- Apple is expected to unveil new phones Wednesday
Apple is widely expected to unveil two new iPhones at an event in San Francisco, California Wednesday.
The new devices, expected to be called the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, likely won’t be as radical a change as last year’s handsets, which substantially expanded the iPhone’s form factor. Still, the new gadgets will include a number of upgrades.
Here’s a roundup of the most viable rumors regarding what we can expect from this year’s iPhones.
- 4K Camera
The new iPhones will feature significantly improved cameras, according to 9to5Mac. The main rear-facing camera will be 12 megapixels and will be able to shoot video in high-resolution 4K. The front-facing camera will be 5 megapixels and shoot 1080p video. The front-facing camera is also expected to offer the ability for selfie panoramas, slow-motion video and flash for low-light environments.
- Pressure-Sensitive Touch Screen
Apple has already created an Apple Watch screen that can detect varying levels of pressure when touched. Now the company is expected to expand on that technology through a new interface reportedly called the “3D Touch Display.” The updated iPhone screen will be able to tell the difference between a light tap, a standard press, and a hard press, and assign different functionality to each of those interactions within apps. In Maps, for example, a user might be able to look up a destination and then hard press it on the map to immediately launch turn-by-turn directions.
- Boosted Memory
Multiple reports indicate that the new iPhones will boast 2GB of RAM, double the memory available on the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Boosted RAM would allow the new phones to run more apps seamlessly without slowing down. The device will also feature the new A9 processor being built by Samsung and TSMC.
- Improved Download Speeds
A new LTE chip developed by Qualcomm is expected to double the download speeds when customers are using data services, according to 9to5Mac. Such an improvement would make everything from visiting websites to downloading apps significantly faster when using wireless data service. The new chip is also expected to improve the iPhone’s battery life by being more power efficient than previous models.
- Animated Wallpapers
The new iPhones could include wallpapers that spring to life. The lock screens on the phones are expected to offer special animated versions, featuring images such as koi fish swimming and smoke billowing in the air. To preserve battery life, the wallpapers are only expected to be available on the lock screen rather than the home screen.
- 16 GB (and Up) of Storage
Despite offering high-def video recording capability, Apple isn’t expected to boost the storage capacity of the iPhone line. Expect the baseline 6s model that costs $199 witih a contract to still have 16GB of on-board storage. 64GB and 128GB models are also expected to go on sale for $100 and $200 more than the basic iPhone.
- Other Apple Announcements
In addition to the new iPhones, Apple is expected to announce a new Apple TV that will feature universal search across streaming services, Siri integration and a focus on gaming. The long-rumored 12.9-inch iPad Pro is also expected to make its debut, as well as the latest iteration of the iPad Mini line. We could also see new accessories and features for the Apple Watch.