Apple iPhone 6, iOS 7 References Reportedly Spotted In Developer Logs; Mid-Year Release Likely

Despite the fact that iPhone 5 and iOS 6 are just a few months old, numerous reports have suggested that Apple may come up with its 2013 iPhone model as early as June. Adding to the heated rumors mill, a new report hit the web Tuesday saying that the upcoming iPhone iteration, possibly “iPhone 6,” and the next major iOS release, “iOS 7,” have already started to surface in app logs.

The Next Web reported that it had been contacted by developers who shared “references to a new iPhone identifier and the next big operating system update for the smartphone and tablet devices: iOS 7.”

One of the developers also has revealed that Apple has been testing hardware with a new “iPhone 6,1” identifier, powered by iOS 7, which is expected to be released in the middle of 2013.

While there are chances that the iPhone 6 and iOS 7 rumor in question is nothing but fake, the TNW report has highlighted a couple of points that make the rumor look authentic.

The report has pointed out that Apple’s existing iPhone 5 bears the identifiers “iPhone 5,1” and “iPhone 5,2” based on the LTE model of the device and the 4G bands on which the handset operates. Therefore, the next iteration of the iPhone is very likely to be labeled iPhone 6,1, iPhone 6,2 etc.

Secondly, it has been observed that the specific app requests derive from an IP address within Apple’s Cupertino campus.

“Although OS and device data can be faked, the unique IP footprint leading back to Apple’s Cupertino campus leads us to believe this is not one of those attempts,” the report added.

It’s worth mentioning here that references to the current iOS 6 software were also spotted one month prior to its launch at WWDC 2102 in June. iOS 6 was released for public use in September, the month that also witnessed the iPhone 5 launch.

Although the developer logs did not reveal further specifics on hardware or software features, a number of persistent rumors have suggested that the Cupertino tech giant has been investigating the use of Near Field Communication (NFC) for payments, MacRumors reported.

Rumors are also rife that the upcoming iPhone model could be released earlier than expected, in the middle of this year, rather than in the fall.

Last month, Jeffries analyst Peter Misek said in a research note that with the release of the next iPhone in June, Apple would break from the iPhone release pattern that it has established over the last couple of years.

Rumors have it that apart from NFC and iOS 7, the iPhone 6 will also feature a super HD camera, a better battery, an IGZO screen for Retina+, 128GB storage and multiple color options with 6 to 8 colors. The expected hardware upgrade also include a new A7 quad-core processor variant, a new form factor with no home button and full gesture control.