iPhone 6 to feature super-fast WiFi, improved fingerprint sensor and a special Beats headphones connection

iPhone 6 will feature a new super-fast WiFi chip and an improved Touch ID fingerprint sensor, according to reports.

It will also feature Apple's next generation A8 processor, which should give the smartphone a performance boost, according to tech website Venture Beat.

But it's looking less and less likely that the near-indestructible sapphire crystal display, heavily rumoured in the run up to the phone's release, will appear on
device - at least to begin with.

It's now expected the phone will launch with a screen that's stronger than the Gorilla glass used by the current range of iPhones, but softer than sapphire, which is used to cover the Touch ID sensor.

Citing unnamed sources, Venture Beat added some detail to what was already rumoured
about the iPhone 6. As well as the faster 802.11ac WiFi chip, new processor and improvements to touch ID, they 'confirmed' the phone would feature a  NFC chip to allow contactless payments.

One interesting new rumour concerns integration with Beats headphones.

Apple recently paid $3bn for the fashionable headphones brand, but details of their plans for the company have been thin on
the ground.

Reports suggest they may be looking at ways to connect Beats headphones to iPhones using the Lightning data and charging socket rather than the headphones connector.

It's not clear
what benefit this would provide, but it's an interesting idea.
Apple's new device is also expected to have a vastly improved camera, with a 13-
megapixel sensor provided by Sony.

It's currently thought the iPhone 6 will be unveiled at an Apple press event on or
around September 9th, with a release date following as soon as 10 days later.

Two versions of the phone are thought to be in production. One with a 4.7 inch screen, and one with a 5.5 inch screen.

It's thought the launch of the larger model will be delayed to prevent competition between the two devices.