We were perfectly happy with our current phone until we heard what Apple's next iPhone could be capable of. Now, all we want to know is: Is it upgrade time yet? The next iPhone's rumored features are seriously cool and will change how we navigate apps, how we take selfies, and (hopefully) how much damage our iPhone can take when we drop it for the thousandth time. We've gone through the ever-present Apple rumor mill and picked out what we actually believe the next iPhone could feature. Ahead, a few possibilities for a serious upgrade.
Force Touch
The next iPhone won't just be able to detect your finger as it glides over its glossy display; it will be able to feel variations in the force of your finger as you press down on that screen, too. Originally an Apple Watch feature, it's called Force Touch, and it's going to change how you use your iPhone. Here's how. Normally, smartphone touchscreen displays can detect where one or more fingers are on the screen, because of skin's conductivity. This lets us virtually press onscreen buttons with taps, or turn pages with swipes. Force Touch makes the iPhone's screen not just touch-sensitive, but also pressure-sensitive: It can tell the difference between a simple tap and a longer press. Bloomberg reports that the next iPhone will be the first to have this kind of pressure sensitivity. Force Touch will offer new ways of interacting with your phone, reducing the number of taps and swipes you need to get things done. This means that on the iPhone, like on Apple Watch, you'll be able to do a long or deep press in order to pull up menus to adjust app settings. For example, you could use Force Touch instead of a double-tap to select words you want to copy, or to get their definitions. Or in Instagram, rather than selecting a filter and then tapping to adjust its intensity, you could just force press and adjust it right there. Smartphone and tablet artists could also see benefit: They'll be able to draw more naturally, using a finger or stylus to adjust the intensity and width of a brushstroke without tapping around to change brush settings. Force Touch, on the Apple Watch, is very subtle and sensitive (but not overly sensitive). It's nothing like those crappy airplane monitors, ATM displays, and grocery-store checkout terminals where you have to smash your finger to select a button. (Those use a different, older pressure-sensitive technology.) Camera Upgrades
While Force Touch will be one of the biggest new features of the next iPhone, you can also expect a much-improved front-facing camera (hurray for better selfies!), according to references in iOS 9's code. Now, like the rear-facing shooter, you'll be able to shoot 1080p video at 240fps (for slow-motion capture), as well as a panoramic. Apple could also be adding a flash to the front-facing camera, which is definitely useful if you're trying to snap a photo of your cute outfit in a dimly lit bar bathroom — not that we do that all the time or anything. The rear-facing camera will likely get an upgrade, too: up to 12 megapixels, from the current iPhone's 8 megapixel camera. And it could get some other fancy improvements, since Apple purchased LynX Imaging, a company that specializes in mobile camera equipment, in April. Using its technology, the iPhone's camera could get better low-light performance and do some cool 3D-style images that show depth. Considering this was such a recent acquisition, though, we might not see this technology until 2016 or later.
The next iPhone won't just be able to detect your finger as it glides over its glossy display; it will be able to feel variations in the force of your finger as you press down on that screen, too. Originally an Apple Watch feature, it's called Force Touch, and it's going to change how you use your iPhone. Here's how. Normally, smartphone touchscreen displays can detect where one or more fingers are on the screen, because of skin's conductivity. This lets us virtually press onscreen buttons with taps, or turn pages with swipes. Force Touch makes the iPhone's screen not just touch-sensitive, but also pressure-sensitive: It can tell the difference between a simple tap and a longer press. Bloomberg reports that the next iPhone will be the first to have this kind of pressure sensitivity. Force Touch will offer new ways of interacting with your phone, reducing the number of taps and swipes you need to get things done. This means that on the iPhone, like on Apple Watch, you'll be able to do a long or deep press in order to pull up menus to adjust app settings. For example, you could use Force Touch instead of a double-tap to select words you want to copy, or to get their definitions. Or in Instagram, rather than selecting a filter and then tapping to adjust its intensity, you could just force press and adjust it right there. Smartphone and tablet artists could also see benefit: They'll be able to draw more naturally, using a finger or stylus to adjust the intensity and width of a brushstroke without tapping around to change brush settings. Force Touch, on the Apple Watch, is very subtle and sensitive (but not overly sensitive). It's nothing like those crappy airplane monitors, ATM displays, and grocery-store checkout terminals where you have to smash your finger to select a button. (Those use a different, older pressure-sensitive technology.) Camera Upgrades
While Force Touch will be one of the biggest new features of the next iPhone, you can also expect a much-improved front-facing camera (hurray for better selfies!), according to references in iOS 9's code. Now, like the rear-facing shooter, you'll be able to shoot 1080p video at 240fps (for slow-motion capture), as well as a panoramic. Apple could also be adding a flash to the front-facing camera, which is definitely useful if you're trying to snap a photo of your cute outfit in a dimly lit bar bathroom — not that we do that all the time or anything. The rear-facing camera will likely get an upgrade, too: up to 12 megapixels, from the current iPhone's 8 megapixel camera. And it could get some other fancy improvements, since Apple purchased LynX Imaging, a company that specializes in mobile camera equipment, in April. Using its technology, the iPhone's camera could get better low-light performance and do some cool 3D-style images that show depth. Considering this was such a recent acquisition, though, we might not see this technology until 2016 or later.
The Looks
The iPhone 6s (or 7, or whatever Apple decides to call it) will look essentially unchanged from the 6 and 6 Plus. It's possible it could be slightly larger — .15mm taller and wider, and .2mm thicker — in order to accommodate Force Touch. But, that's such a minuscule difference, most of us would never even notice. What's more exciting is that it could also come in a handsome, rose-gold color (the better to match the $10,000 rose-gold Apple Watch Edition). Rumor has it that Apple could also slightly adjust the other colors: the gold iPhone may become more of a yellow gold, while space-gray could become slightly more black. The new iPhone will reportedly use the same aluminum as in the Apple Watch, which is actually stronger than what's currently used in the iPhone. This means your iPhone will be more resistant to dents and scratches. Hallelujah. Processor, Battery Life, & More
The next iPhone will undoubtedly include a new processor (A9, to be specific), which will do two things: help speed up what you do on your phone, and make those actions more efficient, so they use less battery. Improving battery life is a big focus of iOS 9, which Apple showed off back in June. The Great Unknown
Other possible upgrades are less definite — they could show up in this year's iPhone, next year's, or maybe never. One of these is the rumor that Apple will slap a harder, stronger sapphire display on its new iPhones rather than just using Gorilla glass. Apple's been working on sapphire displays for a few years now, but production issues have prevented them from being used in the iPhone as of yet. Last, but not least, Apple will reportedly be improving its Touch ID fingerprint sensor (thank you Taylor Swift?). This will help reduce errors when it's trying to read your thumbprint — and repeatedly not recognizing it. Hurry up, summer — our current phone is suddenly feeling extremely inadequate.
The iPhone 6s (or 7, or whatever Apple decides to call it) will look essentially unchanged from the 6 and 6 Plus. It's possible it could be slightly larger — .15mm taller and wider, and .2mm thicker — in order to accommodate Force Touch. But, that's such a minuscule difference, most of us would never even notice. What's more exciting is that it could also come in a handsome, rose-gold color (the better to match the $10,000 rose-gold Apple Watch Edition). Rumor has it that Apple could also slightly adjust the other colors: the gold iPhone may become more of a yellow gold, while space-gray could become slightly more black. The new iPhone will reportedly use the same aluminum as in the Apple Watch, which is actually stronger than what's currently used in the iPhone. This means your iPhone will be more resistant to dents and scratches. Hallelujah. Processor, Battery Life, & More
The next iPhone will undoubtedly include a new processor (A9, to be specific), which will do two things: help speed up what you do on your phone, and make those actions more efficient, so they use less battery. Improving battery life is a big focus of iOS 9, which Apple showed off back in June. The Great Unknown
Other possible upgrades are less definite — they could show up in this year's iPhone, next year's, or maybe never. One of these is the rumor that Apple will slap a harder, stronger sapphire display on its new iPhones rather than just using Gorilla glass. Apple's been working on sapphire displays for a few years now, but production issues have prevented them from being used in the iPhone as of yet. Last, but not least, Apple will reportedly be improving its Touch ID fingerprint sensor (thank you Taylor Swift?). This will help reduce errors when it's trying to read your thumbprint — and repeatedly not recognizing it. Hurry up, summer — our current phone is suddenly feeling extremely inadequate.