no surprise that Apple is finally joining the game. The HTC One X, LG Optimus G, Motorola Razr HD, Samsung Galaxy S3 (actually 4.8 inches), and other phones went this big about two years ago.
(Sources: LG and Samsung)
The larger iPhone 6 model reportedly will have a 5.5-inch display, placing it smack-dab in phablet land. The phone/tablet hybrid, of course, isn't new. Its origins date back a few years to oversized mobile phones such as the Dell Streak/Mini and the first-generation Samsung Galaxy Note. The Android-based Dell phablet came in 5- and 7-inch models. It didn't last long; critics slammed it for being bulky, acting buggy, and having a lousy display. The Galaxy Note, despite withering early reviews, proved a global hit with consumers seeking an all-in-one mobile device. The original Note had a 5.3-inch screen; the latest Note 3 model measures 5.7 inches, and some devices have passed the 6-inch mark.
(Sources: Dell and Samsung)
The iPhone 6 is expected to be Apple's thinnest smartphone to date, with some reports claiming its svelteness will rival that of the 6.1-millimeter iPod Touch. (By comparison, the iPhone 5s is a relatively chunky 7.6 mm.) But even if the iPhone 6 matches the iPod Touch's boney build, it won't be the world's thinnest phone. Two Android handsets from China are thinner, in fact: The 5.5-mm Gionee Elife S5.5, and the 5.75-mm Vivo X3. And the iPhone 6 may tie for third place with the Huawei Ascend P6, which is just under 6.2-mm thick. Each of these phones is ridiculously thin, of course, so any "world's thinnest" boast might seem silly, particularly if the slimness impacts the performance of other essential tools, most notably the camera.
(Source: Gionee)
The 5.5-inch iPhone 6 reportedly will have a full HD display, or 1,920-by-1,080 pixels (401 pixels per inch). The 4.7-inch model is expected to have a 1,334-by-750 pixel display (326 ppi). Good specs, certainly, but not enough to earn Apple high-res bragging rights. Today's smartphone with the highest screen resolution is the LG G3, which starts shipping this month. The G3's 5.5-inch display has an amazing 2,560-by-1,440 resolution (538 ppi). If you're shopping for 4K smartphones, sorry -- looks like you've have to wait until next year.
(Source: LG).
Here's an April rumor that seems increasingly unlikely as the iPhone 6 launch date nears: The device will feature a curved display with rounded corners. The perceived benefits are that a curved shape would fit better in the human hand or a rear pocket, and would offer better viewing angles. If true, the iPhone 6 wouldn't be the first curvaceous smartphone. The LG G Flex is a curvy phablet with a 6-inch OLED screen, and the Samsung Galaxy Round shows the time and other notifications when you tilt the phone to one side (when the home screen is off). Bottom line: Don't expect a curved iPhone 6. A recent flurry of images from Apple-centric rumor sites show a more conventional, flat design.
A report from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, a prolific and generally reliable source of Apple rumors, says the larger (5.5-inch) iPhone 6 will include optical image stabilization (OIS), a feature that reduces image blur by shifting the camera lens to adjust for movement of the device. OIS would be a first for iOS devices, but not for smartphone cameras. For instance, the Nokia Lumia 1020, which debuted in July 2013 and is best known for its jaw-dropping 41-megapixel sensor, features OIS. So did the now-discontinued Nokia Lumia 920, which arrived in November 2012.
One challenge for Apple is how to improve the iPhone's camera while reducing the device's thickness. In April, 9to5Mac reported that some analysts believe Apple has chosen an ultra-thin frame over OIS. Might it achieve both?
(Sources: Nokia and Findthebest.com)
Another year, another prediction that Apple will add near field communication (NFC) technology to the iPhone. NFC hasn't exactly fulfilled its potential at becoming the next big thing in mobile payments or data sharing. It's pretty much been a dud, in fact, despite being embraced by a wide mix of merchants, banks, and Android device vendors.
Apple, quite conspicuously, has been absent from the roster of NFC backers; rather it has been promoting its Bluetooth Low Energy-based iBeacon technology as a mobile payment solution. But that may change with the iPhone 6, according to several sources, including KFI Securities' analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. If the rumor is valid, an NFC-enabled iPhone would come three years after early adopters like the Android-based LG Optimus Net (above).
(Source: NFC Forum)
Here's a rumored feature that doesn't require an ode to smartphones past: The iPhone 6 will sport a sapphire screen -- a first for mobile devices. This wouldn't be Apple's first foray into sapphire, which covers the iPhone 5s's Touch ID-enabled home button and well as the iPhone 5's camera. Sapphire glass is more expensive to produce than Corning's Gorilla Glass, but also more durable and scratch-resistant. Tech video blogger Marques Brownlee recently demonstrated just how tough sapphire glass can be when he roughed up an alleged iPhone 6 screen. Apple's use of sapphire may mean fewer cracked displays -- a boon to iPhone users tired of paying for screen repairs.
(Sources: Apple; Marques Brownlee; Wikipedia)
Here's a rumored feature that doesn't require an ode to smartphones past: The iPhone 6 will sport a sapphire screen -- a first for mobile devices. This wouldn't be Apple's first foray into sapphire, which covers the iPhone 5s's Touch ID-enabled home button and well as the iPhone 5's camera. Sapphire glass is more expensive to produce than Corning's Gorilla Glass, but also more durable and scratch-resistant. Tech video blogger Marques Brownlee recently demonstrated just how tough sapphire glass can be when he roughed up an alleged iPhone 6 screen. Apple's use of sapphire may mean fewer cracked displays -- a boon to iPhone users tired of paying for screen repairs.
(Sources: Apple; Marques Brownlee; Wikipedia)
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