[Editor’s Note]: We’re happy to share that Vulcan Post will be at the Apple event come September 9th, so do look out for our updates on Twitter and Facebook!
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Now that an Apple event has been announced for September 9th, the iPhone rumour mill is in full swing. Since it’s an S year for Apple, the iPhone 6S is the latest tech toy everyone can’t wait to get their hands on, with many already committed to buying the new iPhone before anyone knows anything about it.
From previous years’ experiences, most of the changes between an S year and non-S year are minute and internal, meaning that there won’t be many cosmetic changes. So instead of guessing for yourself, take note of some of the guesses both experts and non-experts have been putting forth online. Here are the top things you may be able to expect from the iPhone 6S.
1. Goodbye Bendgate
Since the last iPhone launch brought about serious cases of #bendgate, it’s understandable that Apple would want to address these problems. Rumours suggest that the new iPhone will be made of the same aluminium used in making the Apple Watch. The 7000 series aluminium is said to be 60% stronger than standard aluminium but still lightweight, and having tested it on the Apple Watch, there’s no reason why the iPhone shouldn’t get a material upgrade as well.
Will we finally get the Sapphire Crystal screen that everyone’s been hoping for since pre iPhone 6? Some speculators have said so, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
2. Pink/Rose Gold
The release of the iPhone 6 brought with it the introduction of the Gold iPhone, which has been insanely popular with Apple fans. But another report by the Wall Street Journal suggests that Apple may be introducing a new colour — pink.
It seems like a bit of a stretch to introduce a polarising pastel like pink, and some other sources have suggested an alternative but similar hue of Rose Gold, which has already been introduced to the Apple Watch. Designers have also tried to envision what it would look like next to the other colours, and to be honest it doesn’t look half bad.
3. iPhone 6S vs iPhone 7
While it’s been assumed that the newest iPhone to launch will be iPhone 6S as per Apple tradition, some analysts have claimed that the next iPhone will be called the “iPhone 7” instead of the so-called “iPhone 6S.” It makes sense — with the addition of the iPhone 6 Plus, this would make the iPhone 6S Plus quite a mouthful. And Apple isn’t a fan of clunky names.
However, some leaked photos on cnBeta have shown an iPhone packaging with the words ‘iPhone 6S Plus’ printed on it, so who knows?
Reports have also shared that the new iPhones will retain their sizes of 5 inches and 5.4 inches, with no news on a smaller 4 inch iPhone as previously speculated.
4. Force Touch
Since Apple just released a brand new product design, it’s unlikely that the look of the new iPhones will deviate that much from the iPhone 6. The star of the show is likely to be internal, and of all the possible changes, this is probably most anticipated feature that has got analysts talking.
Since they introduced Force Touch to their newest range of MacBooks and MacBook Pros, and tested it on the Apple Watch screen, rumours have suggested that Apple will also bring it to their next generation of iPhones. Speculators only become more convinced when Apple reportedly bought a patent for a technology adding pressure-sensitive sensors to a smartphone screen.
This was also suggested in a report to investors by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has a track record for being pretty spot-on with his predictions. One of his eleven predictions included an FPC-made capacitive Force Touch sensor under the backlight, laminated with metal shielding.
More recently, 9to5Mac leaked some photos of an iPhone 6S prototype that show a possible new screen component in the body, which could be used to power the Taptic Engine in the new iPhones.
What this would mean for iPhone users, especially if you take the Apple Watch as a benchmark, is probably a cleaner navigation through the many windows on the phone. Much like how you press hard on the Apple Watch’s screen to access other options — like pausing a workout or deleting all notifications — you would probably be able to rifle through the various windows and options on the new iPhone too.
If this isn’t introduced in the new iPhone, it’s probably safe to say that many people will be disappointed.
5. 4K Video Recording
As reported by MacRumours, an unconfirmed internal document was posted on Weibo by an alleged Foxconn employee, suggesting that the new iPhone will feature a 12-megapixel rear-facing camera with 240 FPS slow-motion capabilities and 4K video recording.
The possibility of 4K video recording will be especially exciting, and will bring the iPhone camera above and beyond other smartphone camera capabilities. Don’t try this on a 16GB iPhone, though.
It also suggests a faster A9 processor as well as 2GB of RAM, which is great, but not that great.
6. Heavier with a worse battery?
cnBeta have suggested that the new iPhone will have a worse battery life than the iPhone 6 series, which is troubling. The iPhone’s battery life is already its least popular feature, so even the smallest decrease in battery capacity will be protested by iPhone users anywhere.
These are the speculated battery capacities:
iPhone 6 – 1810 mAh, iPhone 6 Plus – 2910 mAh
iPhone 6S – 1715 mAh, iPhone 6S Plus – 2750 mAh(Source: Forbes)
And just to make things a little worse, MacRumours have deduced from a leaked iPhone 6S chassis that the iPhone 6S will be thicker and heavier. Comparing the 6S’ chassis to the 6’s, the difference is minor at best from 49.4 grams to 51.2 grams. The thickness may not be a problem, especially with bendgate from last year — I think everyone will prefer a thicker, sturdier phone to a bendy one.
7. iOS 9
The beta version of iOS 9 was released a few months ago, and has since undergone a few changes, but it seems all set to officially launch on September 9th. But some rumours, coupled with cnBeta’s leaked picture of the iPhone 6S Plus’ retail packaging, seems to suggest that the iOS 9 will support dynamic wallpapers.
Currently, the iOS 9 beta shows just little tweaks here and there. The biggest changes are probably the new font, new Notes app, and the switching apps function. The iOS 9’s new Low Power mode is also a great introduction, which may save us all if the Apple battery does turn out to suck.
What iPhone 6S feature are you hoping for?
