VentureBeat: iPhone 6 Said to Feature NFC, Wireless Charging, New 4G Antenna

The latest iPhone 6 rumours claim the device will contain NFC, wireless charging, an improved 4G antenna and of course a larger screen, reports VentureBeat (via Macotakara):

The iPhone 6, which will launch next fall, will contain several highly-anticipated features, including near field communication (NFC), wireless charging, a better 4G antenna, & a much bigger screen, a source close to the situation tells VentureBeat.

The new iPhone, which is expected next fall, is nearing completion and is now being tested for things like durability, speed, and network performance.

According to sources, Apple was apparently ready to implement an NFC radio in the previous iPhone for mobile payments but ditched the feature last minute as the payments market was deemed not ready. A recent report cited Apple was again having discussions with major retailers on implementing an iPhone payments system.

As for the new faster 4G antenna, sources claim a new Category 6 LTE radio capable of 300Mbps throughput will emerge in the iPhone 6, double the capabilities of the Category 4 LTE radio in the iPhone 5/5S.

For wireless charging, Apple is said to be ready to commit to one of the standards Alliance for Wireless Power (A4WP) and the Power Matters Alliance (PMA). VentureBeat’s source describes it as a “surface under the shell which connects to an inductive charging surface for energy transfer.”

The new larger screen will take up a larger surface area of the front of the phone and be closer to the edge of the device say sources. If the next display included a pixel-tripling mode it could possibly increase the existing 1,136 x 640 resolution on the iPhone 5/5S by 150 per cent to 1,704 x 960, while keeping the same 16:9 widescreen ratio found on Apple’s existing iPhone 5, 5s and 5c. These details echo a similar report published earlier by 9to5Mac.

A 4.7-inch screen could possibly have a ppi of 416, while a larger 5.5-inch screen could be capable of 356 ppi. The next phone would also “likely” get a new scratch-resistant covering, which we presume would be sapphire glass.

VentureBeat’s sources say while these features are apparently in place, anything can change from now until the device’s launch this fall. Apple’s rumoured 4.7-inch iPhone and another larger 5.5-inch model are said to be coming later this year.

Last month speaking at Code Conference, Apple executive Eddy Cue teased the audience by saying the company’s upcoming product lineup is the best he’s seen in his 25 years at the company.