The newest iPhone could be more forgiving when you drop it. That is if rumors and reports for the iPhone 6 are true. Let's look at the latest rumors for the iPhone 6.

Glass for Display

The current iPhones use Corning Gorilla Glass for the display glass. While this is a durable glass, it is prone to breakage. Recent reports suggest that Apple could switch to sapphire crystal for the screens. Apple recently partnered with GT Advanced to help them produce more sapphire glass. The partnership could lead to a much cheaper way to produce the expensive sapphire glass displays.

Full-Priced iPhone & Mid-Priced iPhone, No More Plastic

The iPhone 5c is made of plastic. Rumors suggest there will be no iPhone 6 in plastic and all models will be made of metal. There will be the full-priced iPhone, offering the most storage, as well as a mid-priced iPhone with less storage. Apple will then be allowed to lower the prices of all the previous iPhones, including the 5s and 5c.

NFC?

It's possible that the iPhone 6 will utilize near field communication technology (NFC). This would be a key tool for mobile payments for iPhones. Apple executive Eddy Cue has reportedly already contacted retailers to discuss the possibility of mobile payments. NFC is a technology that some credit cards and other devices use to communicate with radio signals when they touch or are near a sensor. Exxon Mobil's Speedpass is a mobile keychain device that allows users to tap the gas pump to pay for gas. The newest iPhone could use a similar tap-to-pay technology.

Price and Release Date

It's been reported that the price could be hiked by $100 for the entry level iPhone, but now it seems like the entry level 4.7-inch screen will retain the $199 price. If a 5.5-inch model is introduced, that price will definitely be $100 or more than the 4.7-inch model. Depending on how much storage one needs, the prices will go up accordingly.

The release date continues to be disputed. It is almost certain that the 4.7-inch model will come out earlier than the possible 5.5-inch model, but how much earlier? Apple seems to be having trouble getting a battery solution for the 5.5-inch prototype. This could lead to a lengthy delay for this model.

Predictions point to a release date of fall 2014 for the 4.7-inch model and early 2015 for the 5.5-inch model.