Apple fans could be left disappointed when the Cupertino giant releases its flagship smartphone dubbed as iPhone 6 in September, as it may come without the much-hyped feature - sapphire crystal glass screen.
Apple Inc. is expected to launch two models of iPhone 6 – a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch – in September though official announcement is awaited. The upcoming iPhone 6 may have several feature upgrades over its predecessor, iPhone 5s, but one feature that would put it ahead of other rival brands is its screen made of sapphire glass, which is said to be unbreakable.
LEDinside, a research subdivision of market-research organization TrendForce, said in a statement that supply chains of the device may not be able to manufacture sapphire glass with the release date of the device just a few weeks away.
"The much anticipated sapphire cover glass remains missing from the picture. Analysis of the iPhone 6 supply chain indicates related component suppliers need to ship products to OEMs for assembly in June 2014 to meet the September launch date. Yet, the research institute did not discover demands for smartphone cover glass," said the statement.
However, LEDinside didn't completely rule out the possibility of Apple introducing the much-hyped feature in its upcoming device. It said that limited iPhone 6 handsets with sapphire glass might be released.
"The sapphire glass version new iPhone will be issued in limited volumes this year, mostly because sapphire ingot manufacturers yield rates were lower than forecasts and issues involved in sapphire glass processing."
It may be recalled that a YouTube user Marques Brownlee had earlier claimed in a video demonstration that the screens of the purported iPhone 6's smaller model might not be made of pure sapphire, as it showed scratch marks unlike the Touch ID home button on iPhone 5s when scratched with sharp objects.
The hype around the 4.7-inch model is huge as the screen size has been upgraded by .7 inch, as against iPhone 5s' 4-inch screen. Apple is also venturing into the big screen handset market for the first time with its 5.5-inch model, which will take on the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.
iPhone 6 Specifications:
iPhone 6 will be powered by a 20-nanometer A8 chip (64-bit) processor and run on its recently released software – iOS 8. It may come with an 8MP camera with upgrades like flash and Optical Image Stabilization, according to reports that have surfaced so far.
The 4.7-inch model will come with a 1920x1080p (440ppi) resolution, while the 5.5-inch variant may feature a 2272×1280 (510ppi) resolution, according to KDB Daewoo Securities.
Forbes (via Mobile.it168) reported that the smaller model will house a 1,800 mAh battery while the larger model may have a 2,500 mAh battery.
Apple Insider reported, citing analyst Ming-Chi Kuo that the device will feature low temperature polysilicon in-cell touch panels, Touch ID fingerprint security, NFC and metal casing. Chinese analyst Sun Chang Xu also claimed that the device might feature sensors that can detect pressure, temperature and humidity.
iPhone 6 Release Date:
Apple Inc. hasn't revealed the release date of the upcoming device, but reports have pointed at a September launch. German website, ApfelPage has claimed, citing leaked internal documents of German wireless carrier Deutsche Telekom that the device might be unveiled on 19 September. Apple Insider has reported citing a report from Hong Kong that Chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. has started the production of 20-nanometer A8 chip (64-bit) that will power the new device, hinting that the release date is not far off.
