Apple planning new iOS device that is not an iPhone, sources say

May 1, 2014 14:49 GMT  ·  By

New details are leaking out in the weeks leading up to Apple’s June 2 WWDC keynote where OS X 10.10 and iOS 8 will be unveiled, among other things. Apparently, the iPhone 6 will boast an upgraded A8 processor that doesn’t emphasize speed, but rather focuses on power efficiency.

A detailed report from 9to5mac citing reliable sources puts together more pieces of the Apple-2014-roadmap puzzle with new details regarding the company’s future products, including the iPhone 6 and an unnamed device that also runs iOS.

The in-house designed A8 reportedly “does not emphasize core architectural changes and speed like the move from 32-bit to 64-bit technology, but it is instead designed to be more efficient for battery life and overall performance,” the sources said.

Additionally, the next-generation iPhone will indeed have “a larger display as well as a much thinner body,” something that has been all but confirmed. A thin chassis means a thin battery, so Apple’s focus on power efficiency is more than justified.

A “high-priority” iOS device that is not an iPhone is also being developed. An iOS 8 feature dubbed internally by engineers as “multi-resolution support” is reportedly “designed to improve the performance of both App Store applications and the general iOS operating system across multiple new iOS device resolutions.”

This tidbit suggests Apple plans to open the App Store to the Apple TV and, why not, even the upcoming iWatch.