In the run-up to each new iPhone launch, we find ourselves wondering what exactly Apple will do to steal the show once again. There have been years when the folks in Cupetino have gone for something of a softly-softly approach, changing little to nothing about the core recipe and delivering a largely unchanged device. All well and good when the iPhone was the supreme leader with no genuine contenders from the Android camp, but this year things are looking decidedly different.
As of the fall of 2014, there will be so many competing devices on the market with truly staggering specs and features that Apple has no choice but to push itself and its iPhone further than ever before. So pulling together what we know about the device to date, how are they going to pull it off this year?
Size
Well, for one thing the new iPhone/s set to launch this year are expected to be the largest to date. Even the Android market’s standard mid-rangers are delivering 4.5- to 5-inch screens as standard these days, so in order to Apple to keep up with the pack it needs to think big. As such, analysts expect to see a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a larger 5.5-inch iPhone Air – the latter perhaps arriving a little later.
Screen Quality
They’ll also have to up the ante in terms of screen quality too, what with the likes of the QHD LG G3 having set a new standard for the high-end. If Apple goes ahead with an increase to 1,704 by 906 pixels as forecast, the iPhone 6 will boast 416ppi pixel density and the iPhone Air 365ppi.
Power and Storage
A new A8 64-Bit processor is also something of a given this time around, while most expect to see a 128GB storage option introduced as standard. There may also be a 15% improvement to battery life according to some analysts, which will be applied to the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions alike.
Appearance
There’s little reason to suspect that Apple will make a great many design changes this time around, if for the simple reason that the iPhone 5S is still considered one of the best-designed devices of its type ever released. However, all signs are pointing to a considerably slimmer overall profile and a lighter weight.
Price
One of the most unfortunate elements of all about the iPhone 6 and Air could be their respective price tags. Though nothing has yet been confirmed, it’s suspected that the both will cost $100 more than their predecessors when taken on-contract, meaning around $299 and $399 depending on the carrier chosen. And if taken SIM-free, costs could begin from around the $800 mark and go well beyond $1,100.
Debut
It’s unlikely that Apple will deviate from its most recent mid-fall rollout schedule for new iPhones, so you can expect to see it somewhere between late September and the middle of October. There’s also talk of one of both of the new iPhones arriving alongside Apple’s first Smartwatch, currently going by the name of the iTime, though again this is yet to be confirmed.