14 DAY TRIAL // Taiwanese singer and actor Jimmy Lin, who is known for having accurately leaked unreleased Apple hardware in the past, has published a set of three photos depicting what looks like the fully assembled, next-generation iPhone 6.
We’ve already discussed two of the photos, but now a third image has caught our attention as it reveals the front of the phone for the first time. Lin seems to have made his acquaintance only with the 4.7-inch version, but there's a 5.5-inch model also in the works, according to him.
Visible design changes include a slimmer screen bezel, the Home button / Touch ID is closer to the display (especially on the larger handset), the earpiece along with the ambient sensor and FaceTime camera are crammed much closer to one another, and the Power/Sleep/Wake button has been relocated from the top of the phone to the right side (when viewed from the front).
Lin shares these images on Weibo.com, a mashup of social networking and microblogging that takes cues from Facebook and Twitter alike. He leaks these images with complete disregard for what Apple might say. The Cupertino giant is notoriously against such leaks, especially when carried out by high-profile individuals in any circles.
Another image shows Lin himself holding two handsets, one apparently being the current-generation iPhone, the other a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 (or at least the chassis of the device).
Some say the hardware is faked, and it could well be. However, with the iPhone 6 launch approaching fast, it is very reasonable to assume that someone in Lin's position would not waste anybody’s time by flashing a knockoff.
After all, these leaks are essentially a small business that generates a lot of hype. For some, the profit comes from the page views. For guys like Lin, it’s the traffic it drives to his Weibo account, where people can discover his music. If he wants the same thing happening next year, and the year after that, there’s no way he’d ruin his reputation with a fake leak.
As for when the iPhone 6 will be released, some say it will happen in August, others in September, others in October. Rumor has it that the larger version will ship later than the 4.7-inch model, but Apple isn’t expected to hold two separate events to launch these phones.
In addition to the iPhone 6, Apple this year is also expected to reveal the iWatch, a wearable computer that tracks health and fitness information and integrates with your iPhone for email and messages, among other things.
Yet another product coming out of Apple, according to the analysts, is a revamped version of the Apple TV.