iPhone 6 release date, rumours & leaked images: iPhone 6 Sapphire display could be almost unbreakable

When is the new iPhone 6 coming out? Will the iPhone 6 have a bigger screen? Will Apple launch two new iPhones this year? We round up the speculation.

The iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s are already rapidly approaching their first birthday, so Apple watchers have been looking ahead to the next iPhone, dubbed iPhone 6, new iPhone or iPhone 2014. When will the new iPhone 6 launch? How much will it cost in the UK? And what features and specifications can we expect? Will the iPhone 6 have a bigger screen? Here, we bring you the latest speculation to help answer those questions about the new iPhone 6.

Of course, we're talking about Apple here, so the iPhone 6 hasn't officially been announced yet and nothing is for certain. That hasn't stopped lots of juicy iPhone 6 rumours floating around, though. Not everything here will be accurate, but we'll try to give you an idea of how plausible each rumour is.

New iPhone 6 release date: When will the iPhone 6 come out?

The iPhone line-up gets refreshed roughly once a year. The iPhone 6 is therefore likely to launch in 2014, around a year later than the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, which were unveiled on 10 September 2013 and hit the shelves on 20 September. 

We've heard lots of general predictions of the iPhone 6 launch date, and even some specific dates that seem to match up. German carrier Deutsche Telekom has allegedly told Apple blog Apfelpage.de that the iPhone 6 will be released on 19 September, after being announced by Apple on 9 September. We can't be certain that this rumour is true, but it seems like a pretty solid guess to us, so definitely don't rule it out.

This rumour has been backed up by Chinese website Tencent, which says the 4.7in iPhone 6 will arrive on 19 September, with no 16GB model available. Instead, Apple will launch a 32GB and 64GB iPhone 6, the site says.

On 3 July, rumours emerged from China suggesting that Apple will announce its iPhone 6 on 15 September, 10 days before it becomes available to buy on 25 September. The report comes from China.com, which claims to have spoken to industry sources with knowledge of Apple's plans.

We're not entirely convinced by this rumour, particularly because Apple tends to begin sales of its new iPhones on Fridays, and the 25 September is a Thursday. We're more convinced by the previous 19 September rumours.

The report also claims that the 5.5in iPhone that has been widely rumoured since the beginning of the year will be called the 'iPhone Air'. Find out more about the rumoured iPhone Air here.

Some analysts and Apple watchers had suggested that the iPhone 6 would arrive at Apple's WWDC event, but Apple didn't announce any hardware during the event, sticking to showing off iOS 8 and OS X 10.10 Yosemite instead.

One recent release date rumour suggests that Apple may decide to launch the 4.7in iPhone 6 in August, followed by a bigger, 5.5in model in September. These rumours come from Taiwan's Economic Daily News, which claims that unnamed supply-chain sources say an August iPhone event is possible.

We think it's unlikely that Apple will launch two iPhones within such a short period of time, unless it decides to unveil both iPhones at an August event with the first, smaller model becoming available to buy sooner than the 5.5in model, which would go on sale slightly later.

It's believed that Apple retail stores have begun blacking out holiday dates for employees in September, which is usually a sign that something big is coming on those dates – probably the iPhone 6. That's according to iFun, which cites anonymous sources in its report that suggests a September launch for iPhone 6 is happening after all.

It's believed that iPhone 6 production has already begun, and that Apple manufacturer Foxconn has hired 100,000 new employees to help build the device. One analyst has suggested that the iPhone 6 will come out in July, but we're already half way through the month and there's no sign of the iPhone 6 launch yet, so we think it's highly unlikely to be true.

The calls for Apple to release its new iPhone 6 earlier than the usual September time frame have actually come from Sony's mobile chief, Pierre Perron. Perron told The Inquirer: Apple is "missing out" by only releasing yearly iPhone refreshes, instead of flooding the market with incremental updates every few months. Perron believes that people will always want the most up to date phone and technology moves more rapidly than a yearly cycle allows.

Forbes contributor Chuck Jones has also suggested that Apple shouldn't wait until September to announce the iPhone 6, because competition means the company is losing sales to competitors with bigger-screened smartphones.

Overall, we think that the September launch option is most plausible based on Apple's launch history.

Whenever the iPhone 6 arrives, it's expected to be a big one, both in size and popularity. According to research firm ISI, we're about to see "the 'mother lode' of all Apple upgrade cycles" when Apple releases two new iPhones with bigger screens this year. It's thought that iPhone 6 sales may be 20 per cent higher than iPhone 5s.

"'Large-screen envy' is prevalent among the iPhone installed base and we believe a 5in form-factor iPhone would spark a massive upgrade cycle as well as many 'Android switchers' returning back to the iPhone," said ISI.

Plus, research carried out by gonedigging.co.uk found that 41 per cent of 2,142 UK respondents said the most highly anticipated gadget of 2014 is iPhone 6, above iWatch, Google Glass and Amazon's new Fire Phone.

Taiwan's Topology Research Institute predicted in June that Apple will sell 80 million units of iPhone 6 by the end of 2014, at an average of 20 million units per month from September to December.

The research company expects that the 4.7in iPhone will be the biggest seller, accounting for the majority of the sales, while 10 million will be the 5.5in iPhone expected alongside the smaller device.

Either way, an Apple fan and blogger in Japan was keen to be first in line for the iPhone 6, so actually turned up outside an Apple Store in Ginza to wait for the new iPhone to launch. However, his wait was short-lived, as he soon discovered he might haveto wait for seven months, an idea that seems to have put him off. I expect we'll see him return a bit nearer the release date!

Apple has launched an improved reuse and recycle program to try and encourage people to upgrade to a new iPhone now, as iPhone sales struggle in the run up to the iPhone 6

iPhone 6 leaked images

Since April, photographs of iPhone 6 dummy models and physical mockups have arrived on the web almost every day, and it seems like there's no stopping them. Assuming they're accurate (and they're all very similar so it's likely they could be) we've now got a much better idea of what the iPhone 6 will look like and how big it will be.

All of the dummy models show an iPhone with curved and rounded edges, and an overall design that closely resembles that of the iPad mini and latest iPod touch models.

It also looks like the iPhone's LED flash will be set in a round cutout, and there could also be a slightly protruding rear camera. The power button is also likely to moved to the side of the iPhone, the mockups suggest.

Taiwanese singer, actor and race car driver Jimmy Lin has been spotted on Weibo with what looks like an iPhone 6. He posted a similar photograph on the social media site last year, holding an iPhone 5C that turned out to be accurate, so this could be the real thing. It could equally be fake, of course, but we'll have to wait and see.

We rather like this photograph of both the 4.7in iPhone 6 and 5.5in iPhone 6 side-by-side (below). They're just mockups, but they're very convincing ones, and we can imagine Apple launching an iPhone 6 that looks like the ones shown here. These photos came from previously accurate blogger Sonny Dickson on Twitter. 

A new video that emerged on 17 June (above) shows what appears to be those same mockups acquired by Sonny Dickson, but this time in a comparing them with the iPhone 5S. 

Sonny Dickson has been sharing leaked iPhone parts again, this time with 9To5Mac. It has published a series of photos that appear to show both the black and white iPhone 6 glass covers. The photos show the two displays side by side, and also beside the corresponding part found on the current iPhone 5S models.

The bezels don't appear to have changes in size, but the screen is bigger (this is allegedly the 4.7in iPhone's display rather than the 5.5in model) and the holes at the top of the device have been slightly relocated.

The leaked part also appears to be slightly rounded, which would work with the rumoured rounded redesign of the rest of the iPhone 6 chassis.

Yet more photos of an iPhone 6 mockup come from sources in Japanand Korea, showing a Space Grey version of the phone compared with the iPhone 5S and HTC One M8. They look very similar to previous leaks, so add even more evidence to suggest that this is could be the real iPhone 6 design. 

A new photo of what appears to be the back panel of Apple's iPhone 6 emerged on 8 June on Nowhereelse.fr (below). The panel looks like it's made completely from metal, and spaces for volume buttons and the mute switch appear to be elongated, suggesting a new design for the physical buttons of the iPhone.

The photo also supports the rumours of a relocated lock button from the top to the right of the device.

Like some recent rumours mentioned previously in this article, the photo also shows a cut-out Apple logo, which could mean an illuminated logo is coming to the iPhone.

A video and new photographs showing what appears to be the rear casing of the iPhone 6 have surfaced in Japan, showing the same rounded, unibody design as seen in previous leaks, as well as that cutout for the Apple logo that we think means an illuminated Apple logo is on its way to the iPhone.
In a cracking video from 9To5Mac, the iPhone 6 dummy model has been compared with just about every iOS device. You can see how the iPhone 6 looks next to the iPad Air, iPad mini, iPhone 5c, iPhone 5s, iPhone 4s and iPod touch.9To5Mac has also compared the iPhone 6 with the HTC One M8 and Samsung Galaxy S5 here.

We're beginning to get pretty convinced that the iPhone 6 mockups that have been appearing could be accurate, and when you see one sitting among Apple's other devices, it becomes even more believable. It's worth noting that these dummy models are in no way claiming to be the finished thing, so expect to see something much more polished when Apple shows it off this year.

Another cracking video from 9To5Mac shows what iOS might look like on a 4.7in iPhone 6. It's actually a Motorola Moto X, which has a 4.7in display, modified to look like the iPhone dummy models we've seen floating around the web.

Read on to see more of the iPhone 6 dummy models and mockups, and other leaked images.

All of the dummy mockups are based on leaked schematics and details that have allegedly come from Apple's suppliers, including Foxconn, from which these schematics reportedly originated.

Here's a mockup of Apple's iPhone 6, this time compared with an iPod touch. If the mockup is accurate, the iPhone 6 could look very similar to the current generation iPod touch, though is expected to be significantly bigger.

These dummy models of the iPhone 6 from 9To5Mac were the first time we'd seen a gold dummy model, which is shown beside the slate grey and silver models, all still in dummy form. It's worth noting that, as these are dummy models, they might not represent the final design, but with the number of models we've iit could well be close to the real deal.

Chinese tech blog 86Digi has shared a video and photos of a physical iPhone 6 mockup that's allegedly based on leaked iPhone 6 schematics from 'supply chain sources'.

The mockup shows a 6mm thin device with a 4.7in display that sports rounded edges and the previously rumoured relocated power button.

Meanwhile, Italian Apple blog Macitynet.it has published photographs that appear to show an iPhone 6 beside the Samsung Galaxy S5. The report claims that the iPhone 6 shown is a "final mockup" of the device, acquired by an "inside source."

It's one of the most convincing iPhone 6 mockups we've seen, and gives a good insight into what we should expect the iPhone 6 to look like. The iPhone 6 appears to be a bit smaller than the Galaxy S5, with a 4.7in display, but it's much closer in dimensions than previous generations of the iPhone have been to Samsung Galaxy smartphones. However, when it comes to the thickness of the devices, Samsung's Galaxy S5 could be 1.6mm thicker than the iPhone 6, which is expected to be just 6mm thick.

Another mockup in this recent string comes from French blog NoWhereElse (below), showing an almost identical dummy model of the rumoured iPhone 6. Again, there's no telling whether these photos are legitimate but if we look back at last year's iPhone launch it was regularly spotted mockups like these that turned out to be completely accurate.

 

But wait, that's not even the last one! Chinese website Baidu posted new images of a silver iPhone 6 mockup that (again) looks almost identical in dimensions to the previous three listed here.

A video that emerged towards the end of April (below) shows what's rumoured to be an iPhone 6 case made based on the device's new design compared with Apple's iPhone 5S, Google's Nexus 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Not only does the case suggest that the iPhone 6 will be bigger, but also thinner, and with a power button positioned on the side of the device, rather than the top.

Whether or not the case is legitimate, it's still an interesting video to show what a bigger iPhone could look like in comparison to its close rivals and its predecessor.

On 15 April yet another photograph of what appears to be a new iPhone part hit the web. Again from originating from Weibo, the image seems to show a bigger iPhone front panel beside an iPhone 5 for comparison. Other than the size, though, the panel looks very similar to previous generations, which suggests the overall design might not undergo a significant change.

New photographs of what appears to be the schematics, CAD renderings and manufacturing molds for the iPhone 6 have appeared onChinese microblogging site Wiebo. The photos are believed to have originated from a Foxconn plant manufacturing the new iPhone. 

A second photograph of the mold arrived later, showing an iPhone 4S for size comparison.

Nowhereelse.fr has now used Photoshop to place an example of an iPhone within the mold to help estimate the size of the device it'll be used for (below). According to the publication's calculations, the mold could be used for an iPhone with a 4.7in screen.

Following the predictions from KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has an impressive track record, NoWhereElse.fr released photographsof what it claims could be the first cases for the new, bigger iPhones (below). However, the report points to a cutout for the rumoured side position of the sleep/wake button, but there's also a cutout on the top, which makes us dubious about the reliability of this leak.

 

Leaked images that emerged in April (below) show a slimmer iPhone that's so thin that Apple has been forced to leave the camera protruding from the device. We're not convinced that these leaks are legitimate, though, as we can't imagine Apple being happy with such design.

An image of what could be a leaked iPhone 6 display panel emerged at the beginning of March, showing an overall size that matches the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s, but a borderless, edge-to-edge display that increases the actual screen size. These images, published by French blognowhereelse.fr, have not been verified as genuine leaks, but they're probably the most convincing we've seen yet.

There's one major flaw, though, and that's the positioning of the Home button. We'd be surprised if Apple launched an iPhone with a Home button so off centre.

French blog NoWhereElse has shared an image from China that is said to show the dimensions of the iPhone 6. The black and white diagram appears to reveal that the iPhone 6 will measure 150mm long by 85mm wide, and will have a display that measures almost 5in. The iPhone 5s is 123.8mm by 58.6mm, so that's a significant change. It's worth noting that there is no proof that this image is legitimate, though.

Nowhereelse.fr has a mockup of the iPhone 6 created by Martin Hajeck, based on the leaked dimensions mentioned above, as shown below.

Sonny Dickson, the Australian guy who last year published tons of photographs of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c parts has now published an image of that he claims is the iPhone 6. The images suggest that the next iPhone will be thinner with no bezel on the left or right of the screen – so it stretches to the edges of the phone. The bezel at the top and bottom of the phone looks shallower as well, it's basically as tall as home button at the bottom.

However, closer inspection of the images, which were originally shared on the mornray886 Twitter account before Dickson shared them, suggests that they are fake. It is thought that the images are renders creased by well known iPhone concept creator Martin Hajek, Pocket-Lint points out certain repetition of smudging in his concept designs for other 'leaked' Apple products.

Last year, Sonny Dickinson published image after image of what turned out to be the new iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s as well as the iPad Air and 

iPhone 6 concept images, videos and renders

A new concept from ConceptsiPhone shows a new take on what the iPhone 6 could look like, though it differs dramatically from recent leaks so we think a design like the one shown is highly unlikely. Still, it's rather good-looking, so it's still worth a watch.

Created by Sahanan Yogarasa, this new iPhone 6 concept (below) shows an iPhone that is slimmer and lighter than the iPhone 5s but sports a bigger, 5in display. Where it gets interesting, but also incredibly unlikely, is that the iPhone 6 in this concept video features an additional display that slides out from the back of the device. Cool idea but we don't expect to see anything like this from Apple any time soon.

This concept from ConceptsiPhone was tweeted by Sonny Dickson in March. We rather like the idea of a bigger screen without the need for a bigger device overall.

March has seen three new concept videos for the iPhone 6 emerge (so far), which fall at varying points in the believability spectrum. The first, from designer Sam Beckett, seams like a realistic prediction of what the iPhone 6 (or iPhone Air as Beckett calls it) could look like.

The second, from designer Arthur Reis (below), is slightly less believable but no where near as adventurous as our third video.

Below is the third video, which seems to be futuristic wishful thinking, and we don't expect the iPhone 6 to have holographic capabilities. But it's fun to watch nonetheless.

A new concept spotted on ConceptsiPhone and created by Joseph Farahi includes several well-rendered images and a video that shows a 5.1in iPhone 6. It's thinner, has a higher-resolution display, and also has solar charging capabilities.

An iPhone 6 concept unveiled in November 2013 comes from Iskander Utebayey, who imagines a new iPhone with a wraparound display that allows touch controls on each side of the iPhone. We can't imagine how this would work in real life, as touchscreens on the side of the iPhone would make holding the device rather tricky. However, we do like the idea of a control panel there waiting on the edges for easy access to different iOS features.

We rather like the Home button-less gold iPhone 6 concept created bydesigner Martin Hajek for French Apple blog Nowhereelse.fr. Its back closely resembles the iPad Air, and certainly looks Apple-esque to us.

Designer Arthur Reis created these 3D renderings in March, showing an ultra-thin design with 'touch anywhere' Home button and 'iSight Pro' camera.

This article will be updated as more iPhone 6 or information, rumours, and leaked pictures as they become available.

About iphone 7 see here