iPhone 6 Rumor Roundup: Release Date and the Top Features Expected for Apple's Next Handset

Apple could well be no more than a month away from unveiling the iPhone 6, which is all but confirmed to be coming in two different, bigger-than-ever sizes.

Now that Tim Cook is comfortably out of Steve Jobs' shadow, the Apple CEO is looking to have a memorable few months. This fall, the release of iOS 8, OS X Yosemite and the iPhone 6 is likely to only be the beginning.

Several rumors have pointed to the release of an iWatch, which will enter into competition with Samsung's Galaxy Gear in a fairly new smart-watch market. Also expected out in the coming months is an update to Apple TV, possibly even a smart television set.

For the iPhone 6, here are the top five features that have generated the most traction in the online rumor mill. Apple is expected to make it three years in a row in which it releases a new iPhone in mid-Sept.

1. Reports of larger screens originated in early Feb. with a "sketch report" from OLED-Display.net, translated by BGR. Ever since, insiders and experts have agreed that Apple will be releasing two iPhones, one with a 4.7-inch display and one 5.5-inch. Though Ming-Chi Kuo told Apple Insider the larger one could be due out months after the first, there may still be a chance they are revealed simultaneously, and that is exciting.

2. Apple is long past due to upgrade its camera resolution. The iPhone has had an 8-megapixel camera since the release of the iPhone 4S, and a total of three new models have hit the market since. Apple took a big swing to rectify this, Engadget reported three months ago, hiring the engineer behind the Nokia Lumia handset with a 41-MP camera. MacRumors reported some time later that Apple will be implanting a 13-MP camera in the iPhone 6.

3. Apple bought a sapphire glass factory in Arizona supposedly to mass-produce ultra-tough displays for their next handset. One expert in particular previously told the Guardian it is likely Apple will use the scratchproof material for the iPhone 6. A larger iPhone is intriguing enough and a sapphire glass screen only adds to it.

4. The iPhone 6 may also be faster than ever. Unnamed sources told VentureBeat Apple is planning to include an A8 processor for the iPhone 6, including enhancements to the Touch ID fingerprint scanner and Wi-Fi capabilities.

5. Unfortunately, the release date is still unclear, especially given Apple's customary tightlipped nature. VentureBeat's sources confirmed Kuo's concerns that the 4.7-inch handset is due out in mid-Sept. with the 5.5-inch "phablet" due out weeks (possibly months) later.