If you’re sick of your smartphone’s shaky Web capabilities and its tendency to lose power after just a few hours, Apple is feeling your pain. According to reports, the company’s next iPhone might offer faster Web connectivity and better battery life, all thanks to a single component.
The handset, which by most indications will be called the iPhone 6S, will launch with a chip called the MDM9635M. The chip, which was introduced by Qualcomm in 2013 but didn’t go into production until last year, can accommodate download speeds of 300 Mbps on carrier long-term evolution networks, at least in theory. That’s double the 150 Mbps speeds available to the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The MDM9635M chip, also known as the 9X35 Gobi modem platform, promises performance improvements over the 9X25 chip found inside of the current iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.
The latest iPhone 6S rumors were reported on the 9to5Mac Web site, citing a source who claims to have knowledge of Apple’s plans. The Web site also claimed to have obtained images of the upcoming iPhone. Based on those, the device seems to back up earlier rumors indicating that it would have an almost identical design to that of the iPhone 6 line to go with some internal enhancements.
Better Battery Life
The addition of Qualcomm’s higher-end LTE chip to the iPhone 6S could also enhance the device’s battery life because it’s more power efficient than previous models. What remains to be seen is how much more battery life Apple can get out of the chip.
We reached out to Atlanta-based tech analyst Jeff Kagan who told us that as beloved as smartphones like the iPhone and Android-based phones are by customers, everyone knows there’s room for improvement in areas including waterproofing, shock resistance — and battery life.
“Apple will use better programming and usage of different parts of the smartphone to extend battery life,” Kagan said, adding that part of the equation has to be a better product from battery manufacturers.
Faster Download Speeds?
The most recent reports suggest that the so-called iPhone 6S will launch in the fall, around the same time as the release of Apple’s iOS 9 mobile operating system. Last month, reports indicated that the new phone would be slightly thicker than the iPhone 6 to accommodate a bigger battery.
While the improved chip would supply the ability for faster download speeds, that doesn’t mean users will actually realize such speeds because download speeds are governed by the speeds offered by a given carrier.
Will the promise of more battery power pan out? “The iPhone 6 was supposed to have a longer battery life than iPhone 5S; I have not seen it,” said Kagan. “Either way, customers still buy these devices. So the pressure is not really forcing the issue at this time.”
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