Apple CEO Tim Cook reportedly told his employees he has "big plans" for 2014, but what exactly that will entail may have just became slightly less foggy.
For one, customers may reasonably expect Apple's annual iPhone release, but, among others, the Latin Post reported what to expect. Apple's next smartphone will presumably be named the iPhone 6 and will expand screen size, resolution and other capabilities.
Before we get to five things to expect on the iPhone 6, let us go through a couple updates that are more of a long shot.
According to an iPhone 6 concept released by iPhoneSoft, the new Apple smartphone will have an SD Card slot on the side. That is highly unlikely and has never been Apple's style to include more than ports for headphones and a USB connection.
A 20 megapixel camera might also be an unrealistic jump from the 5S' eight megapixels.
However, an "ultrathin" device is highly believable. The 5S/5C are taller, thinner and lighter than the 4S/4 model. The "S," first conceived for the 4S model, implies the device is an intermediate model. The iPhone 6 could realistically become cut its depth by a fraction of what it is now.
Apple is likely to change the next iPhone's display significantly. MacRumors believes the screen size will be between 4.7" and 5.7" with a curved display. Sacrificing battery life and processing power will also not be an option in making the screen size larger, Cook has iterated previously.
An A8 processor to support a larger screen and sharper display is also well within the realm of possibility. The iPhone 4S has an A5 processor, the 5C has an A6 and the 5S has an A7.
Apple may be willing to lose its home button in favor of making the iPhone's screen larger. Unlike some smartphones on the market, the iPhone is mostly touchscreen and has never had a physical keyboard. Apple could take the Touch ID one step further and remove the physical button from the bottom of the device and incorporate it on the device's touchscreen.
An iPhone 6C is very much in play. Apple would never confirm, but the "C" in "iPhone 5C" may as well stand for cheap. To compete with other smartphone makers who offer their devices for fractions of what iPhones cost, Apple may need to continue offering a low-cost device.
Expect the iPhone 6 rumor mill to intensify as we go farther into 2014, but Apple has remained consistent in releasing its new iPhones in September or October. Also on the way for Apple could be the iWatch, new MacBook laptops and the much-anticipated (and much-rumored) Apple television set.
