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Apple is expected to unveil its next-generation iPhones in the fall of 2015, and they may come with some impressive camera improvements.

A9 processor

Improved camera

Same design as iPhone 6

16 GB, 64 GB, and 128 GB capacity

Force Touch

Gold, Silver, and Space Gray colors

What We Expect

Apple's iPhone 6 and 6 Plus, released in September, have only been available for a few months, but rumors about the next-generation iPhone are already trickling in. It's likely Apple will continue its 2014 trend, offering the 2015 iPhone in two separate sizes -- one larger and one smaller.

It's not clear what Apple will call its 2015 iPhones, but Apple may stick to its long running "S" naming scheme (which has been around since 2009), calling the new phones the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus. iPhone 6s Plus is a mouthful though, so it is possible that this might be the year that we get a new naming format. One analyst believes Apple might call its next-generation phone the "iPhone 7" due to the significance of the new changes being implemented, but it's far too early in development to know for sure.

We don't have many details on the next-generation iPhone yet, but because it's an "S" year and because the iPhone was just redesigned, it's likely the update will focus on internal improvements rather than a new external look. There may be at a couple external change, though. There's been a rumor that Apple could add a new color option to its iPhone lineup in 2015 -- pink. We've also seen a rumor suggesting Apple might opt to use the same 7000 series aluminum used in the Apple Watch in the next-generation iPhone. The aluminum is 60% stronger than standard aluminum but still lightweight.

iphone6-stock-photo

In the past, "S" upgrades have brought features like Siri, Touch ID, new processors, and camera improvements. Based on these past updates, we can assume that at the very least, the 2015 iPhones will receive new, more powerful A9 processors produced by Samsung to improve performance and some form of camera enhancement. There have also been a lot of rumors suggesting the next-generation iPhones will gain the Force Touch feature first introduced with the Apple Watch.

More RAM is also something we may see, as Apple debuted the iPad Air 2 with 2GB of RAM, up from 1GB. Many thought the iPhone 6 would see 2GB of RAM, but it did not, leaving the possibility open for the iPhone 6s.

The two new devices will also continue to offer features that have become integral to the iPhone, including Touch ID support, NFC for Apple Pay, 802.11ac Wi-Fi capabilities, and LTE Advanced.

Rumored Features

FORCE TOUCH

Several rumors have suggested the new iPhone 6s could incorporate the "Force Touch" capabilities first introduced with the Apple Watch, which is able to distinguish between a light tap and a harder press, enabling new gestures. Apple appears to be slowly adding Force Touch to its products, and recently, the company introduced both a 12-inch Retina MacBook and an updated 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro with Force Touch trackpads.

One rumor has suggested Force Touch could be limited to the iPhone 6s Plus, which is not out of the realm of possibility as the iPhone 6 Plus does have features not included in the iPhone 6. For example, the iPhone 6 Plus is the only device with optical image stabilization.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo believes that the next-generation iPhone will have a capacitive Force Touch sensor underneath the backlight. He claims that the hardware design of the Force Touch included in the iPhone may work differently than Force Touch in the Apple Watch and 12-inch Retina MacBook.

Instead of directly detecting the pressure applied by a finger on the screen, Force Touch hardware in the iPhone might monitor the contact area where a finger presses to determine how much pressure is being applied.

CAMERA IMPROVEMENTS

Some rumors have hinted that the iPhone 6s could bring Apple's "biggest camera jump ever" in the form of a possible two-lens system that would allow Apple to offer DSLR quality images in its iPhone, but other rumors have disagreed that Apple plans to introduce a two-lens system, sticking instead with the same 8-megapixel sensor found in previous iPhones.

Apple recently acquired LinX Imaging, a camera technology company specializing in cameras for mobile devices that are able to produce DSLR-quality images by using multi-aperture arrays.

LinX technology also introduces much-improved low-light photo taking capabilities, and due to depth mapping, it can even created 3D images from still photographs. It's possible LinX's camera technology could be used in the next-generation iPhones

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BETTER TOUCH ID

Touch ID may even see some improvements. According to KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the iPhone 6s will feature an upgraded Touch ID module with reduced reading errors to enhance the Apple Pay experience.

A SAPPHIRE DISPLAY

iPhone 6 rumors focused heavily on a potential sapphire display that did not materialize due to production issues, and there have already been some whispers suggesting Apple will use sapphire displays produced by Foxconn for the next-generation iPhone. No new sapphire deals have come to light, though, so it is somewhat unlikely we'll see sapphire in the iPhone 6s.

4-INCH IPHONE 6C?

There have been conflicting rumors concerning the addition of a new 4-inch iPhone 6c to Apple's 2015 lineup. Several rumors coming out of the Asian supply chain have suggested there will be a newly designed 4-inch iPhone "6c" released in 2015, but other reports have called these rumors incorrect, including a recent note from reliable KGI securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo. For more on the iPhone 6c rumors, check out our iPhone 6c roundup.