iPhone 6 Listed for Pre-Order by China Telecom: Report

The telecom operator, China Telecom, on Friday posted a pre-order page containing high-quality press renders images of the anticipated iPhone 6 along with a few specifications, as spotted by ZDNet (via Techcrunch). The purported images reveal the iPhone 6 from one side having the redesigned longer volume buttons and silent keys, which are in-line with previously leaked images of the alleged smartphone. The carrier webpage (no longer loading correctly) also gives consumers a choice between 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6. Further the operator is also offering a prepaid card worth of CNY 200 (approximately Rs. 1,960) for registered consumers, if they a make a purchase later.

According to the report, the pre-order listing by China Telecom didn't include any pricing, but described the specifications of iPhone 6 as "an upgraded 3-megapixel front camera", "a better touch ID", "a powerful quad-core A8 chip", and "a longer lasting 2,100 mAh battery".

Notably, the carrier had also shared the similar listing before the launch of iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c, last year, out of which the iPhone 5c listing turned out to be false.

Earlier this week, China Mobile had reportedly started taking reservations for two iPhone 6 variants. However, the pre-order page that listed the iPhone 6 at China Mobile's site reportedly did not mention the term "iPhone 6" but did showcased the Apple logo in the background with "6" stamped on it. The page also showed two phones - a 4.7-inch and a 5.5-inch model, widely rumoured to be the two sizes that Apple's next smartphone will ship in.

The report noted that China Mobile's pre-order page had received 8,000 registrations (at the time of writing) and it has been rising.

On Wednesday, Tech blog TK Tech News had posted an image that shows the purported prices of the anticipated 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 models.

As per the leaked screenshot, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 will be priced at HKD 6,663 (Rs. 52,000 approximately) for the 16GB model; HKD 7,671 (Rs. 60,000 approximately) for the 32GB model, and HKD 8,679 (Rs. 67,500 approximately) for the 64GB model. Meanwhile, the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is said to be priced at HKD 7,923 (Rs. 61,800 approximately) for the 16GB model; HKD 8,931 (Rs. 69,700 approximately) for the 32GB model, and HKD 9,687 (Rs. 75,500 approximately) for the 64GB model. It's worth noting that the converted prices for the upcoming iPhone 6 are noted to be without the local taxes and other levied charges.

Both rumoured display size variants of the iPhone 6 are said to both feature an iPod touch-inspired design; the Touch ID fingerprint sensor; the new Apple A8 SoC, 1GB of RAM and the long-awaited NFC connectivity. The new iPhone is also said to cost less than the previous generation, as well as feature higher resolution displays and bigger storage variants (up to 128GB). Of course, the iPhone 6 should ship with iOS 8.