iPhone 6: Top 10 features Apple must release to combat Android assault
All eyes on firm now Samsung, Sony and HTC have unveiled 2014 flagships
The Android army is assembled. Samsung's Galaxy S5, the HTC One M8 and the Sony Xperia Z2 are all on the market and taking Google's platform forward in its escalating battle with Apple for smartphone glory.
All eyes are now on Apple to fight back with its iPhone 6, due to be unveiled in a few months. The iPhone remains the firm's key product, as its latest financials showed that while iPad sales fell notably, the iPhone was its key income-generator, with a whopping 43.7 million sold.
So, the pressure on the iPhone 6 to continue this trend is strong. To ensure the device meets these expectations and has fans queueing around the block for days (and nights) on end, the V3 team has put together a handy checklist of features we think the firm must include if it is to withstand the Android assault.
10. Toughened device with IP certification standards
How many times have you seen someone using an iPhone with the screen cracked like crazy paving, obviously the result of some accident? This seems to be a fairly common sight, so one of the things we would like to see in the next iPhone is a tougher screen. Corning Gorilla Glass or an equivalent would do the job nicely.
Come to think of it, Apple could toughen the entire device, as many other phone makers have been doing recently.
You wouldn't have to go as far as Panasonic's chunky Toughpad (pictured), but perhaps a magnesium alloy frame and something close to IP65 rating against dust and water wouldn't go amiss. If Sony and Samsung can do it without ruining the design and appeal of their devices, there is no reason Apple can't do similar.
This would (hopefully) mean fewer embarrassing returns to the Apple shop with a bashed and broken device.
iPhone 6: Top 10 features Apple must release to combat Android assault
All eyes on firm now Samsung, Sony and HTC have unveiled 2014 flagships
9. Face down the competition in the design stakes
Apple has always held the crown when it comes to design, but rivals such as HTC, Sony and Samsung have started to up their game when it comes to the look and feel of their devices.
The HTC One M8, for example (pictured), is one of the nicest devices we’ve used and no doubt could turn the heads of those that want to show off something sleek and shiny in the boardroom or the pub.
However, with the esteemed Sir Jony Ive at the helm, Apple rarely lets its fans down with cool, eye-catching designs that always appeal to the fashion conscious, without impacting the phone’s usability (well, except for Antennagate.)
8. Join the party with NFC support
Near-field communication (NFC) is an increasingly common and useful technology. It allows users to quickly share a contact or file with a friend simply by tapping smartphones, or pay for goods by touching the phone to a reader (pictured).
But, despite its obvious perks Apple has so far refused to add NFC to any of its iPhones. This is not lost on many existing fans of the Californian firm, who find that while AirPlay is nifty, it's not a patch on the established NFC standard.
To keep up in the ever-evolving mobile space we hope Apple adds NFC to its next iPhone.
7. Better battery
Perhaps the most in-demand feature among current iPhone users is a beefier battery, with Apple’s current handsets – including both the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S – struggling to make it through an entire day.
Competition is heating up in the battery life space, too. Samsung’s Galaxy S5, for example, features a battery-saving mode that means when it drains to 10 percent, the phone enters a mode that preserves the battery for another 24 hours.
Other flagship smartphones continue to outperform the iPhone when it comes to battery life too, including the Sony Xperia Z2 and HTC One M8, which we found easily breezed through a day of heavy usage.
There is speculation that Apple will be releasing two larger iPhones this year, so the firm could well offer more room for a bigger battery.
iPhone 6: Top 10 features Apple must release to combat Android assault
All eyes on firm now Samsung, Sony and HTC have unveiled 2014 flagships
6. Further convergence between Mac OS X and iOS
Thanks to trends such as cloud computing and the Internet of Things (IoT), software vendors are racing to bridge the gap between their respective mobile and desktop operating systems.
By doing so, companies can not only reduce their development costs, but also increase the number of services running within their ecosystem to make life easier for itself and third-party developers.
At the moment Canonical is technically the closest to achieving this goal with its Linux-based Ubuntu OS. However, bigger players such as Google are quickly catching up. Google's been working to converge its Chrome OS and Android operating systems by creating new cloud and web-based enterprise applications that can run on both operating systems for years now and as a result has won over numerous big-name businesses – including fashion house All Saints within the UK.
While Apple has made some progress to increase integration between its Mac OS and iOS operating systems using its iCloud service, so far it is still lagging behind Google in the race to create a fully converged ecosystem. As a result, we're thinking Apple's going to have to work hard to catch up with its next iPhone if it wants survive the forthcoming IoT revolution.
5. A bigger, better screen
To remain competitive in the smartphone space, Apple needs to address the incoming horde of large-screen smartphones – such as the Sony Xperia Z2, Samsung Galaxy S5 and Galaxy Note 3 (pictured) – as otherwise consumers, including those loyal to iOS, might start looking elsewhere.
The iPhone has had a 4in display since the iPhone 5 launched, but smartphone trends have moved quickly, with flagship devices now boasting displays that measure more than 5in.
This is because people are now using their handsets for gaming, streaming television and for working on the go – which means a bigger screen for the iPhone 6 is a must. A higher resolution is needed too, with Android devices now topping Apple’s Retina display. It's likely this will be even more of an issue when the first 2K smartphone screens arrive this year.
If speculation is to be believed, we won’t be left disappointed, with Apple reportedly working on two iPhone 6 models, measuring in at 4.7in and 5.5in, respectively.
iPhone 6: Top 10 features Apple must release to combat Android assault
All eyes on firm now Samsung, Sony and HTC have unveiled 2014 flagships
4. Boost security to keep pace with enterprise controls such as Knox
Apple currently has a massive lead on most mobile providers when it comes to smartphone security. This is because Apple takes a closed approach to its iOS ecosystem, which blocks companies from making changes to the OS or loading applications onto its iTunes App Store without permission. While slightly draconian the strategy has proven effective.
However, numerous competitors have been nipping at Apple's heels and working hard to improve their own security offerings. Most recently this was showcased by Samsung when it rolled out its advanced Knox 2.0 security service.
Offering IT managers a variety of powers, including the ability to set up and manage a sandboxed, password-protected work area on Samsung handsets, Knox is seen by many, including us at V3, as a game changer for Android.
Knox represents the first sign that Android may be able to offer businesses security as well as flexibility – something Apple can't offer with its closed approach. As a result Apple's going to have its work cut out if it hopes to retain its lead in the mobile security space.
3. Ensure iOS 8 does not alienate users
With the launch of the iPhone 5S came iOS 7. Suffice to say this did not go down too well with users, with V3 readers leaving swathes of comments complaining about numerous irritations and problems with the design.
Apple did respond to those problems with a series of updates, and given the fact that 87 percent of iOS devices are now using iOS 7, it is clear Apple has managed to get many to upgrade.
But for some the experience of moving to iOS 7 could put them off any future upgrades. Apple will have to ensure it avoids any negativity around its iOS 8 update – which will almost certainly be released with the iPhone 6 – to ensure its reputation for user-friendly, easy-to-use interfaces does not start to fade.
iPhone 6: Top 10 features Apple must release to combat Android assault
All eyes on firm now Samsung, Sony and HTC have unveiled 2014 flagships
2. Better camera to keep pace with Sony and Nokia
Nokia threw the gauntlet down in 2011 when it unveiled its first 41MP camera-phone, the 808 PureView. Despite having a bulky design and running on Nokia's now defunct Symbian operating system, the 808 was a game changer in the industry that spurred smartphone makers around the globe to improve their mobile imaging technology.
Since then numerous Android phone makers including, Samsung, HTC and Sony have attempted to rise to Nokia's PureView challenge, loading their handsets with increasingly impressive rear camera sensors. But to date, Apple has chosen not to enter the race and has loaded its recent iPhones with a modest 8MP rear camera that offers at best reasonable imaging performance.
For this reason, Apple's going to have to do something to improve the iPhone's imaging performance if it wants to maintain its rule at the top end of the smartphone market.
1. Dazzle the market with unexpected innovations
One thing Apple has always had going for it is its ability to surprise and delight buyers with new innovations that they didn’t even realise they wanted.
In the iPhone 4S they brought Siri, while the 5S saw the addition of the Touch ID fingerprint scanner. Both of these inclusions caught fans by surprise and helped ramp up demand as users rushed to try out the new capabilities.
For the iPhone 6, Apple needs to bring something new to the party yet again. It continually acquires new firms all the time, including some that remain unaccounted for, so hopefully Tim Cook will be able to leave the world dazzled with another new delight.