The iPhone 6 News Blog

Slow to begin building their own 4G LTE network, T-Mobile won’t be getting the iPhone 5 this year, but the iPhone 6 is a definite possibility.

There is consensus in the tech community that the next iPhone will be the first 4G LTE smartphone that Apple has ever created. Unfortunately for T-Mobile, it seems unlikely that they will be one of the U.S. carriers selling it.

News today broke that T-Mobile is finally beginning to build its 4G LTE network in the United States. While this may seem like good news to T-Mobile customers, it comes at the expense of the nation’s fourth-largest mobile carrier failing to get their LTE network up in time to sell this year’s iPhone 5. According to Geek.com: “T-Mobile will invest $4 billion into the deployment. The $3 billion breakup fee (plus much more in assets) that it received from AT&T is likely sparking the move. T-Mobile has struggled to keep up the other three US carriers. In terms of subscribers, it’s the number four US carrier, after Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint (in descending order).”

If 4G LTE is to be a defining feature of the iPhone 5 this year, it goes without saying that T-Mobile will not be considered as a viable iPhone reseller in the United States until their 4G network is fully operational. It might be possible to imagine them selling the iPhone 4 and 4S, but given the immense excitement surrounding the iPhone 5 this year, it is hard to imagine how selling what will be outdated and very outdated iPhones would constitute any kind of market advantage for T-Mobile.

The iPhone 6, however, is another issue entirely.

By the time the iPhone 6 is released, it will at the very least be Apple’s second foray into 4G. In fact, should Apple decide to release an iPhone 5S between the iPhone and iPhone 6, the iPhone 6 could turn out to be the third 4G iteration for Apple — and its release could be as far off as 2014. This would give T-Mobile plenty of time to implement a solid 4G LTE networks, and perhaps avoid having to iron out the many technical bugs that AT&T, Verizon, and Sprint may have to contend with in 2012, one the new (and first) LTE iPhone is released.

 By Michael Nace

If you are reading this, then it probably means that you are convinced that the next iPhone — the one that will be released sometime in 2012 — will not be called “iPhone 5,” but rather “iPhone 6.” I know, I know — you have facts on your side: the next iPhone will be the 6th generation iPhone. Hence: iPhone 6.

And for as much as your logic and taxonomy is 100% correct, I am sorry to say that the 2012 iPhone will not be called “iPhone 6.” It will be the iPhone 5. Read More

In spite of the fact that the 2012 iPhone will be Apple’s sixth generation smartphone, there is a higher likelihood that they will opt to call it iPhone 5. But read why we might not see an iPhone 6 until 2014.

Chances are, if you’re a passionate iPhone users who knows the ins and outs of Apple’s flagship mobile device, then you’re also one of the ones out there who argue that Apple should skip the name “iPhone 5” and head directly to “iPhone 6.” If you’re smart, then you know that the current iPhone 4S is in fact the fifth generation iPhone, and because of this, it would be inaccurate to call the next iPhone “iPhone 5.” And you would be right.

But you would also be wrong. Read More

The tech media and iPhone users alike anticipated an iPhone 5 in 2011. But now that the 4S has been injected into the iPhone’s legacy, questions remains about whether the 2012 iPhone will be iPhone 5 or iPhone 6.

Speculating and prognosticating about the iPhone has quickly become a pastime in the tech blogosphere, with websites like DigiTimes leaking just enough bits of information throughout the course of the year to fuel a wide range of rumors about the next iPhone’s features and release date. 2011 marked a fever pitch of rumors that ubiquitously became known as the “iPhone 5 rumor mill,” with the “iPhone 5″ as the working title for what everyone expected the next iPhone to be named. Read More

A new report suggesting that Apple will deploy its glass cutting machines in 2012 for a curved glass display indicates that the iPhone 6 will be the recipient of a form factor overhaul.

The current iPhone 5 rumor mill has gone back and forth in pondering whether the new iPhone set to be announced on October 4th will be a form factor refresh of the iPhone 4, or a completely new design. iPhone users who are eager to see the screen size of the iPhone increase are concerned that the use of the iPhone 4′s chassis on the next iPhone will not allow for a larger screen. For those who are worried about that scenario, a new report may provide even more concern.

According to DigiTimes, Apple is planning to start using its own glass-cutting equipment in 2012, ostensibly for a curved glass display and/or chassis for the iPhone 6: “curved cover glass may be the next big thing in terms of handheld device designs as both Apple and the non-Apple camp are reportedly gearing up for the releases of products with curved touchscreens in the first half 2012, according to industry sources.”
Read More

Rumored features for the iPhone 6 will remain fuzzy until the next iPhone is released. But WSJ.com already foresees inductive charging on an iPhone 6 in 2012.

While WSJ.com has led the charge in breaking reliable information about the iPhone 5, it would seem that they now have some better insight into one of the big, bold features that awaits the iPhone 6 in 2012. According to a new report on WSJ.com, tech writers Lorraine Luk and Yukari Iwatani Kane claim that inside sources at Apple are close to developing wireless inductive charging for the iPhone 6 that, together with OTA updates and synching, could make that device completely wireless. Luk and Kane report that: “People briefed on Apple’s plans said the company is planning a major iPhone revamp then, with one person saying the company has been experimenting with features such as a new way of charging the phone.”

The obvious conclusion here is that Apple is perfecting wireless “inductive” charging for the iPhone 6, which will allow Apple to unveil an industry-first in 2012 with a completely wireless iPhone 6. Read More

As rumors that the iPhone 5 will stick with the same old form factor and screen size crystalize, it is more likely that Apple might save a larger screen and radical, net design for the iPhone 6.

There’s not much to be said about the iPhone 6 these days — mainly because we’re still waiting for the iPhone 5. But how the iPhone 5 turns out in the end will have much to do with the prognosticating for the iPhone 6 going forward. That being said, as we approach the announcement of the next iPhone, it is looking less and less likely that the new iPhone will sport either a larger screen or new form factor. Read More