With the iPhone 6 now entering middle age - it's already 9 months old - our
attention has firmly turned to the focus of Tim Cook and co's next major
product announcement. Of course, we're talking about the 2015 iPhone -
tentatively known as the iPhone 6S.
With plenty of iPhone 6S rumours already doing the rounds, the next-gen Samsung
Galaxy S6 challenger is being tipped to feature everything from a new Force
Touch panel to improved camera optics.
But, is that all we can expect from Apple and the iPhone 6S? There are plenty
of other things we'd like to see make the cut, including features you can
already find on the competition...
What is it? 1080p display
Where can you find it? iPhone 6 Plus, All other high-end smartphones
Really, in this day and age, there's no excuse for a high-end smartphone to
come without a Full HD display.
Still, last year Apple reserved that FHD privilege for its large-screen iPhone
6 Plus, leaving the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 with a 720p display, much to our
disappointment.
That's not to say the iPhone 6's screen wasn't hugely impressive. But, while
it's not always necessary to play the numbers game, good picture quality is one
of the main perks of coughing up the cash for a flagship. Here's hoping the
iPhone 6S steps up to the plate.
What is it? Waterproofing
Where can you find it? Xperia Z & M Range, Certain Samsung Phones
As far as sales gimmicks go, waterproofing a smartphone is one of the few
that's actually useful. That pocket-friendly computer you've just bought has
already cost you hundreds of pounds, and like all electrical objects it doesn't
play too well with wayward glasses of water.
How many stories have you heard about people dropping their phones in their
pint or into a toilet bowl? Normally an incident like that would, at the very
least, involve a lot of swearing and a bag of rice. A waterproof phone such as
the Sony Xperia Z3, on the other hand, would just need a rinse and maybe a
spray of disinfectant.
A feature that might not be of day-to-day use, given how much an iPhone costs,
that bit of extra protection would offer plenty of peace of mind. It would also
save you having to buy a bulky plastic case, too.
What is it? Expandable storage
Where can you find it? Non-Samsung Android phones, Lumia
One of the most irritating things about iPhones (and the Samsung Galaxy S6) is
the lack of expandable storage.
With all your storage space sealed away inside the phone where you can't get to
it, there's no option for microSD expansion. That means when you upgrade you
have to pay for the same storage again, rather than having the convenience of
pulling out the memory card and popping it into your new phone.
Similarly, it means the storage in your phone depends on how much you can
afford to pay, rather than how much you actually need.
Sadly, expandable storage in an iPhone is probably never, ever going to happen
- but we can dream, though.
What is it? Curved screen
Where can you find it? LG G Flex Range, Galaxy Edge Range
Curved displays are starting to gain some serious traction, and it makes sense
that Apple will give it a go, eventually.
What kind of curved display would be best though? Could it be the cosmetic
curve that LG opted for with its G Flex range? Or the side-encompassing display
introduced with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge?
We've seen Apple patent a number of plans for curved handsets along both lines
recently, so it's something that's clearly on the Cupertino-based company's
radar.
Who knows, after the whole 'bendgate' controversy of last year, maybe Apple
will adopt a curved display to stop any unexpected mishaps a few months after
launch.
What is it? Magnetic/Wireless charging
Where can you find it? Samsung Galaxy Range, Google Nexus Range, LG G3
Let's face it; wires and ports are incredibly fiddly. Wouldn't it be better if
we could just put our phone down somewhere and let it charge? That's just a
description of wireless charging.
Samsung flagships have it, Google's Nexus phones have it, heck, even some of
Microsoft's Lumia line has it. Isn't it about time Apple integrated wireless
charging into the iPhone?
They sort of did it with the Apple Watch, so there is no reason why they
couldn't integrate it on a larger scale, surely. Fingers crossed for an iPhone
6S inclusion.
What is it? Two-day battery life
Where can you find it? Xperia Z Range
We're all tired of the daily battery fears. Battery life is arguably the most
important feature any smartphone can have. After all, what good is the phone if
the battery is dead?
That's why it's important that future iPhones keep working on stretching the
battery life out as long as possible. Apple did announce that optimisation and
battery saving features in iOS 9 could add an extra hour of staying power to
your iPhone, but that only goes so far.
When devices like the Xperia Z3 come packing 3,100mAh of juice, it makes the
iPhone 6's 1,810mAh battery look a bit stingy. To Apple's credit that power
still lasts a full day, so imagine how long you could get out of the iPhone 6S
if they put a bigger battery in it? It might not be such a disaster if you
forget to charge your phone one night.
What is it? Front-facing speakers
Where can you find it? HTC One M9, Sony Xperia Z3
A smartphone is far more than just a phone, it's also a media player that lets
you listen to music, watch videos, play games, and so on. If, like the rest of
the developed world, you're using your phone for all that, and you're not using
a headset, the built-in speaker becomes a very important part of your
day-to-day life.
The problem is that the iPhone 6 has a tiny little speaker on the bottom of the
phone, and this puts it in the echoey shadows of some of its rivals.
Having a pair of stereo speakers on the front of your device reduces the
possibility of any muffling of the sound, as well as pumping the audio directly
at you instead of the surrounding world. That means you're going to end up with
louder, clearer, crisper sounds - yes please.
What is it? A dedicated back button
Where can you find it? All Android and Windows Phone Devices
One of the great benefits to Android and Windows Phone is that every single
device has some sort of navigation bar. Sometimes it's built into the phone's
hardware, and other times it's part of the software. Wherever it is, the
important thing is that it's there and it makes navigating the devices' menus a
doddle.
By contrast, iPhones (and iPads) only have a single home button - there's no
dedicated physical control for heading to the previous screen. When present,
the 'back button' on an iDevice is part of an app, rather than being a separate
entity, so it can vanish from screen if something (like an ad) takes over.
On Android and Windows Phone it's just a case of tapping at the screen to bring
the navigation menu back into view, on iOS there is no such luxury. Sadly, it
will probably stay that way.
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