iPhone 6 May Lose Sapphire Display Cover, Gain 128 GB Storage Option

[AppleInLVX]

The delayed release of the 5.5” is the most interesting/curious rumor.

These are basically competing devices and in the current market of wanting/needing to brag about first weekend, week, month sales, there’s no doubt sales of the 4.7” would take a hit.

It *is* interesting, but this might actually be a good thing. Apple can keep the hype at a feverish pace by having two release dates. All the people who want the smaller one will get it first, but there'll be a whole host of people who want the bigger one that will wait, and they will be their own class of people bragging about firsts. There'll be the late September wave of people doing the wait, the receive and joy round, and then there'll be *another* round soon thereafter. Apple would dominate the tech chatter from now into next year between two iPhones, new iPads, Yosemite and (please god) new iMacs.

I very much doubt 4.7" models would take a hit. The secret is to upset the people who want a 5.5", but not *too* much, and then deliver a device that will make at least those who waited think they wait was worth it. Perhaps the screen would be enough, or perhaps the 5.5" really will have some small features the 4.7" does not.

 

[BruiserB]

If it really is the camera lens cover that will be changed, then I would prefer they keep it sapphire! I'm going to put my phone in a case anyway so the protruding lens won't be any more vulnerable. Can't Apple just buy everyone cases again for "Lens-Gate" like they did for "Antenna-Gate"

 

[Jack Delgado]

That's IF the $100 price bump is real (doubtful) and IF the 128 is a new price tier (rather than 16/64/128, with the new 128 at the price point of the old 64). More likely, the price structure will remain exactly as it has been for many years now, with the top model $849 off contract.

I can almost guarantee the $100 price bump IS real, for the 5.5". It makes no sense to offer both size phones at the same price.

 

[Richardgm]

How can they possibly "drop" the sapphire lens if they never had it in the first place? ... Much ado about nothing.

Are you serious?

"The new iSight camera in iPhone 5 features a sapphire crystal lens cover."
-Apple, 2012 Press Release

 

[samac92]

But even in that piece you're citing, which came out just days before WWDC, he was wrong about several things. He said there would be a 13" model priced at $1,199. The 13" model wasn't announced for another 5 months, and cost $1,699. Nowhere close. He also claimed there would be SDD and HDD options, but there has never been a retina with an HDD.

Here were some of Kuo's incorrect iPhone 5S/5C predictions in the week or two before last year's announcement, to get a feel for how accurate his predictions on the same timeline this year might be:

- New convex home button to accommodate finger print sensor.
- New 128 GB iPhone
- iPhone camera will move to f/2 aperture
- iPhone 5C will sell for $400

Yes, he gets things right as well, but they're rarely outside the realm of the obvious. And with as many things as he's allowed to get wrong, of course he's going to get some things right. According to Kuo, this year's iPhone will either have a sapphire display, or it won't. Or only the 5.5" will have a sapphire display or it won't. And the 5.5" version will be announced but not available until next year. Or it won't be announced at all. Or it will be announced and launch in the same timeframe as the 4.7". There will also be new iPads. Or there won't. Etc. Etc.

I didn't say he's always right, he is right enough that it is not just pure guesswork, he obviously has links in the supply chain.

 

[tattooedyuppie]

I don't want a bigger phone I love my 4S because it's sleek and discrete.

No disrespect intended at all to you, but these types of comments (I LOVE my 4/4s/5/5s and don't want a bigger phone!) drive me NUTS.

If you love your phone, can't you just keep it? Nobody is putting a gun to your head. If you take care of your phone, it should last you a few years.

 

[iPhil]

I sure hope they drop the 16GB option and make the 32GB the default base option.

if 32 ends up being base (highly unlikely) i would be a very happy person.

If Apple drops 16 for 32 Base - then I'm going 64 ... Too many apps/video for a 16 iPhone 5... Sapphire is gonna be 6S ... GT factory isn't up to full speed of production yet ...

iPhone 3GS, for Something;
iPhone 4S, for Steve, who passed away the following day
iPhone 5S, for Sensor, where Touch ID was introduced
iPhone 6S, for Sapphire... Why not?

3G"S" = Look @ 2:18 to 2:24 Schiller tells

 

[JDSoCal]

Uh, guys, the Website is called macRUMORS for a reason.

Stop buying this BS hook, line and sinker. This ANALyst doesn't have any more clue about the iPhone 6 than my dog. And she says it has sapphire.

 

[lolkthxbai]

How confusing... Is it the front display cover or the cover lens...? Come on Kuo!? And if it's true, what the hell Apple!?

 

[0098386]

My kingdom for Apple to address the serious iOS issues that have been around for over a year, and a 128gb iPhone.

 

[Atomic Walrus]

yeh Engrish mistake, shame on macrumors for not correcting the article when they corrected the title.

Here's some correlation to reinforce this point: In the iPad article also posted today Kuo is quoted as saying that the iPad Air 2 would have:

"[...] anti-reflective coating for the cover lens, full lamination for the touch panel, [...]"

I think it's fair to assume that the "cover lens" is the screen since an anti-reflective coating on the camera lens doesn't make much sense. I can see how that could get mixed up in translation as the glass screen is not entirely unlike a lens (a completely neutral one of course).

Personally I think that Apple never intended to use a sapphire screen on the iPhone 6 and was just ramping up sapphire production in anticipation of huge sales of the "iWatch." These analysts often try to cover their butts by saying "company X changed their mind" instead of "I was previously mistaken."

 

[rumz]

I still find it hard to believe that Apple will announce both models at the same time only to make one available at launch and then wait weeks/months to release the other. I wonder how many people would hold off and wait for the 5.5" instead. I know I would be one of those.

For some reason I figure that scenario is better than not announcing it and then having people upset 2 months later that there's a 5.5 option that they would have preferred (as you would prefer it.) Make sense?

 

[eldo33]

GREEDY APPLE WILL STILL HAVE THE DAMN 16GB for storage. i'm getting sick of that small size for the overly cost price of the phone

 

[kilcher]

Why all the comments on the lens cover? The article says he's referring to the display, not the camera lens. Or am I missing something?

 

[rumz]

PS: how does anyone here who intends on purchasing a 128GB phone justify such a high-priced device?

Assuming the unlocked price for the 4.7" iPhone 6 (16GB) is $649 (already expensive), we'd be looking at 32/64/128 -> 749/849/949, and *assuming* the 5.5" is $100 more per increment, that's $1049 for the highest storage option.

I mean, I love my iPhone... use it every day and so on... but man, I personally can't imagine spending near $1000 for such a small device with such a fast turnover. Are people that careless with storage that they're willing to jump up $300 to store more stuff? There's so many cloud options nowadays too.

Then again, I don't have my parent's money or inheritance to fall back on.

I hear ya. I like that a lot of manufacturers just have one size and throw 32gb in as the default. I've always bought 64gb versions and they depreciate the most and are ridiculously expensive. I mean, $850 + tax for a 64gb phone is more than a 128gb iPad Mini w LTE ($829), and substantially more than a non-LTE 64gb iPad Mini ($600).

I feel like they get away with charging a premium for the iPhone because a) at least in the US, most people are getting that subsidized, so it feels more like they're paying $400 for their new 64gb iPhone, and b) people have been trained to upgrade their phone every couple years.

Seriously. How hard would it be to put a microSD card in there and have it used only for media? I think the experience is sub-par compared to built in storage (maybe one reason)… but ultimately it's about those sweet sweet margins on the top two storage tiers.

I really hope they don't just add a 4th storage option and tack another $100 to the price like they did with the iPad (though I basically expect them to at this point). I just don't feel like 16gb is enough for anyone that is buying an iPhone (it's not enough for anyone I know that isn't even storing movies / music on it-- just for apps and photos alone it's too little.) If they do have 4 tiers for their FLAGSHIP phone… it is just damn greed, because I don't believe the experience with 16gb is a good one for the money.

(I still remember getting a PowerMac G5 10 years ago at work, and the baseline configuration was 256mb of RAM. That thing was SLOWER than the aging G4 it replaced until we paid to put extra RAM in it. Such a joke.)

 

[rumz]

The storage options will definitely be 16, 64 and 128.

If they started at 32, too many people would buy that model, lowering the average selling price for the iPhone. Moving to 16, 64, 128 would encourage more people to jump to the higher priced models, increasing the average selling price.

I hate that you're probably right (actually, that's the second best scenario for the consumer. Worst is if leave 16, 32, 64 in place and then just tacking on another $100 premium for 128gb).

I don't know… I know a lot of people that jumped to 32gb for their second iPhone and still don't have enough space. Maybe this will just get them the 64gb they need. (32 has never been enough for me-- right now I'm at around 40gb).

 

[macs4nw]

128 Gigs, finally!! Let's hope 32 Gigs is the new entry model.

As speculated, they may keep the 16GB as an entry-level model for price-conscious consumers, while rounding out the line-up with 64GB and 128GB models, thus actually dropping the 32GB unit.

 

[Amazing Iceman]

Sapphire glass seems to be very strong to scratches and pressure, but seems very vulnerable to impacts on the edges, according to other tests performed.

 

[dampfnudel]

iPhone 3GS, for Something;
iPhone 4S, for Steve, who passed away the following day
iPhone 5S, for Sensor, where Touch ID was introduced
iPhone 6S, for Sapphire... Why not?

I hope the 's' stands for something more.

 

[randian]

If the rumors are true, Apple can afford more Flash at the same price point, but not more RAM? Bah!

 

[Tech198]

I'd take that

No sapphire, but 128 Gig.. yes plz.

 

[buzzcutt]

I think the 5.5 is getting launched the same time.. My job at a wholesale phone assessory warehouse has already received 5.5 phone cases and things

 

[SactoGuy18]

I want the 64 GB iPhone 6 (4.7") so I can finally ditch my old iPod touch.

 

[zipa]

iPhone 6 May Lose Sapphire Display Cover, Gain 128 GB Storage Option

The drop test would refer to the screen, not the lens cover. There's probably just something that got lost in translation.

 

[hypertc13]

I thought I read an article quite a few months ago regarding Apple's sapphire display production. It said something about the process they make it or they introduce a new chemical into it made it more durable and flexible. I can't believe that Apple would spend this month money and all the analysts for the past 10 months stating it will be on the iPhone 6 and now a week or two into it they are just now realizing it doesn't survive drops. Seems like something we would have heard about months ago.