“Apple Inc. has started early production of new iPhone models with a feature called Force Touch, which senses how hard users are pressing down on a screen, people with knowledge of the matter said,” Tim Culpan reports for Bloomberg.
“Its newest iPhones, in the same 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch versions as the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus devices, will have a similar exterior design, the people said,” Culpan reports. “Volume manufacturing is scheduled to ramp up as soon as next month, they said.”
“The feature, which lets users adjust the strength of their screen taps to bring up different functions, is Apple’s latest move to stay ahead of rivals,” Culpan reports. “While final assembly is expected to be smooth because the design of the new iPhones is similar to the current model, the timing and production volume of Force Touch-enabled phones could be impacted by the supply and yield of the displays, said one of the people.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: And the disjointed fragmandroid contraption won’t be able to follow.
SEE ALSO:
Analyst: Apple’s ‘iPhone 6s’ to feature stronger 7000 series aluminum, slightly thicker for Force Touch – June 17, 2015
Apple’s new Force Touch patent application reveals stylus, virtual paint brush, 3D buttons interactions – May 28, 2015
Apple’s forthcoming iOS 9 supports ‘iPhone 6s’ Force Touch – May 26, 2015
Apple patent application reveals work on Force Touch for iOS devices and more – March 5, 2015
Force Touch rumored to arrive exclusively on ‘iPhone 6s Plus’ – April 2, 2015
Apple’s next-gen iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus to feature Force Touch – February 28, 2015
It’s the iPhone 5s generation who will be upgrading this time, so start stockpiling the next models early.
I’m more curious to see what happens at the “middle” of the lineup. iPhone 6c…? Based on the current iPhone 6 design (with 4.7-inch screen), like 5c was based on 5. Not necessarily “unashamedly plastic.” It could use colorful stamped anodized aluminum, like the current iPod touch. And I hope iPod touch (or “iPad nano”) gets the same technical design minus the phone parts.
An iPod touch refresh would be interesting to see. They’ve been trying to kill that thing off since the iPhone 5 now. People just keep buying em though. I’d be surprised to see them update it, but it’s possible. It would be Apple accepting the fact that they need to keep the iPod touch around for a while.
Whole point of “c” was to be plastic, it was intentional. It was made so the device would look cheaper (though in reality the build is not cheap at all since it is not plastic phone, it is covered with plastic — metal frame is inside) and push buyers to pricier models.
So, most probably, iPhone 6c, if there will be one, will be exactly plastic.
Not exactly. Plastic was used to look “different,” not “cheaper.”
In 2011, a problem with the new iPhone 4s was that it looked exactly like iPhone 4, which continued with no visible change. That year – iPhone 4s (top), iPhone 4 (middle), and iPhone 3gs (bottom). There was lack of visual differentiation between iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s (iPhone 3gs was obviously different looking). Apple is careful about product differentiation.
In 2013, when iPhone 5s was released, Apple solved the visual differentiation problem between top and middle by using the previous year’s iPhone 5 technical design with colorful plastic casing (and the “c” designation). It was iPhone 5s (top), iPhone 5c (middle), and iPhone 4s (bottom). Clear visual differentiation between the three choices. And iPhone 4s did NOT look cheaper than iPhone 5c; it looked different.
Stamped anodized aluminum also looks different, and it IS actually cheaper to produce. That’s why it was used for the 5th gen iPod touch, to distinguish its “look” from iPhone models. So there is no reason it can’t be used on an consolidated iPhone 6c / iPod touch design, which was the point of my speculation; instead of creating a separate iPod touch design, make the new iPod touch a WiFi-only version of the new iPhone 6c design. Then every two years, there’s a new iPod touch along with a new “c” iPhone.
And it can be encased in plastic, stamped aluminum, or something else… 🙂
I wouldn’t say “since the iPhone 5,” since the iPhone 5 was released in 2012 and the current 5th gen iPod touch was also released on 2012. But iPhone and iPad have moved on to an A8, while iPod touch is stuck at A5 (already one gen passed the latest back in 2012). But still supported with the (next) iOS 9.
I think it continues with a new model based on A8, but maybe renamed “iPad something.” Apple consolidates design of iPod touch with the iPhone “c” model. So, just as iPad has cellular+WiFi and WiFi-only versions (based on same design), the WiFi-only version of the new iPhone 6c is the next iPod touch.
Sorry… meant as reply to maxfrombestbuy. 🙂
Whole point of iPod touch is to be the cheapest iOS device possible, so they will hardly jump from A5 right to A8.
Most probably, if they will upgrade it, they will move to A6 — iPhone 5/5c level of performance.
Simultaneously, my guess is that Apple will finally stop making iPhone 4S, and with that, A6-powered iPhone 5c will become the cheapest iPhone.
That does not jive with actual history. When iPhone 5 was the brand new iPhone in 2012, it had the A6 (the latest and greatest). The current 5th gen iPod touch was also released in 2012, and it had the A5 (one below the latest and greatest). The current top iPhone has the A8; the next one will likely have the A9. Therefore, it makes sense for a new iPod touch model to have the A8 (one below the latest and greatest).
In that 2012 lineup, the lowest cost iPod touch was the 4th gen model which continued for one more year alongside the new 5th gen model (which started at $299 with 32GB). In 2013, Apple released a special version of the 5th gen model, with only 16GB and no rear camera (and no place for the strap), and that became the lowest cost iOS device.
Therefore (following history), Apple CAN release an A8-based iPod touch. The current A5-based iPod touch can continue for one more year as the low end model, at 16GB for $199. The upcoming iOS 9 does support it. The new A8-based iPod touch starts at a higher price.
Going from A5 to A6 is a waste of time. A6 is not even 64-bit. At the very least, it will be A7, which is 64-bit.
In most of the world’s markets, iPhone 4s is already discontinued. And the low-end iPhone choice in the CURRENT lineup is iPhone 5c. In the next iPhone lineup, iPhone 5s will be the low-end choice (in its third year); it uses the 64-bit A7.
Immediately after you said “I wouldn’t say ‘since the iPhone 5′”, you literally did in fact say “since the iPhone 5”.
iPad pocket?
Hmmm, I have a tempered glass screen protector on my iPhone 6 Plus. I wonder if these will work with the Force Touch feature?
Apple may reel me in with this next upgrade. Need to upgrade from my 4S, which is 3G, but it otherwise works fine.
Meanwhile, I also carry the iPod 5G. Would give it up in a second, but it has 64 GB and my phone is stuck at 16 GB.
Starting to feel like that guy who dated Liz Lemon on 30 Rock one time. His emails closed with, “Sent From One Of My 4 iPads.”
I have a iPhone 6 and a Apple Watch. I’m thinking I’ll sit this upgrade out.
I’ve got iPhone 6 Plus & WATCH SPORT. Want 6S Plus on day one. Force Touch, 2GB system ram, better camera are my reasons combined with the fact of my eminent death as I am 68 so any day I could suddenly die. I want to enjoy all the most advanced tech right up to the day
I die. So can’t wait for anything.😜😱😝
Plus I teach other seniors iOS and watchOS so I feel it’s my responsibility to always have the newest models in my possession.