With the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple finally addressed a longstanding advantage Android handsets had over previous iPhone models — bigger screens. Coupled with Touch ID, Apple’s iPhone 6 lineup presented an incredible value proposition for consumers looking to upgrade their existing smartphones.
That being said, it remains to be seen how Apple plans to top what it accomplished with the iPhone 6, easily the company’s most successful iPhone launch ever. And with Apple now on the big display bandwagon, one wonders what type of features it plans to incorporate into its iPhone 6s models to entice users to upgrade.
DON’T MISS: iPhone 6 is a huge problem for Android
While an official iPhone 6s unveiling is still likely months away, the rumor mill has been busy as ever, feeding us small pieces of interesting information about what we can expect to see in Apple’s next-gen iPhone.
Here’s what we know so far.
The camera might be insanely good
It’s no secret that Apple every year devotes a ton of engineering resources towards improving camera quality on the iPhone. With the iPhone 6s, Apple may take things even further.
Back in November, in-the-know blogger John Gruber said on his podcast that the next iPhone camera “might be the biggest camera jump ever.” Specifically, Gruber heard that the next iPhone may feature “DSLR quality imagery.”
While such a bold and seemingly impossible claim is easy to dismiss, Gruber has a strong record with respect to Apple rumors.
Adding even more credence to Gruber’s claim is the fact that Apple, just this past April, acquired an Israeli company called LinX with a portfolio of jaw dropping camera technology. LinX specifically boasts that its cameras are not only small, but are “leading the way to DSLR performance in slim handsets.”
What’s more, LinX’s camera technology allows for better color fidelity, decreased shutter lag, and more importantly, much better low light performance.
Finally, more RAM!
Apple is notoriously skimpy when it comes to RAM, but rumor has it that the next-gen iPhone models will finally incorporate 2GB of RAM. Current iPhone models sport 1GB of RAM, and while that’s all well and good, that extra gig should make the user experience that much snappier. Additionally, more RAM will also gives developers room to really push the envelope with their iOS apps.
Force Touch is coming to the iPhone
With the Apple Watch, Apple introduced a new feature called Force Touch. Force Touch, as the name implies, is a technology which can successfully distinguish between a user tapping on a display and a user pressing on a display with force. Naturally, Apple boasts that Force Touch is the “most significant new sensing capability since Multi-Touch.”
Apple incorporated Force Touch onto its new MacBook trackpad not too long ago, and there are not surprisingly a slew of reports claiming that the next-gen iPhones will also be graced with Force Touch technology. Force Touch on the iPhone might be beneficial to the extent that it opens up a wider array of controls and gesture commands across all types of apps. For instance, imagine being able to zoom in on a specific part of a photo by pressing harder on display. Gaming in particular would be an area with some extremely interesting applications of Force Touch controls.
Better Touch ID performance
Touch ID, introduced on the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, was one of those awesome features that made you wonder how you ever lived without it. Not only did it provide a more seamless way for users to access their devices, it also added a welcome layer of security by limiting access to authorized fingerprints only. What’s more, Touch ID helped pave the way for Apple Pay, Apple’s easy to use mobile payments solution.
But as great as Touch ID is, some users had problems getting their device to recognize their fingerprints. While Apple has improved Touch ID in some regards with software fixes, the next-gen iPhones will reportedly lend a helping hand as well. Noted analyst Ming Chi Kuo indicated earlier this year that Apple’s iPhone 6s models will include upgraded and more robust Touch ID sensors that will reduce the incidence of identification errors and, perhaps, speed up the Apple Pay process ever so slightly.
A pink iPhone? Ya don’t say.
With the iPhone 5s, Apple finally made its iconic smartphone available in more colors than ever before, a grand total of 3 to be exact. Apple kept up that tradition with the iPhone 6, offering the device in Space Grey, Silver, and Gold.
Looking ahead to the iPhone 6s, the Wall Street Journal reported not too long ago that pink may be introduced as a new color option.
There won’t be a new 4-inch iPhone 6s or 6c
The most recent rumblings from the rumor mill suggest that Apple will not be introducing a new 4-inch iPhone model. While we have seen a few reports pointing to an iPhone 6c or an iPhone 6s mini with a smaller display, it’s more likely that Apple will simply keep the iPhone 5s in the lineup as a free option for users who prefer a smaller form factor.
If this proves to be the case, don’t be surprised to see Apple release a completely new 4-inch iPhone model in 2016.
