Due to growing expectations for Apple Inc’s next-generation smartphone later this year, KGI Securities Co (凱基證券) analyst Kuo Ming-chi (郭明錤) has updated his predictions of the top 10 key features he expects to see in the new iPhone.
Kuo, who in the past has accurately predicted Apple’s moves, said the so-called iPhone 6S is expected to accommodate Apple’s new Force Touch feature that would allow users to press harder on the display to enable new input methods such as handwritten signatures, which would help the smartphone expand into the business sector.
In terms of appearance, the iPhone 6S is expected to come in screen sizes of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches for the Plus model, with the same screen resolution as current models, but it may also be available in a new rose gold color to match the Apple Watch’s range of colors, Kuo said in a recent research note.
The device is also forecast to feature a microphone next to its speakers to improve voice call quality, a camera upgraded to 12 megapixels and an A9 processor paired with faster 2GB LPDDR4 RAM, Kuo said.
Other improvements could include a change in casing material to keep the device from bending, an improved Touch ID fingerprint recognition system to promote Apple’s mobile payment service, Apple Pay, and the use of sapphire panels in limited volumes of 5.5-inch iPhone 6S, he said.
In terms of production, Kuo forecast that the new iPhone would begin mass production in late August and hit the market in the third quarter, with the 4.7-inch model accounting for two-thirds of total output and the 5.5-inch Plus model constituting the remaining third.
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