It has been a busy day for Apple watchers, as the future prospects regarding three of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s most important forthcoming projects were laid bare by a whole new raft of rumors.
iOS 8 and the iPhone 6 are both certain to be jewels in Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s crown over the coming months, but the long assumed release of a smartwatch – highly likely to be branded as ‘iWatch’ – is also implicated in the latest round of murmurings.
The Apple iPhone 6 phablet
To deal with the iPhone 6 rumors firstly, one of the most important Apple analysts and predictors has spoken out on what he expects Apple’s plans to be with regards to its flagship smartphone. We don’t yet know when this next generation iPhone will be released – indeed, Apple has yet to confirm its existence – but it is presumed that the iPhone 6 may surface around September this year.
In a note to investors which was sent on Thursday, Ming-Chi Kuo passed on information which has apparently been gleaned from his supply chain sources. And the information provided indicates that many of the previous murmurings about the iPhone 6 would seem to be correct, with the analyst confirming that the iPhone 6 will come into two models, with the premium of the two very much in the ‘phablet’ category, with a 5.5-inch screen.
Apple’s iOS 8 screenshot
Hand-in-hand with this latest iPhone news is the surfacing of an alleged screenshot of the upcoming iOS 8 operating system. One has to take such leaks with a pinch of salt as they have turned out to be fraudulent in the past, but it certainly appears to be a convincing leak based on the appearance of these screenshots.
The images showcase some of the changes in the UI layout along with some new applications which will be included in this new operating system. It was also asserted that the iOS 8 shown in the image was running on the iPhone 6, or an emulator of this forthcoming handset.
The image indicates that iOS 8 will feature a 5×7 app layout grid, slightly larger than the 4×6 grid used on iOS 7, as well as an improvement in image resolution to 1600 x 966. It is also possible to discern new apps in the image, such as Healthbook, Carplay and Watch Utility. At this point in time, Apple has only made CarPlay official, so this is an intriguing sneak peek of what to expect from iOS 8.
Apple’s iWatch murmurings
Speculation is already rife that the Watch Utility is related to the long rumored iWatch. While it is impossible to ascertain this, it would certainly make sense, and it seems increasingly inevitable that Apple will release a smartwatch sooner or later.
But when it does, according to one analyst, you should beware of the price tag! The aforementioned analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has suggested that the most expensive iWatch brand could cost several thousand dollars when it eventually goes on sale. While Kuo claimed that the iWatch could be launched in multiple models at multiple price points, he asserted that the most expensive model could be rather pricey.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has yet to give any indication of the existence of an iWatch, but it will be intriguing to note its strategy if and when it does so.
