Apple iPhone 6 Release Nears As Company Reportedly Announces Unveiling Event: 8 Possible Features

Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will hold a special media event on Sept. 9 to unveil its next-generation iPhone 6, a new report claimed Tuesday, adding that the new iPhones will be faster than their predecessors. While Apple is yet to confirm the date, the claim was backed by other reports, citing people familiar with Apple’s plans.

According to a report from Re/Code, Apple has scheduled a media event for Tuesday, Sept. 9, to unveil its upcoming iPhone 6, which will be available in two versions, featuring bigger displays of 4.7 and 5.5 inches and a faster A8 processor.

The report was supported by the Wall Street Journal, saying that the timing of the new iPhone announcement falls in line with the company’s recent track record of unveiling the new phones in early- or mid-September, followed by the beginning of their sales a few weeks later.

Bloomberg also confirmed the Sept. 9 event, saying that Apple could introduce two new models on that day. According to the report, the event is part of Apple’s strategy of releasing new iPhone 6 models in time for the holiday shopping season. Following the unveiling on Sept. 9, the iPhone 6 will likely be available to customers from Sept. 19, MacRumors reported.

A leaked promotional flyer, claimed to be of the iPhone 6, also recently showed that both models of the iPhone 6 will be launched in China on Sept. 19, the date that was reportedly given away by German wireless-network provider Deutsche Telekom in May.

Here is a list of features that are expected to be part of the new iPhone 6 versions:

Larger Display

According to rumors and analysts’ predictions, the new iPhone 6 will be bigger, with two larger models featuring 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, to take on Android smartphones that have been sporting screens measuring up to 5.7 inches.

Form Factor

The new iPhone 6 models are expected to sport a rounder and thinner form factor compared to the current-generation versions of the device. Many leaked versions of the devices' chassis have also pointed to the possibility that the phones' designs will resemble that of the current iPod touch.

Processor

The 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 is rumored to sport a more powerful variant of the new A8 processor, compared to the 4.7-inch version of the device. According to reports, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could come with a larger die, suggesting that the bigger model will use a larger array of graphics-processing cores.

A recent report also said that the A8 chip could have clock frequencies of 2.0 GHz or more for each core, and it will be built using the new 20-nanometer process, unlike the existing 28-nanometer A7 chip -- clocking at 1.3 Ghz.

Camera

Many reports have suggested that the iPhone 6 could feature an 8-megapixel camera yet again, as Apple would focus on other aspects to enhance the camera sensor. According to previous reports, the new iPhone’s camera could feature improved image stabilization, which is expected to reduce blurring associated with photos clicked in motion.

Some recent reports also said that the iPhone 6’s camera would feature a significantly larger pixel size of 1.75 micrometers compared with the 1.5-micrometer pixel size of the camera on the iPhone 5s.

iOS 8

This is no longer a rumor that iPhone 6 versions will run on the latest iOS 8 operating system. Apple is expected to roll out the new OS a few days before the release of the iPhone 6.

Haptic Feedback Technology

The iPhone 6 could sport a tactile feedback functionality, also called haptic feedback, which would be powered by a linear oscillating motor, a unit found in the iPhone 4S. Special algorithms will allow the motor to produce “soft” vibrations when the user taps on a specific area of the screen. The motor will generate more intense vibrations when applications such as games are active.

Sensors

The new iPhone 6 could also feature a barometer and other sensors to help the phone measure altitude and atmospheric pressure, and provide accurate weather-related information. The new sensors could be part of the M8 motion co-processor, a likely component of the A8 processor, which is expected to power the iPhone 6.

Memory

While the 4.7-inch version of the iPhone 6 is expected to feature a maximum storage capacity of 64GB, Apple is rumored to release a 128GB version of the bigger 5.5-inch model. The diversity in storage capacity appears to be an attempt by Apple to differentiate the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 model from its 4.7-inch counterpart.