As one of the most anticipated pieces of hardware to hit stores this year, speculation on the iPhone 6 started well before the release of the iPhone 5S. The iPhone 6 also represent a major refresh (as opposed to an "S" version), in the iPhone line, so if you like to leapfrog releases, and you have an iPhone 5 or anything below, this is the sort of phone you would want to get your hands on.

Now, with the launch date seeming imminent, it is time to go through the latest round of rumours, with the hopes of getting a simple idea of what is in store for iPhone fans this year.

Release Date & Price

While there are plenty of rumours, the most frequently cited date is September 9 2014. This would be generally in keeping with Apple MO and will obviously involve a preview or releases of other gadgets and features. Apple's traditions aside, it is also noted that Apple is on a rather heavy  hiring spree in China (maybe to boost those iPhone 6 shipment dates). Some suggest that Apple will launch a 5.5. inch model and a 4.7 inch model, while others argue, more plausibly, that the release will feature a 4.7 inch model, followed by the 5.5 inch (iPhablet) sometime next month, or even next year. Will there be two versions of the iPhone? iPhone 6 and iPhone 6C? This is almost certainly possible, given Apple's efforts to cater to the lower-end of the consumer spectrum.

The pricing should remain around the same at about $944 for a standard version. Some rumours suggest that Apple will increase the price by about $100. This won't be entirely surprising if it launches a cheaper iPhone 6C as well since it could give the premium version a premium price while also providing a cheaper alternative.

Screen and Sizes

It is almost certain that Apple will opt for a larger screen. In its recent legal bout with Samsung, an internal slide acknowledged "Consumers want what we don't have." The industry has come to embrace the "bigger is better" standard and technology now allows for devices with bigger screens to function just as efficiently as those with smaller screens.

Right now, most rumours point to a 4.7 inch screen, which is just about the industry average but slightly smaller than the screen sizes of the latest range of premium Android phones.

In terms of resolution, it seems the iPhone 6 may get a pixel - tripling display and have a resolution of about 1704 x 960. This is not entirely full HD but it would give the iPhone 6 a pixel density of about 415ppi (much higher than the 326ppi on the iPhone 5S). There are less reliable rumours that the iPhone 6 will get a QHD resolution (2560 x 1600) like the LG G3.

As for rumours of a flexible wraparound display? Well that doesn't seem to be in the cards either. Maybe iPhone 7 or 8.

The really exciting thing about the iPhone 6's display is the rumour that Apple will use sapphire glass on its pones. While there continue to be debates on the merits of such technology, it does sound pretty cool. It is generally considered to be a tough and flexible alternative to the display materials on the market today.  It must also be noted, that Apple already uses sapphire glass for its Touch ID sensor cover and the camera glass.  The only real downside, (from a non-engineering perspective) is the price, which might mess up Apple's margins, which in turn translates to higher prices. Rumours that Apple has bought large quantities of the stuff doesn't necessarily mean it will be used on the iPhone 6.

Design

One of the best features of any Apple product is the amazing attention to detail and the premium feel of the build materials. This is especially true for the iPhone. Apart from the HTC M8 (which I find to be better than the current generation of the iPhone)  there are few phones that measure up to the iPhone in terms of design. Therefore, one thing customers should definitely expect with the iPhone 6 is a premium metal. Apple has plenty of patents of liquidmetal 3D printing and options of using a blend of exotic materials. Either way, prepare to be impressed.

In combination with an enhanced display and premium metal, expect the chassis to be thinner than any previous version of the iPhone. Thinner and lighter might be a reality with the iPhone 6.

Touch ID and NFC

NFC is something I'm not entirely keen about. Given that much of the world does not have the necessary infrastructure to make good use of NFC, there is little need for a technology that is not entirely mainstream. So despite what the rumours suggest, I would be surprised Apple would introduce NFC. This is not to suggest that NFC should not become widely accepted, but the reality right now is that NFC (on many of the Android devices) is more gimmicky that useful.

Expect Touch ID to make a return as well. This will be certainly faster than the current version (which is not entirely bad). However, I would be surprised if Apple didn't introduce some software or support features that allowed users to make better use of the biometric access tools.

Performance

Despite high hopes, it seems Apple will stick to a dual-core chip, albeit faster than the 2GHz (the iPhone 5S is 1.3 GHz). This will also be the result of a 20nm manufacturing process, which means it will be smaller and more efficient than the current range of processors. The processor will mostly probably be supported by 1 GB of RAM (like the iPhone 5s).

Rumours abound that the new iPhone might come in a 128GB version. While it is certainly interesting, I'm not entirely sure this is true. Power another issue. It seems rumours of a 2500 mAh might be overblown. Instead, the iPhone 6 (4.7 inch) model might come with a relatively modest 1800 mAh battery pack, which is about 15% greater than the iPhone 5S. Of course, you need to keep in mind that the due to the changes in size, a larger battery will not necessarily translate to better performance.

Unsurprisingly, Apple will try to lock Samsung out of its manufacturing process, so expect very little Samsung tech in the iPhone 6.

Camera

In this department, while Apple is certain to move up from the 8MP camera, there are conflicting rumours on whether Apple will settle for a 13MP or a 16MP camera. It is most likely that Apple will introduce a modest improvement in the Mega Pixels (or even stick to the current resolution) but compensate with better sensors to improve lighting and picture quality.

Wireless charging?

This is one of those great unknowns. The industry in general is clearly moving towards wireless charging but the process its-self is not entirely as efficient compared to the standard charging process. Apple does have patents for wireless charging but it seems highly unlikely that Apple will introduce wireless charging for the iPhone 6.

By Navam Niles