October 8, 2014: Apple says it is “surprised” after GT Advanced Technologies, the supplier previously rumored to make ultra-strong sapphire glass displays for the iPhone 6, files for bankruptcy.
The announcement appears to mark the end of the road for sapphire glass iPhone screens, a highly anticipated upgrade that promised to make devices more durable but never arrived.
September 22, 2014: Apple notches a new sales record with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus launch, selling an astonishing 10 million units in the first weekend the handsets go on sale.
The eagerly anticipated smartphones bring a redesigned form factor that will persist for years. The most obvious change? Larger 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch displays built to lure phablet fans. The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus also boast an A8 chip, improved iSight and FaceTime cameras, and — significantly — Apple Pay for secure mobile payments.
“Sales for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus exceeded our expectations for the launch weekend, and we couldn’t be happier,” Apple CEO Tim Cook says in a press release. “We would like to thank all of our customers for making this our best launch ever, shattering all previous sell-through records by a large margin.”
September 19, 2014: The iPhone undergoes its biggest upgrade — both figuratively and literally — since the original, with the release date of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus handsets. The iPhone 6 design brings a new 4.7-inch form factor, while the iPhone 6 Plus expands to a massive 5.5 inches.
The previous-generation iPhone 5 measured only slightly taller than its 3.5-inch predecessors. But with the iPhone 6, Apple abandons the small smartphone form factor to take on big-screen Android “phablets.”
The iPhone 6 is now a “vintage” product. That doesn’t mean it’s now cool for hipsters to use one – it’s the classification Apple uses for products it stopped selling five years ago, and somewhat limits the repair options.
The iOS handset was hugely successful in its day, and probably still holds the title of the best-selling smartphone ever.
A UK consumer rights advocate filed a £750m claim accusing Apple of slowing down handsets as old as the iPhone 6. This is over “Batterygate,” a controversy that first erupted way back in 2017 and has long since been settled in the U.S. and other countries.
Even so, a bad decision from five years ago has come back to haunt the company.
The iPhone 6 Plus was a game changer for Apple back in 2014. But it’s riding off into the sunset now that it’s been added to Apple’s list of vintage products, limiting its repair options.
And the iPad 4 from 2012 is now officially obsolete.
iPhone 6 Plus will be added to Apple’s vintage products list at the end of this month, according to a leaked internal memo. The device, which made its debut in 2014, may be more difficult to repair as official parts dry up.
iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were the first to introduce Apple Pay and significantly larger displays to Apple’s smartphone lineup. They remain two of the company’s most successful devices to date.
iPhone models that can’t install iOS 14 or iOS 15 can still get protection from the infamous Pegasus spyware thanks to iOS 12.5.5. Apple released this update Thursday for devices as old as the iPhone 5s to close a security hole in active use by hackers.
The same update can also be installed on older iPad and iPod touch models.
Woot’s insane deals on iPhone refurbs keep on coming, and today’s might just be its best yet. With prices starting at a mere $39.99, there’s never been a better time to pick up a backup — or treat your kid to their first phone.
The only downside to this sale is that it’s good for one day only, and stock is selling quickly. Act fast or miss out!
This post contains affiliate links. Cult of Mac may earn a commission when you use our links to buy items.
Apple has reportedly reached an agreement to pay up to $500 million to settle a class-action lawsuit in which it was accused of secretly throttling iPhone CPU speeds.
According to Reuters Apple reached a preliminary agreement for the lawsuit on Friday night. U.S. District Judge Edward Davila still has to approve it, but if the settlement goes through, some U.S. iPhone owners could get paid $25 per iPhone that Apple throttle.
If you owned one of these iPhones covered in the lawsuit, a check might be coming your way:
Security researchers discovered a critical flaw in Wi-Fi chips made by Broadcom and Cypress Semiconductor that were used in Apple devices.
The discovery was presented at the RSA security conference in San Francisco this morning, revealing that billions of devices could have been affected. Attackers could use the vulnerability to decrypt private data sent over the air. Most manufacturers have already released a patch to fix the issue, but it’s unclear how many of the devices have been updated.
The following Apple devices were affected:
The long wait for the successor to the iPhone SE may nearly be over and thanks to a new concept ad you can already get a good glimpse of what it will probably look like.
Mauro Battino unleashed his gorgeous iPhone 9 concept ad this morning that’s based on all the latest rumors. Armed with an A13 chip, the best LCD Apple’s ever made, Portrait Mode camera and new colors, the iPhone 9 could become a big hit. The best feature of all though might be its price tag.
Take a look at this stunning concept ad:
Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE will be available next March, priced at $399, according to one reliable analyst.
The entry-level device is expected to enter mass-production in January. It could add an additional 2 million to 4 million units to total iPhone sales in 2020.
Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE 2 will be its most affordable smartphone yet, according to one reliable analyst.
The upcoming device, which is expected to look like iPhone 8 and be powered by Apple’s new A13 Bionic chip, is expected to cost less than $400 when it goes on sale in early 2020.
Apple’s second-generation iPhone SE 2 will arrive during the first quarter of 2020, according to one reliable analyst.
Ming-Chi Kuo of TF Securities reaffirms the device will be larger this time around — adopting the iPhone 8’s design. He also claims it will be powered by Apple’s blazing-fast A13 Bionic chip.
An iPhone 6 reportedly burst into flames while it was being held by an 11-year-old California girl.
Apple is replacing the iPhone and asked for the device, likely so it can diagnose what went so wrong.
iFixit has been helping iPhone owners fix their busted devices for over a decade. Now the company is ready to help you from breaking your iPhone in the first place with a new line of cheap iPhone cases that also give your device an X-ray look.
There’s bad news for those with an iPhone released in 2014 or earlier: it’s not possible to install iOS 13 on these handsets. The same goes for iPad models from 4 years ago; they can’t be upgraded to the new iPadOS.
Still, all Apple’s phones and tablets released in the last 4 years are getting upgrades.
The iPhone 6 is a few years old now. However, its 2014-era, 8-megapixel camera is still enough to capture the hearts of judges in a photography contest.
That’s based on the recent Friends of the Columbia Gorge photography contest, held in Portland, Oregon. Despite the professional camera equipment used to shoot many of the entries, the Grand Prize was awarded to a moody image shot using an iPhone 6.
Buying a refurbished iPhone is a great way to save a pretty penny, and now there’s another reason why you should consider avoiding the Apple Store.
One French company is selling rebuilt models that have been painted in pretty colors as part of its “Better Then Refurbished” program. They’re gorgeous, and they cost a lot less.
Holding onto your old iPhone could be causing you to lose out on some serious 4G LTE speed gains made by carriers over the last few years.
A new study on the average iPhone 4G download and upload speeds in the United States found that iPhone 6 owners and earlier see seeds that are nearly 10Mbps slower than the latest iPhone models.
Samsung has already started taking reservations for the Galaxy S10 — a week ahead of its official unveiling. It’s also offering a big discount if you switch from iPhone.
The South Korean company will give you up to $550 off its latest flagship when you trade-in your old Apple handset.
The new iPhone XS and XS Max are generating rave reviews. Having marked the iPhone’s 10th anniversary with last year’s awe-inducing iPhone X, Apple has now set the stage for a second decade of smartphone innovation.
But what about all the awesome iPhones that led us to this point? Which models are the classics that will occupy museum shelves long after they’ve stopped working? I decided to dive in at the deep end and rank every phone Apple ever made. Wish me luck!
An iPhone user from South Carolina is suing Apple because he alleges that his handset exploded in his pocket two years ago.
The incident occurred in fall 2016, when concerns about lithium-ion batteries exploding were being widely reported — largely due to Samsung’s disastrous Note 7. The iPhone explosion supposedly injured the plaintiff enough that he had to be airlifted to a burn center in nearby Georgia.
The iPhone 6’s controversial reliability ratings of the past are still coming back to haunt it.
A recent study on the repairability and security of smartphones found that the iPhone 6 has been the worst iPhone of the last five years when it comes to failure rates.