Each week, there are dozens of rumors, reports, and patent filings that hint at what’s coming out of Cupertino next. Some are legit, but many are totally bogus. As we're nearing the launch of the next iPhone, we're starting to see lots of parts leaks. As always, we’ve parsed the rumors, ranking them in order from "utterly ridiculous" to "duh, of course." First up…
DON'T COUNT ON IT: Apple Explores an Intelligent Home Screen
The U.S.P.T.O. published an Apple patent filing Thursday describing how Apple could implement an intelligent homescreen that would push location or situationally relevant app icons from obscure locations to your main homescreen. While I love the idea of a smarter homescreen, this implementation seems like it could potentially complicate the experience rather than make it easier. As such, I don't think it's something we should expect anytime soon.
__ ASK AGAIN LATER: iPhone 6 Screen Production Delayed Because of Backlight Problem__ Quoting "supply chain sources," Reuters reports that production of displays for the new phone was halted for some of June and July after the backlight in the first design proved too dim. One source claims that the problem could be traced to Apple's insistence on "the thinnest phone possible," which led to using a single layer of backlight film. Now, apparently, production lines are working "flat out" to add a second layer and make up for lost time. Seeing as Apple's September 9 event is still very much a go, even if this is true, it likely won't actually delay launch.
ASK AGAIN LATER: iPhone 6 Display Under Microscope Reveals Possible Pixel Count
Feld & Volk, which last week posted photos of what it claimed to be the iPhone 6's display, put this display under a microscope to estimate the resolution of the next iPhone's display. While it counted a 1,704 x 960 pixel resolution, MacRumors estimates it's actually 1,472 x 828, which also matches a resolution referenced in iOS 8 beta code. This resolution makes sense because it would offer twice the pixel density of the current Retina display. It's possible the smaller iPhone 6 model could feature the 1,472 x 868 resolution, which would give both sizes similar 355-360 pixel densities.
ASK AGAIN LATER: Apple Invents Way to Combat 'Urban Canyon' Cell Reception Issues
Anyone who lives in or has visited a big city knows that GPS can get wonky and unreliable once you start traveling between skyscrapers. So Apple may be working on a sensor-based solution to this problem, according to a recently published Apple patent filing. A related location-based patent, also published this week, would help iPhone users find their parked cars even in such low connectivity areas.
ASK AGAIN LATER: Schematic Shows Next iPhone to Have Protruding Lens
Taiwanese site Apple Club originally posted what seems to be a schematic showing a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with a protruding rear-facing camera. The device measures 7mm thick, but the camera portion extends .77 mm above that. The protruding camera lens rumor is a curious one: Apple could go with this design, making the next iPhone a little more iPod touch-like, but historically, the company has kept the camera lens flush with the rear plate of the iPhone.
SIGNS POINT TO YES: Leaked Schematic Points to NFC in Next iPhone
A leaked schematic posted on Weibo adds more possible evidence Apple could be supporting NFC in its next iPhone. The schematic is for a NAND flash component, and mentions a ‘PN65V’ model number chip, an NFC chip made by NXP Corp (a company that makes NFC chips for other smartphone manufacturers as well as the iPhone 5s' motion coprocessor).
SIGNS POINT TO YES: Photos of the Next iPhone's Battery Documented
Photos of both the smaller 4.7-inch iPhone and the larger 5.5-inch version's batteries were reportedly photographed this week. With launch date quickly approaching, it's entirely possible they could be the real deal. The larger will purportedly have a 2,915mAh battery while the smaller will have a 1,810mAh battery.
SIGNS POINT TO YES: Photos and Videos Emerge of Apple's Reversible USB Cable
A handful of evidence, including photos and an Apple patent filing along with videos tweeted by Sonny Dickson, seem to show Apple could be debuting a reversible USB cable sometime soon. Kind of like the Lightning connector, this USB can be plugged in upside down, which is great, but if I'm plugging in things in the dark, I still have to find the USB port in the first place, so maybe this connector should also glow in the dark. Just saying.
