iPhone 6 release date, news and rumors

The new iPhone could be one of the most pivotal devices in the Cupertino brand's history - with the iPhone 5S andiPhone 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.

• iOS 7: Apple's new look for iPhone and iPad

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?

One thing is for sure, with the Samsung Galaxy S5, Sony Xperia Z2 andHTC 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.

Cut to the chase

What is it? A major revision of the iPhone including entire design

When is it out? September 2014 seems most likely

What will it cost? Expect premium pricing for a premium smartphone

iPhone 6 release date

The iPhone 6 release date will be in 2014, although exactly when that will be in the year is still a little unclear.

Multiple reports have spoken of a larger device from Apple at WWDC in June, but WWDC has never been about hardware. The announcement of the iPhablet seems unlikely with the focus likely to be on iOS 8 instead.

At the very least, Apple appears to be testing a larger iPhone, but there's no guarantee it'll bring it to the market this year.

Apple has launched the last few iPhones at a special event in September, so the smart money is on September 2014 for the iPhone 6's arrival.

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.

We'll likely see the new iPhone arrive, possibly along with the iWatch, running iOS 8 for the first time. While Apple will probably reveal details of its new operating system in June, we'll have to wait until September to actually see it in action on a handset.

Your next smartphone

If you're already thinking about your next mobile we've goteverything you need to know about your next smartphone.

HTC One M8 | Sony Xperia Z2 | Samsung Galaxy S5 | LG G3

All the news and secrets on 2014's forthcoming blockbusters to info on the best that's already here, we'll arm you with all the info you'll need to get your perfect smartphone.

Find your next smartphone

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 - but only if Apple keeps both products under the iPhone name. If if splits the larger device under a new name (such as the 'iPhone Air' as we recently heard it referred to) then a June and September launch could make sense.

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.

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 that price hiking.

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.

Bigger screen(s)?

One of the most enduring rumors about the iPhone 6 is that it will have a bigger screen than the iPhone 5S.

Apple has even acknowledged that consumers want a larger screenafter an internal slide was revealed in its court battle with Samsung entitled "Consumers want what we don't have."

According to Business Insider, of the many iPhone 6 prototypes Apple has made, one has a giant Retina+ IGZO display and a "new form factor with no home button. Gesture control is also possibly included." It will surely include Apple's new Touch ID finger print tech though?

The Retina+ Sharp IGZO display would have a 1080p Full HD resolution. However we're not convinced that the prototype will make it to market. Ditching the home button would be a big change and no other rumors point in that direction.

It has however been widely reported that Apple could introduce two handset sizes as it seeks to compete with the plethora of Android devices now on the market - with both being a lot thinner thanks to big improvements in LED backlight technology to reduce the thickness.

With everything we've seen so far we reckon there will almost certainly be two screen sizes and resolutions, as mentioned above.

A Full HD display makes perfect sense for the iPhone 6, especially if it grows to a 4.7-inch screen as mooted, and the iPhablet will push things even further to preserve the Retina experience on a larger display.

The iPhone 5S display isn't full HD

In fact the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 has been tipped again alongside a larger 5.7-inch (or is that a QHD 5.5-inch screen?) model as part of Apple's double attack on the market following the 5S and 5C.

While we'd love to see the Quad HD resolution adorn the iPhone 6, the fact it's such a great leap from the sub-720p Retina display on the 5S and 5C makes it seem very unlikely.

The most recent resolution rumors come from insiders who claim that Apple has been testing a pixel-tripling display which would have a resolution of 1704 x 960.

That's not quite full HD, but it would allow the phone to retain the iPhone 5S's 16x9 aspect ratio and give a 4.7 inch iPhone a pixel density of 416 pixels per inch and the rumored 5.5 inch phablet a density of 355 pixels per inch, both of which trump the 326ppi screen of the iPhone 5S.

Will the iPhone 6 really take design cues from the iPad Nano?

All that said, while a 5.5 inch iPhone is certainly looking likely we may have to wait longer than expected for it, as we're now hearing that the larger iPhone 6 has hit production problems, which may see it delayed until 2015.

The 4.7-inch version is said to still be on track with an images of a supposediPhone 6 production mold and front plate sneaking onto the web

In other areas, patents show that Apple has been thinking about magical morphing technology that can hide sensors and even cameras. Will it make it into the iPhone 6? Probably not.

There's still a small possibility of the iPhone 6 sporting a flexible wraparound display after more patents were uncovered, but we reckon that's more likely to feature on the iPhone 7 or 8 instead.