iOS 8 May Unlock Special Landscape Mode on iPhone 6

The iPhone 6 will feature a larger display according to the all leaks and it looks like the new iPhone will also run a special version of iOS 8 that delivers more information when in landscape mode.

A new report and images show how iOS 8 may run on an iPhone 6 with a 5.5-inch display to help users do more with the bigger screen.

It makes sense that Apple would want to deliver more information on the screen than users see on the current iPhone. One thing that is not clear is if this is a feature that will arrive for sure, or if it is just some type of glitch in the iOS 8 code when resolutions are higher.

Expect a special iOS 8 feature on the 5.5-inch iPhone 6.

This fall we expect a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 releases that will deliver new features to users. Videos that appeared over the weekend apparently show an extra row for icons on the iPhone 6 home screen running iOS 8, but if this report is correct there is more to how Apple will use the added screen spaces — at least on the biggest iPhone 6,

9to5Mac shares findings from iOS developer Steven Troughton-Smith including screenshots showing iOS 8 apps running in landscape with a layout similar to the iPad.

With an iOS simulator running at 736 x 414 (1472 x 828 at 2x or 2208 x 1242 at 3x), the behavior of Apple apps in landscape changes to look more like the iPad. One of the iPhone 6 resolutions is possibly the 1,472 x 828 resolution listed here as 2X. 

Contacts on a 5.5-inch iPhone 6 running iOS 8.

The screenshot above shows what this could look like in the contacts app, allowing a user to see contact details without an added tap. The screenshot below is from iOS 8 on an iPhone 5s, and you’ll notice that less information is available.

Contacts on an iPhone 5s running iOS 8.

The various screenshots show the calendar, contacts and Game Center in landscape as they may appear on an 5.5-inch iPhone 6 running iOS 8. Other apps do not appear on the iOS simulator with their iPad counterpart. It is possible that Apple plans to expand this support to other apps during the official announcement. iOS 8 on the iPhone 6 with a 5.5-inch screen may also include specially optimized apps that take advantage of the larger screen.

iOS 8 is the new version of Apple software that powers the iPhone and iPad. This is the software that will run on the new iPhone 6 models later this month and that will come as a free update to the iPhone and iPad roughly a week after the Apple event.

On September 9th Apple holds a special event for the iPhone 6, iOS 8 and possibly the iWatch. We expect to see the iPhone 6 release arrive on September 19th for at least one model and the iOS 8 release date to arrive around September 17th.

On top of a larger screen there are many other potential iPhone 6 upgrades including NFC support for mobile payments, a faster Apple A8 processor and new camera upgrades. The summary below walks through the important iPhone 6 rumors.

iPhone 6 Release Date Rumors

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The iPhone 6 release date is September 19th according to Apple's traditional timeline and our best prediction based on current rumors and plans. This may change and there is a chance that we will see two iPhone 6 release dates thanks to a slower start for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6.  Here's how we get to an iPhone 6 release date on Friday September 19th.  Re/Code and The Wall Street Journal report Apple's plans to hold an iPhone 6 event on September 9th.  From this date we can work out that the iPhone 6 release date is roughly a week and a half later, on September 19th. This is the timing Apple used for the last several iPhone releases.  If Apple decides to offer iPhone 6 pre-orders expect them to go live at midnight Pacific on September 12th, but this is not a given. The larger 5.5-inch iPhone 6 release date may arrive later on the last Friday in September or even in October. Expect to see Apple Stores and carriers open early on the iPhone 6 release date with lines around the store to get an iPhone 6 right away, even in small towns.

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