(By Ellie Zolfagharifard)

“Apple’s next handset is believed to have a 4.7-inch screen – up from the 4-inch screen of its current models –  with a second version boasting a 5.5-inch screen.“

Users of Apple’s next handset may be able to track altitude, weather and even air pressure, according to code found in the iOS 8 operating system.

The files suggest a built-in barometer could provide instant weather readings by forecasting changes in the air pressure.

The barometer could also be useful for mountain climbers, runners or bikers, who want to keep track of their altitude while training.

And as well as environmental readings, the new sensors would improve the accuracy and speed of the phone’s location services.

This is because the data on altitude could allow the phone to reduce the number of calculations it needs to carry out to get a GPS lock.

According to 9to5Mac, the references were discovered by FutureTap developer Ortwin Gentz, who found frameworks dedicated to ‘altitude tracking’ in the new code.

Gentz said he tried testing the framework with an iPhone 5S but it didn’t work, which suggests the new code was written for a yet-to-be-released Apple device.

Gentz added Apple could include a barometer in the next generation of iPads and the much-anticipated iWatch.

Pressure, barometer and humidity sensors have previously been included by Samsung in both the Galaxy S4 and Galaxy S5.

Last month, German phone firm Deutsche Telekom began telling customers Apple’s iPhone 6 will launch on 19 September.

The operator told call centre representatives to let customers know the date in a bid to stop them swapping operators, it has been claimed by apfelpage.de.

Apple’s next handset is believed to have a 4.7-inch screen – up from the 4-inch screen of its current models –  with a second version boasting a 5.5-inch screen.

According to Apple Insider, however, the date could be little more than an informed guess.

‘The date is consistent with Apple’s recent launches, making it likely an educated guess,’ it said.

CEO Tim Cook, while promising only ‘new product categories’ for 2014, has played his cards close to his chest.

It is believed Japan Display, Sharp and South Korea’s LG Display have all been tapped to make the screens.

Representatives for the three suppliers and  Apple declined to comment.

Both iPhone 6 screens will be larger than the 4.0-inch panels on Apple’s existing iPhone 5S and 5C models.

Larger iPhones, the subject of months of speculation, would mark yet another incremental tweak to the popular smartphone line and an attempt to catch up to rivals like Samsung.

Taiwanese sources said the camera in the iPhone 6 will get a boost to 10MP, from its current 8MP version, along with a new lens offering better picture quality. It is also expected to boast a new filter, allowing for clearer pictures.

If Apple follows its usual release schedule, the new models will be unveiled in September this year.

Apple’s new devices are expected to use the in-cell touch panel technology – which embeds sensors more tightly into the screen – seen on previous models to make the next device as thin as possible.

But reports suggest difficulties with this technology in larger displays has caused Apple to delay production of the 5.5-inch versions.

(Source: Dailymail)

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