Will Apple unveil not one but two larger-screened iPhones this year? Yet another report says yes.
Apple will ramp up production of a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in July and a 5.5-inch edition in September, according to Japanese Web site EMSOne. Citing information from Taiwan's Industrial and Commercial Times, the site says that both models would go on sale during the fourth quarter of 2014, though the 4.7-inch will hit the market ahead of its larger cousin.
Like all iPhone 6 rumors, this one should be taken with the usual grains of salt. Apple typically pushes out a new iPhone in September, just before the end of the third quarter. So a fourth-quarter launch for two new iPhones seems decidedly atypical.
Of course, offering two large-screened iPhones in one year would also be an atypical move for Apple. But the company faces a mobile world increasingly dominated by bigger-screen phones. So the time may be ripe for Apple to start acting more atypically if it expects to attract more customers and stay competitive.
Apple documents revealed as part of the company's ongoing court battle with Samsung show that the iPhone maker was concerned about losing users to larger-screened smartphones. Published last week by Recode, a document called "FY'14 Planning Offsite" included a chart that showed slower iPhone growth rates and pointed to strong consumer demand for cheaper phones and those with bigger screens.
Apple last bumped up the screen size of its flagship phone in 2012 when it released the iPhone 5 with a 4-inch display. But would the company actually unveil two big iPhones? Other recent reports echo the claims of Industrial and Commercial Times
Last month, Japanese publication Nikkei said that Apple will likely offer the iPhone 6 in 4.7- and 5.5-inch versions. In February, the South China Morning Post made the same claim.
CNET contacted Apple for comment and will update the story with any further information.
On Wednesday, Apple shares were slightly up in premarket trading over Tuesday's closing price of $523.44.
