iPhone 6

iDB is ready for Apple’s iPhone 6 event tomorrow, are you?

Cody Lee ∙ September 8, 2014

Apple's iPhone event is now less than a day away, and anticipation couldn't be higher. Two redesigned iPhones with larger displays and NFC, a new mobile payment service, and the iWatch, Apple's first major product unveiling since the iPad, are just a few things on the menu.

Apple has said that it will be streaming the festivities to its website and various iOS devices, but for those who won't be able to watch the keynote live, iDB has you covered. We will be here all day, providing coverage of all announcements made before, during and after the event.

China Mobile’s claimed iPhone 6 specs: waterproof, dustproof, sapphire-protected and more

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated April 2, 2017

Having started taking pre-orders for Apple's unreleased and still unofficial iPhone 6 a good five days ago, carrier China Mobile has now posted to its official website what it claims are official hardware specifications of the 4.7-inch version of the handset, GforGames reported Monday afternoon.

Some of the more surprising hardware and design features of the handset reportedly include water and dust-resistance and sapphire protection for the display, allowing for a virtually unbreakable device.

However, it's impossible to determine whether China Mobile is making an educated guess or if the firm is in fact relaying Apple-sanctioned information. In case of the former, China Mobile could easily get reprimanded for leaking out its partner's secrets ahead of tomorrow's big reveal.

This tidbit comes after rival China Telecom said recently that a single iPhone 6 model supports all the major wireless standards in the 1.33 billion people market.

In a not-so-smart PR stunt, their post was accompanied by a set of pretty iPhone 6 renderings which creators Tomas Moyano and Nicolàs Aichino posted on Bēhance. It's worth keeping in mind that China Mobile is the world's largest mobile operator by market capitalization, its subscriber base dwarfing AT&T and Verizon combined.

Apple said to be working on rewards program for mobile payment service

Cody Lee ∙ September 8, 2014

Apple is working on a rewards program for its upcoming mobile payment service, according to a new report from Bank Innovation. Citing sources familiar with the matter, the site says the company has been talking with the InterContinental Hotels Group (Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza, etc.) about a possible loyalty partnership.

Additionally, the outlet points out that Apple has recently posted a job opening for a Senior World Wide Partner Marketing Manager. While the title seems ambiguous, the person in this position would be tasked with creating training materials for external partners with the purpose of aiding customer adoption of "new features."

Unprecedented security precautions for tomorrow’s event, live-stream page takes over Apple.com

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated May 10, 2017

With less than 24 hours until Apple's press event, security precautions at the Flint Center for the Performing Arts in Cupertino, California have been taken to “unprecedented levels,” reports Cult of Mac editor Leander Kahney who's secretly snagged a few interviews with unnamed staffers at the venue.

The iPhone maker is also ramping up anticipation for the upcoming presentation by forwarding visitors to the Apple.com homepage to a special webpage it set up last week to live-stream the show to the web at large.

Both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models said to launch simultaneously on September 19

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

Contrary to a flurry of reports stating otherwise, both 4.7 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models will in fact hit store shelves at the same time, on Friday, September 19, ten days following tomorrow's announcements. This information reported by the French blog iGen.fr [Google Translate] came from the same source who in the past accurately predicted other Apple launches.

It remains to be seen whether this is just an educated guess or the real launch date. The rumor-mill's been saying for months that the 5.5-incher would hit later due to alleged manufacturing challenges. For what it's worth, Apple typically starts selling new iPhones 7-10 days following the introduction, or the Friday the week after the announcement.

For instance, the iPhone 5s/5c went on sale on September 20, 2013 following its September 10 unveiling. And before it, the iPhone 5 reached retail stores on September 21, 2012 after it had been introduced on September 12.

What’s in a name? 5.5-incher is ‘iPhone 6 Plus’, 4.7-inch model called ‘iPhone 6’

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 8, 2014

According to the Japanese blog MacOtakara [Google Translate] Monday morning, Apple will use 'iPhone 6' and 'iPhone 6 Plus' monikers with respect to a 4.7 and 5.5-inch edition of the upgraded smartphone.

The French blog NowhereElse.fr said last week that the bigger iPhone 6 model will be marketed under the 'iPhone Air' moniker. Unlike 'Air,' Apple's never used the 'Plus' suffix to market an iPhone, or any other product for that matter. If true, this'll be a first.

Some apps on 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could switch to iPad layout in landscape

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 17, 2018

In a series of tweets, iOS developer Steve Troughton-Smith shared his findings surrounding Apple's iOS Simulator running stock apps at the screen size of the purported 5.5-inch iPhone 6, with dimensions of 736 points x 414 points (1472 x 828 at 2x or 2208 x 1242 at 3x). When viewed in landscape, certain default iOS 8 apps, including Calendar, Contacts, and Game Center, display contents in a divided mode very similar to the layout an iPad uses while in landscape.

These findings indicate that the larger, 5.5-inch iPhone 6 could have a stronger focus on productivity than its smaller 4.7- and 4-inch counterparts. Despite apps functioning normally while in portrait mode, this addition of dividing the landscape app view to display two separate menus would introduce a strong motivation for purchasing the 5.5-inch device over its more manageable companion.

Video offers a closer look at a stronger 2,915mAh battery possibly bound for iPhone 6

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 7, 2014

The prolific leakers over at the French blog NowhereElse.fr [Google Translate] on Sunday have managed to get hold of a short video which purportedly shows off a 2,915mAh battery said to be bound for a 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

In the past week or so, we've been treated to several sightings of 1,810mAh, 2,100mAh and 2,915mAh batteries for the upcoming Apple handsets.

This, however, marks the first time the part's been captured on video.

Compared to the ~1,560mAh unit inside the iPhone 5s, this alleged iPhone 6 battery is twice as strong. Whether the added juice is only meant to power the iPhone 6's power-hungry 5.5-inch screen alongside new sensors and an NFC chip for mobile payments, or perhaps extend the handset's total run time, shall remain anyone's guess until next Tuesday, 10am PT.

September 9: the redesigned iPhone 6 and the mysterious iWatch

Timothy Reavis ∙ Updated April 18, 2018

Ever since the introduction of the iPhone 5s, the Apple community has been looking forward to the iPhone 6 in hopes of receiving two much-wanted features – a larger screen and considerably longer battery life. These expectations, fed by countless rumors of everything from a built-in barometer to an NFC chip, are reaching an all-time high as the iPhone 6 is nearing launch.

For quite a while now, rumors of an Apple-made wearable device – commonly referred to as "iWatch" – have been floating around, stirring excitement among Apple users and urging Android vendors such as Samsung and Motorola to introduce their own smartwatches. While these devices are largely limited to displaying notifications and dealing with minor tasks, Apple's iWatch is rumored to focus heavily on health sensors and tracking.

With Apple making official the predictions of a September 9 event, the world is breathlessly awaiting the unveiling of whatever Apple has been developing over the past few years. This event could very well be the biggest Apple has had since the 2007 introduction of the original iPhone.

Apple and Disney upgrading in-store iBeacon/NFC ahead of iPhone 6 launch

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 27, 2016

Here's another piece of evidence to help complete the Apple mobile payments puzzle: according to a new report by 9to5Mac, Apple and Disney stores in the United States have been upgrading in-store iBeacon transmitters and NFC sensors ahead of the company's big reveal on Tuesday.

The upgraded sensors, which include the new Gimbal Series 20 Proximity Beacons, will allow the companies to track customers inside their stores with an even greater degree of precision.

As it's been widely reported, both the iPhone 6 and iWatch are rumored to be outfitted with a Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip to support mobile payments. It's “one of the hallmark features” of the iPhone 6, according to Wired. The Apple wearable device has “a role in mobile payments,” too, as per The Wall Street Journal.

From China with love: iPhone 6 video preview, or is it?

Christian Zibreg ∙ Updated January 4, 2017

Following yesterday's batch of videos featuring an alleged iPhone 6 booting to iOS 8, a new footage has surfaced Sunday morning offering what appears to be the most detailed video overview of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 6 ahead of Tuesday's keynote.

Shared by French blog NowhereElse.fr [Google Translate] and running seven minutes and seventeen seconds long, the interesting clip found after the break is not of Gizmodo's iPhone 4 magnitude.

That being said, it does offer a series of comparisons between a device which appears to be an iPhone 6 and the current-generation iPhone 5s, including stock apps like Camera and more.

Poll: is leaked iPhone 6 design too Android-ish?

Christian Zibreg ∙ September 7, 2014

With 48 hours until Apple's big reveal, we've by now seen our fair share of leaked footage showing off a nearly-assembled 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and a new iOS 8 Passbook icon with a credit card pictogram on top.

There's also that fresh clip out of China making the rounds this morning, giving us our best look yet at purported iPhone 6 design and the smoothness of iOS 8 running on the device. Still, there's no denying that all some folks can muster after seeing these videos is Android.

I guess you could make an argument that the iPhone 6 design aesthetics are reminiscent of some high-end Android handsets from the likes of HTC and others. On the other hand, there are only so many ways to design a bar phone.

What are your feelings on the matter? Is the leaked iPhone 6 design too Android-ish for your tastes? And has the handset lost the design language that made it uniquely an iPhone, do you think?