iPhone 6 rumor roundup: Will the next iPhone have a 4.7-inch sapphire display, NFC, or a reversible USB cable?

Apple’s iPhone 6 press event is only a few weeks away — it’s scheduled for September 9 — so it’s no surprise that iPhone rumors are running wild right now. This time around, the rumor mill’s refrain is “bigger, stronger, faster.” The potential for larger screens, scratch-proof sapphire glass, and incredibly fast hardware specs is being widely reported by the enthusiast press and traditional news outlets alike. Unsurprisingly, Apple is going to have a lot of hype to live up to for the iPhone 6 release.
There are just too many iPhone 6 rumors floating around to count, so I’ve selected only a handful of the most intriguing examples to discuss today. Some of these are certainly more likely than others, but each one is incredibly tantalizing to gadget lovers. Whether or not you plan on buying Apple’s next smartphone, something here is bound to tickle your fancy. After all, once Apple implements a feature in its flagship product, other companies are bound to respond.

4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones

From the iPhone’s inception, there have been rumors about larger screens. Apple stuck with the 3.5-inch screen for years before finally upgrading to a 4-inch screen with the iPhone 5 in 2012. Now, the rumor mill is betting heavily on Apple releasing two new screen sizes: 4.7-inches and 5.5-inches. There doesn’t seem to be much consensus on whether or not these larger phones will be offered alongside the 4-inch models, though. If I had to guess based solely on my gut feeling, Apple probably won’t ditch its 4-inch phones any time soon. Besides, you can still buy a 3.5-inch iPhone 4S directly from the Apple Store.
We’ve been seeing these screens and miscellaneous phone parts show up frequently across the net, and these larger devices are certainly the most wide-spread rumor this time around. However, popularity doesn’t make the rumors true. Remember back when we were supposed to have a teardrop-shaped iPhone? That rumor ran rampant up until the moment the next model was actually announced with a uniform flat design. Unless you’re being told something directly by an Apple executive, take any discussion of future Apple products with a grain of salt.

Sapphire screens

The word on the street is the new iPhones will sport sapphire screens. This rumor has been very persistent, and with good reason. As you can see in the video embedded above, sapphire glass is incredibly durable and scratch-resistant, so it’s perfect for smartphone screens. Stab it, scrape it, or shove it in your pocket with your keys — it makes no difference.
Considering how often I see friends and family with jacked-up smartphone screens, this would be a huge improvement. Unfortunately, we might have to wait another generation for these super screens. JP Morgan’s Rod Hall seems skeptical that Apple will be able to push out sapphire screens in 2014. If Hall is right, we might have to wait for the iPhone 6S or iPhone 7 for these nigh-on indestructible screens.

iPhone 6 shell

So, individual parts have supposedly leaked here and there over the last couple of months, but an assembled iPhone 6 shell has just recently surfaced. These images are allegedly of a 4.7-inch iPhone 6, and it looks incredibly slick. If the real McCoy ends up looking like this, I’ll be pleased. However, Apple’s design aesthetic is constantly being aped by Chinese counterfeiters, so it’s not much of a stretch to think that something this polished could be completely fake.

With the addition of bigger screens comes the need for bigger batteries, right? According to a number of leaks, we’ll be seeing some notable bumps in the 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch models. One leak has the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 sporting a 1810 mAh battery while another photo shows a 2915 mAh battery for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6. Considering that the iPhone 5S’s battery is roughly 1570 mAh, these are substantial jumps in power. I’d certainly like to see a longer battery life for my next phone.