iPhone 6: Will Apple create history again?

The iPhone 6 represents the flagship smartphone of the company and whether or not it manages to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or Sony Xperia Z3, you can bet Apple will create history once more.

iPhone 5S; Photograph: Jason Lee/Reuters

Apple has many expectations to live up to. In the past few days, Samsung not only unveiled the Galaxy Note 4 but surprised us all with the Galaxy Note Edge, a "limited edition" Note 4 with a seemingly dedicated taskbar on the right side of the device.

Before the IFA 2014 event in Berlin, Sony also had its time under the sun by announcing the Xperia Z3, Z3 Compact and E3 devices along with the Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact. The Z3 Tablet Compact is especially interesting because it's Sony's first attempt at an 8-inch display. It's also arguably the lightest tablet out there at 270 grams and still comes with waterproofing and dust resistance.

Did we mention that Motorola will be holding an event to showcase the successors to the Moto X and Moto G? Google also apparently has plans to unveil the Nexus X (formerly rumoured to be the Nexus 6) in the coming weeks.

So needless to say, the pressure is on Apple going into the September 9 event where it will undoubtedly unveil the new iPhone.

The iPhone 6 has been the subject of massive rumours in the past year. This is because many speculated the upcoming changes to be a part if iPhone 5S but were disappointed once the las iteration of the iPhone was launched.

Regardless, what exactly can we expect from the Apple iPhone 6?

A new look

The iPhone 6 has been all over the news lately with videos and images leaking. They apparently showcase the device's design, which doesn't differ much from the iPhone 5S. They're certainly bigger but it's the little things that make the difference. A recent video indicated that the camera lens of the iPhone 6 protrudes from the back panel. The device will also include rounded edges, a power button on the right sight and an aluminum build.

At this stage, it also appears that near field communication or NFC support is a lock for the iPhone 6. NFC has been around for quite a while with the Nexus S being the first Android phone to support it. However, it was Sony's "Smart Tags" technology that really got the technology going, due in part to the ability to change modes and profiles with one touch. Shortly thereafter, several smartphone manufacturers began to tout the inclusion of NFC in their devices. Apple, however, stayed away.

With the iPhone 6 and possibly with the iWatch, Apple's rumoured smart watch, NFC will be used for than just data transfer. It will also act as an e-Wallet for consumers to make transactions. Apple has apparently partnered with Visa, American Express and MasterCard to make these transactions easier for consumers.

The age of A8?

What about the device itself? With Google preparing to release the 64-bit Android L update, smartphones the world over are gearing up. Samsung's Galaxy Note 4 is the best example, employing a 64-bit Snapdragon 805 to handle the update (though it will also be arriving for old Nexus and Motorola devices like the Nexus 5 and Moto X which lack 64-bit CPUs).

Apple was the first company to integrate a 64-bit processor into commercial devices with the iPhone 5S and its A7 chip. The iPhone 6 will continue the 64-bit trend but according to one web site, the dual core A8 may be clocked at 2 GHz or higher. This is a substantial leap from the iPhone 5S's 1.3 GHz speed.

The performance will also depend on how well iOS 8 is optimised for the interface. So far, things are looking positive -- Apple showcased its next big update and debuted new features such as status updates from the drop-down task bar, Shazam and improved language support with Siri, HealthKit which keeps track of your fitness and exercise, allowing apps to "communicate" with each other to further streamline multi-processing and much more.

The company was criticised for copying several features from Android to make iOS 8 truly shine. Google has only revealed a handful of functions for Android L though -- will iOS 8 be able to compete with the same when it eventually debuts?

If anything, the iPhone 6's launch will provide more details on iOS 8's release date, if the device itself doesn't include it on release.

Bigger screen

This year seems to finally mark Apple's foray into larger display sizes. Apple teased us a bit with more than one iPhone variant when it revealed the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5c, the former meant as the new flagship and the latter targeted at budget consumers.

The iPhone 6 will reportedly have two new screen sizes -- 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches -- with their respective technology to remain similar.

Apple could try something completely new with the display material, apparently employing a sapphire cover and flexible display according to The New York Times. There have been reported production issues with the 5.5-inch version of the iPhone 6 so don't be surprised if it arrives later.

With a larger screen size, Apple may finally be able to address criticisms and jokes about the iPhone being too small (along with flipping supporters' stance that some phones are way too big in comparison). It's not as though size really matters but today's devices are getting bigger before they're getting smaller.

Smartphone (and watch) wars

The real wild card to watch out for is the iWatch. As of now, rumours have indicated that the iWatch will integrate with the iPhone 6 in several different ways aside from the usual notifications, call alerts and fitness apps.

The presence of HealthKit in iOS 8 certainly facilitates rumours that the iWatch will be an essential component of the iPhone 6 experience. The device is rumoured to include NFC and a curved OLED screen. Sadly, we'll only know more at Apple's event.

If the Apple iPhone 6 is revealed on September 9, there will likely be a launch this month (perhaps by the third week of the month in keeping with past iPhone release schedules). The iPhone 6 represents the flagship smartphone of the company and whether or not it manages to compete with the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or Sony Xperia Z3, you can bet Apple will make history once more.

Note: Picture used only for representational purpose