RUMOURS AND SPECULATION ON THE PRICE, QUALITY AND RELEASE DATE OF IPHONE 6

The new iPhone could be one of the most pivotal devices in the Cupertino brand's history - with the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C simple updates to previous models, there's a lot of pressure heaped on the iPhone 6.
As per usual, the internet is awash with rumor, speculation and downright lies over this next-generation handset, which is why we spend our time trawling through each nugget of info, debating its merits and curating it into this easy-to-read hub for all things iPhone 6.
According to a survey of 4109 US consumers the iPhone 6 is the most anticipated Apple smartphone ever, with interest easily outstripping that of the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5.
We've already been given a small sneak peak at what Apple may have in store for us on the iPhone 6 thanks to the announcement of iOS 8 at WWDC - from a bigger screen and camera to health monitoring and more storage. Read more after the cut.


What iOS 8 tells us about the iPhone 6
Some of you might have been expecting the iPhone 6 to have debuted in 2013, but given the iPhone's history - from the 3G onwards, there's always been a half-step S model before the next numbered iPhone - we were never going to get the 6 until 2014.
In fact, it will technically be the iPhone 8 when it finally launches... but hey, who's counting these days? It's unlikey to arrive alongside the new iPad, which is expected a few weeks later in October.
One thing is for sure, with the Samsung Galaxy S5, LG G3, Sony Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8 now out in wild, Apple needs to be on its game with the new iPhone - and many believe a bigger screen is simply a must.I A major revision of the iPhone including entire design.
More images claiming to show the front panel of the iPhone 6 have emerged, showing just how much larger the 4.7-inch version could be compared to the current 4-inch models.

iPhone 6 release date

The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014 and it's looking increasingly likely that we'll see it in September, which would fit in nicely with the rollout of the newly announced iOS 8.
Apple has launched the last few iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money has always been on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's arrival - followed by a new iPad Air launch in October.
Not to mention the fact that according to ifun.de Apple is restricting holidays during September for employees at German Apple Stores, which strongly suggests a new hardware launch then.
It's looking increasingly likely that we'll see more than one Apple handset this year though. KGI's analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has thrown his hat into the ring and seems to think a duo of new iPhones will be released, with a 4.7-inch iPhone coming out towards the end of the third quarter and a 5.5-inch iPhablet hitting the market late in the fourth quarter.
Suggestions of both sizes arriving September could also hold water, though we've also heard that Apple has had trouble finding appropriate batteries for the 5.5-inch device and that as a result it might even slip into next year.
Other rumors point to a September launch for both sizes, though they do re-iterate that the 5.5-inch model is facing production problems. While more recent rumors also claim a September launch, September 19 to be precise.
On the other hand reports out of China claim that while it will be unveiled on September 15, the iPhone 6 won't be released until September 25. Whatever the case though, September is looking pretty locked in.

Reuters reports that Apple has gone on a massive hiring spree at factories in China, so it's clearly preparing to take the iPhone 6 into production, which makes sense if the handset is launching just a few months from now.
And it sounds like production is about to start, as the Economic Daily News reports that the 4.7 inch model should go into production any day now, while the 5.5 inch handset will enter production sometime in August.
Apple's seemingly expecting record demand for its handsets too, as The Wall Street Journal reports that it's ordered between 70 and 80 million units, while last year the company initially ordered between 50 and 60 million.
After trawling through all the iPhone 6 rumors we kicked our render machine into gear and came up with a concept of what we'd like Apple's eighth generation flagship smartphone to look like.
Check out our creation in the video below.

iPhone 6 price

There's one thing we can be sure about when it comes to the iPhone 6 - it won't be cheap.
Apple's legacy is a long line of premium devices sporting premium price tags and you can expect that trend to continue with the iPhone 6.
One analyst even goes as far as predicting that Apple will hike up the price of the iPhone 6, possibly by as much as $100 (around £60, AU$110). With a larger screen, new glass covering the front and possibly even a new, more impressive, material used in construction, we can see the price being hiked.
We'd be surprised is the mooted 4.7-inch iPhone 6 would get such a massive price bump, as it needs to stay competitive, but the hike does make sense if Apple launches a larger, phablet sized iPhone.
We have also got wind of possible pricing for the 4.7-inch model and it's reportedly starting at around £500 for a 32GB handset, which is around the same as a 16GB iPhone 5S, so if anything it might be a little cheaper, but that still leaves the 5.5-inch model open to being more expensive.
Indeed the latest pricing rumors echo the £500/$858/AU$915 pricing for the 4.7-inch model, but add that the 5.5-inch handset is likely to start at around £563/$966/AU$1030 and those are based on Chinese prices, so won't account for local taxes. Interestingly the same sources claim that the 5.5-inch handset will be called the 'iPhone Air'.