Apple’s next iPhone iteration will arrive a month earlier than expected, according to a new report from Taiwan’s Economic Daily News via Reuters. Since the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011, Apple has shifted its iPhone release times from the summer to the fall and most models are launched in the month of September. However, according to “unidentified supply-chain sources” cited by the Economic Daily News, Apple will release the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 model in August of 2014, while the 5.5-inch or 5.6-inch model will debut at the usual time in September.
Multiple media outlets, including Reuters, have cited insider sources that claim Apple’s upcoming iPhone 6 will be available in two larger screen sizes. According to the The Wall Street Journal’s sources, one model will feature a screen size larger than 4.5 inches and the other will have a phablet-sized screen that is larger than 5 inches. A large-screen iPhone is expected to help Apple boost its market share in China and other Asian markets where phablets are especially popular. Earlier this year, Forrester Research analyst Bryan Wang told Bloomberg that about 40 percent of the Android-based smartphones sold in China this year will have screen sizes of five inches or more. “China is driving the demand for large-screen devices,” said Wang.
Besides offering a launch timeline for the next-generation iPhones, the Economic Daily News also claimed that a total of 80 million iPhone 6 models would be produced in 2014. Although the Taiwanese media outlet did not name its sources, the report mentioned two companies: Hon Hai Precision Industry, or Foxconn, and Largan Precision. While it is not known if one of these companies was the source of this rumor, both firms are found on a list of suppliers provided by Apple.
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