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| Image Source: Apple |
Apple's annual World Wide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2014 is just around the corner. WWDC has traditionally been Apple's opportunity to announce new hardware and software for the company's iPhone and Mac product lines. WWDC 2014 has Apple fans and tech pundits alike waiting in anticipation for the unveiling of the newest iPhone and iOS (rumored to be the iPhone 6 and iOS 8, respectively). So far, nothing regarding either has been officially announced by Apple. However, several leaks in tandem with widespread speculation have began to paint a picture as to what can be expected by next month's conference.
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| Image Source: iOS 8 Facebook Page |
iOS 8
According to MacRumors, features to be expected in Apple's newest version of iOS include new "Healthbook", TextEdit, and Preview apps, improvements to Siri and Maps, and possibly some sort of mobile payment system. The "Healthbook" app is rumored to "pull fitness-related information from both the M7 motion co-processor included in the iPhone 5S and sensors to be included with [Apple's much-rumored] iWatch" (MacRumors 2014). As iOS 7 featured a "complete visual overhaul of the operating system" it is unlikely that iOS 8 will see many design changes (MacRumors 2014). The TextEdit and Preview apps are expected to function like their Mac OS X counterparts while improvements to Siri and Maps are anticipated to be minimal but bring additional functionality.
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| Image Source: Business Insider |
iPhone 6
The real star of WWDC 2014 will be Apple's long-awaited, larger-than-four-inch iPhone 6. In a market where most smartphones are at least 4.7 inches, Apple's iPhone is left dwarfed by the competition. It is widely anticipated that Apple will release not only a 4.7 inch phone this year but a 5.5 inch phone as well (Eadicicco 2014). The iPhone 6 is also expected to feature a new, thinner profile with a curved body as opposed to the current rectangular shape. It is also speculated that the iPhone 6 will feature a display made of a much more durable and scratch resistant sapphire glass as evidenced by Apple's acquisition of a sapphire manufacturing facility in Arizona (Rogowsky 2014).
The hype and anticipation of Apple's newest products continue to build with each day as more and more rumors and speculations surface. Unless we see a repeat of the lost iPhone in a bar, we will just have to wait until June 2nd to see what Apple has in store.
References
Eadicicco, L. (2014, May 07). Apple's Rumored 4.7-Inch iPhone 6 May Already Be In Production. Retrieved May 07, 2014, from http://www.businessinsider.com/apple-iphone-6-production-rumors-2014-5#!KMurC
[iPhone 6 Mockup]. Retrieved May 7, 2014 from
http://static4.businessinsider.com/image/5346974b6bb3f7140788cdfd/new-details-on-the-iphone-6-it-will-be-super-slim-high-res-come-in-two-sizes-and-the-power-button-is-moving.jpg
Rogowsky, M. (2014, February 26). Why The iPhone 6 Is Not Coming In May, But It Is Coming With Sapphire. Retrieved May 07, 2014, from http://www.forbes.com/sites/markrogowsky/2014/02/26/the-iphone-6-is-not-coming-in-may-but-it-is-coming-with-sapphire/
MacRumors (n.d.). IOS 8: Everything We Know. Retrieved May 07, 2014, from http://www.macrumors.com/roundup/ios-8/
[WWDC 2014 Banner]. Retrieved May 7, 2014 from
https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1383616_579674132087408_1101568949_n.png
[WWDC 2014 Banner]. Retrieved May 7, 2014 from
https://scontent-b-dfw.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-prn2/t1.0-9/1383616_579674132087408_1101568949_n.png
Hi Jonathan,
ReplyDeleteI agree that the real star of WWDC will be the new iPhone 6; I cannot wait to see what Apple will bring to the table with a large 4.7 in screen. I hope that Google and Apple will learn and compete with each other to create even better smartphones for consumers like us. I also think that sapphire glass could be a new breakthrough with smartphones. The first time I heard about it was on kickstarter when Ubuntu was trying to make their first smartphone. When the plans fell through, I was wondering who would be the first phone manufacturer to start using sapphire glass.