A new report claims Apple will release a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in the fall, while the phablet-sized 5.5-inch model will reportedly be delayed.
Steve Jobs famously said that the 3.5-inch display used on the original iPhone through the iPhone 4S was the perfect sized smartphone display and the iPad's 9.7-inch display was the absolute minimum. He dismissed upcoming Android smartphones with 4-inch displays at that time and later called 7-inch Android tablets dead on arrival. The late CEO and Apple have long taken the approach of dismissing certain features until Apple has done what its rivals couldn't.
We saw this with the introduction of the 4-inch iPhone 5 and later with the unveiling of the 7.9-inch iPad mini. Apple is set to raise the bar once again and give the iPhone 6 a larger display. The company will reportedly release a 4.7-inch model and a phablet-sized 5.5-inch model. A recent report claimed that production on both screens would begin in May with a release expected in September.
A new report claims that Apple will release the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 this fall, but the 5.5-inch version could be delayed due to problems with its in-cell production technology. Production on the 5.5-inch displays is expected to begin several months after production of the new 4.7-inch displays.
Apple's move to larger screen sizes for its iPhone is due to the increasing popularity of 5+inch Android smartphones and the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 is expected to be targeted at taking on the fast growing phablet market where Samsung's Galaxy Note phablets reign supreme with their mini-tablet sized screens.
A major reason why Apple is expected to introduce a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and not a 5-inch display like Samsung and HTC's latest flagship smartphones comes down to Apple's feeling that one handed use of a smartphone is still the sweet spot and it's something millions of iPhone users have gotten used to and appreciated over they years. We saw the company highlight this when it introduced the 4-inch iPhone 5 and heavily marketed the device as being larger but still was able to easily be used with one hand.
As always, reports for upcoming Apple products and mentions of delays should be taken with a huge grain of salt. We are likely to hear much more about the company's plans for its iPhone 6 models in the coming days, weeks, and months leading up to its release.
