Apple iPhone 6 Rumors: New Alleged Next-Gen iPhone Sketches Surface, Suggests Design Tweaks

Following the appearance of an alleged schematic-like drawing of what is said to be the next-generation iPhone, presumably called the “iPhone 6,” in a Japanese magazine, two new sketches of the upcoming smartphone from Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) surfaced online on Monday, suggesting some possible design changes to the new handset.

According to French blog NowhereElse.fr (Google translation), the alleged iPhone 6 sketches show the new flagship smartphone from Apple in two versions, one featuring a 4.7-inch screen and another with a bigger 5.5-inch screen. While it is unclear whether the sketches are legitimate, they do correspond to earlier rumors that 2014’s iPhone 6 could come in two models, bigger than the current versions of the phone with 4-inch displays.

The report also said the iPhone 6 could be 7.1 mm (0.27 inch) thick, compared with the existing iPhone 5s, which is 7.6 mm thick. The new iPhone could also sport curved edges, unlike its predecessor.

The leaked sketches also suggest that the two volume buttons, “+” and “-,” found in the current iPhone models could be united in the form of a single button, similar to the volume button featured in the iPhone 3G and 3GS.

In addition, the alleged iPhone 6 sketches indicate that the headphone jack could be placed at the far right of the bottom of the device, instead of on the left side.

Check out the image here:

Meanwhile, Japan Display Inc. (TYO:6740), a major supplier of iPhone displays, recently announced that it's developed a new 5.5-inch-wide Quad HD, or WQHD, display with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels, which, according to some reports, could be featured in the iPhone 6.

Here are the specifications of the display, provided by the company:

DigiTimes reported that Japan Display began mass production of the new WQHD panels, which could be shipped as early as April.

However, the report said the panels could be delivered to China-based handset vendors, which are preparing to take on Samsung Electronics Co. (KRX:005935) in the high-end smartphone segment in 2014.