Amid speculations on the release date of Apple's upcoming flagship smartphone, dubbed as iPhone 6, a new report has emerged that the device would have a feature seen in android devices, including Samsung Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series.
The Cupertino giant's much-awaited next-generation smartphone is expected to include a barometer with inclusion of updated CoreMotion APIs in Xcode 6 and iOS 8 giving a hint that it might have altitude measuring capabilities, reported 9to5mac.
Interestingly, Apple's arch-rival Samsung has introduced barometer in its devices like Galaxy Note series and Galaxy S3, S4, and S5. The sensor is also seen in other android devices, including HTC products, and Google Nexus series.
Several applications that can track altitude are available on the App Store but they are not as quick and accurate as a barometer. The current apps use GPS and Motion chips while the new sensor has a dedicated chip.
A barometer is a sensor used to measure altitude, temperature and weather information. It is helpful for hikers, mountain climbers, bike riders, and enthusiasts who want to know altitude.
Expected Release Date of iPhone 6
There are several conflicting reports on the release date of iPhone 6 though Apple has not uttered a word on it. Reuters had reported citing Taiwan's Economic Daily News that the the 4.7-inch model would be released in August, while the 5.5-inch variant would arrive in September.
However, latest report by German website, ApfelPage has claimed that leaked internal documents of German wireless carrier Deutsche Telekom have hinted that the iPhone 6 would be unveiled on 19 September. Earlier reports by Nikkei and a research note by UBS Managing Director Steve Milunovich (via Barron's) also claimed that it would be unveiled either in August or September.
Expected Features of iPhone 6
Apple Inc. is expected come out with two models of iPhone 6 - 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch – models. Both the models are expected to have scratch-free sapphire crystal glass screen, powered by a 20-nanometer A8 chip (64-bit), run on the recently released iOS 8, and come with an 8MP camera with several upgrades including flash and Optical Image Stabilisation.
The smaller variant of iPhone 6 may come with a 1920x1080p (440ppi) resolution, while the larger device may feature a 2272×1280 (510ppi) resolution, according to South Korean brokerage KDB Daewoo Securities. Chinese analyst Sun Chang Xu had posted on her social media page claimed that the device may feature sensors that can detect pressure, temperature and humidity. Apple Insider has also reported citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that iPhone 6 may feature low temperature polysilicon in-cell touch panels, Touch ID fingerprint security, NFC and metal casing.
