There's a new iPhone 6 feature that Apple did not tell us about. Cupertino's A8 processor that powers its iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus has full support for 4K video playback, despite the fact that the iPhone 6 has a resolution of 720p and the iPhone 6 Plus 1080p.
The discovery was made by developers at Softorino, who created a Mac app called WALTR to allow users to upload and convert music and video files not supported by iTunes, such as MKV and FLAC, to their iOS devices. It was first reported by TUAW.
"While testing the app, developers found it is possible to play back 4K videos on the iPhone 6," says John-Michael Bond of TUAW. "Even if Apple hasn't announced it, the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus are ready to play 4K videos."
Still, Apple's latest smartphones are not equipped with enough pixel density to turn the new discovery into a useful feature. Given the phones' resolutions, 1330 x 750 for the iPhone 6 and 1920 x 1080 for the iPhone 6 Plus, both phones will not be able to replicate 4K output pixel by pixel as if it were delivered through a 4K display. 4K requires a 3840 x 2160 resolution.
Users are not likely to jump into 4K anytime for a number of reasons. For one thing, not much 4K content is readily available except for a handful of shows currently offered by Netflix. For another, 4K content takes up considerably more space. For instance, the five-minute video uploaded by Softorino to an iPhone 6 during testing is 3.3GB in size. Another four-minute video took up 1.2GB, significantly much less space, but still too big for a video of its length.
For now, 4K video playback on Apple's A8 chip can best be considered a technical feat in mobile device technology that could be used in future applications.
Technology news websites are speculating on the existence of a new Apple TV as Apple has earlier acknowledged that its set-top box has grown into more than just a hobby. The Apple TV, which is long overdue for a refresh, currently runs on a generations-old A5 processor. In earlier weeks, a new set-top box from Cupertino, running on its latest processor, has been hotly rumored to be in the works, although those rumors were halted with a report blaming cable companies unwilling to license their content.
Apple, however, has proven to be serious about resolution, even releasing the new iMac with its own 5K Retina display. Recently, the Apple TV has received a firmware upgrade for remote access for apps running on Apple's HomeKit platform.
