Apple's iPhone 6 could track the WEATHER: Files in iOS 8 suggest the device will have barometer and air pressure sensors
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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.
Users of iPhone 6 could have sensors to track altitude, weather and even air pressure, according to code hidden in the iOS 8 operating system. This image is a screen grab from a video created by French site nowhereelse.fr. It features what is believed to be an industrial model of the iPhone 6 handset
WHAT IS A BAROMETER?
A barometer is a used in meteorology to measure atmospheric pressure.
This can be used to forecast short-term changes in the weather.
Using barometric pressure and the change of pressure over time has been used in weather forecasting since the 19th century.
In Apple's iPhone 6, a barometer could be useful for mountain climbers, runners or bikers, who want to keep track of their altitude while training.
The new sensors would also improve the accuracy and speed of the phone's location services.
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.
According to 9to5Mac, the references were discovered by FutureTap developer Ortwin Gentz, who found frameworks dedicated to 'altitude tracking' in the new code
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.
Australian blog MacFixit claims this is the rear case of the iPhone 6. As well as environmental readings, the rumoured sensors would improve the accuracy and speed of the phone's location services
WILL WE SEE AN IPHONE AIR?
Apple's iPhone 6 is rumoured to come in a slim 'Air' version.
Up until August last year, Huawei was the record-holder for the thinnest phone in the world with its Ascend P6, at 6.18mm.
This was then replaced by the Vivo X3 at just 5.75mm.
By comparison, Apple's current iPhone 5S has a depth of 7.6mm, while the iPad Air is slightly thinner at 7.5mm.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 is 7.9mm thick, while the HTC One is 9.3mm.
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.
The new design has moved the power switch to the side of the handset, and featured rounded edges, according to these leaked images
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.
The images, pictured left and right, were posted on Chinese social network Weibo earlier this month and are thought to have been leaked by an anonymous insider working at Apple supplier Foxconn. Although the images are blurry, they appear to show a rounded design and protruding camera, similar to that seen on the iPod touch
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