AppleInsider is reporting that it has received information about the next-generation iPhone hardware. It claims that the next iPhone, generally expected to be a ‘6s’ style device (meaning that it will feature internal changes but the external chassis will be the same as the 6), will feature 2 GB of RAM, just like the A8X in the iPad Air 2. It also says that Apple is considering inclusion of an Apple SIM as standard, just like the cellular iPads.
For some context, the iPhone first shipped with 1 GB of RAM in 2012 with the iPhone 5. This means a RAM jump is now about ‘due’, with many expecting an increase last year to help accommodate the increased asset size required by the Retina HD iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
When the Apple SIM was introduced, it was obvious that Apple would want to bring it to other products eventually. However, it is likely Apple will face some pushback from the carriers about including the Apple SIM in iPhones as it erodes even more of the carrier’s control. This makes the situation more complicated than a RAM bump, as it involves inter-company negotiations and not just hardware changes. Even on the iPad, Apple SIM is currently only supported by four carriers worldwide. Apple would likely need to get more carriers onboard before considering including the Apple SIM as standard for the iPhone.
Greg Joswiak was asked about the Apple SIM in an interview at Code/Mobile last year. Joswiak said that the Apple SIM was currently iPad only as it more necessary for that device as there are more sales of cellular iPads at Apple Stores than carrier stores. This contrasts to the phone, where the majority of devices are sold through carrier channels rather than Apple directly. Joswiak would (obviously) not comment on future plans for the iPhone and Apple SIM however.
AppleInsider has also commented on the possibility of Force Touch for the next iPhone. Again, this is a logical progression from the Apple Watch to the iPhone. Bloomberg has been predicting Force Touch for the iPhone since 2013 in fact. The report does not detail any specifics about how the technology would be implemented on iOS, which results to little more than educated guesswork. By contrast, Apple Watch OS has been developed with Force Touch in mind to open a context menu-like interface.
