It’s that time of year. Apple is getting closer to rolling out the next iterations of its iPhone. That means the rumor mills are churning overtime and reaching farther into the future.
Let’s start with what we know for sure, or at least according to Bloomberg. Apple has started early production on new iPhone models, the 6S and 6S Plus, with the so-called Force Touch feature. Force Touch, which was rolled out for the Apple Watch, senses how hard users are pressing down on the screen. News reports reveal users can adjust the pressure sensitivity on the next-generation iPhone.
That would be evolutionary for sure, but it’s hardly revolutionary in today’s smartphone market. So what is it about the rumors that really start reaching into the future possibilities? It’s doubtful that we’ll see holograms beaming out of the iPhone any time soon but there are some predictions that could cause more Android users to lay down their phablets and migrate to Apple’s innovations.
Wild but True Rumors?
A Taiwanese publication called Business Weekly, for example, is convinced Apple is working on ways to put more than one camera lens into the next iPhone. According to the report, a dual-camera lens iPhone is at least three years in the making. Of course, HTC already has a dual-camera phone. The benefit: you can capture 3-D images. So holograms, no, but 3-D, maybe.
Other rumors suggest Apple is going to do away with the actual home button and replace it with a virtual button that’s powered by biometrics. That’s a big change for sure, but hardly earth-shattering and potentially troublesome given the misfires my iPhone 6 fingerprint scanner throws.
Want a waterproof iPhone? The next one could come with that feature, as well as invisible antenna lines for a sleeker look. However, you’ll likely crack the screen in the first few weeks if you don’t cover the device with a sturdy case.
Still other rumors suggest a stronger body, a rose gold color option, an A9 chip and more storage. Personally, I’d like to see an iPhone that would wake me up with music instead of the annoying prefabbed ringtones. Or how about an iPhone that you can take in the shower. I guess waterproofing would cover that, right?
Are These Rumors Way Off Base?
We caught up with Michael Disabato, managing vice president of network and telecom at Gartner Inc., to get his thoughts on the iPhone rumors. He told us most of these rumors probably aren’t reality — or at least aren’t in line with what consumers really want.
“Apple is not going to get rid of the home button. Too many people like it. How are we going to get out of an app? And please don’t tell me we don’t need to get out of an app,” Disabato said. “I can’t count the number of apps since iOS 8 came out that I’ve had to unload from memory and delete and re-install.”
In terms of two cameras to allow 3-D, Disabato doesn’t know why anyone would want it. What’s more, he said he doesn’t see Apple following HTC’s lead — and noted that HTC is performing poorly despite its 3-D product.
“The only time you really want 3-D is when you are doing movies and I don’t think movies are the staple of what people are using the phone for,” Disabato said. “They want a better selfie cam, which I hear we’re supposed to get so they can do better selfies and do better FaceTime. So improve that. The other stuff is like, who cares?”
