Reports of a big-screen iPhone 6 just keep on coming. This latest one is from The Wall Street Journal, and it again says that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be releasing not one, but two larger iPhones this year.
iPhone 6 to come in 2 sizes
On Wednesday one analyst said Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) had finalized the design of the iPhone 6 and that it had a 4.8-inch screen. Now The Wall Street Journal reports that there will be two new iPhones this year, one of which will have a screen that’s larger than 4.5 inches, and a second which will have a screen that’s bigger than 5 inches. The newspaper’s sources said the smaller iPhone model is “further along in development” and is currently in preparation for mass production. The larger iPhone is said to be still in the preliminary stages of development.
The report also suggests that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will dump the plastic casing it introduced with the iPhone 5C and that both of this year’s models will feature the aluminum backing all of the other recent iPhone models have. Apple is said to be planning to launch both new iPhones in the second half of this year, however, the sources did say that the company’s plans might change. The sources also said that neither of the two new iPhones would have a curved display.
Apple needs a big-screen iPhone 6
More than one analyst has remarked that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is in desperate need of an iPhone with a bigger screen. The company has been ceding market share to competitors which do offer smartphones with bigger screens. As gaming and watching videos on smartphones become more popular, a larger screen has become more attractive to consumers, particularly those in Asian markets where Apple has been battling for market share.
The report that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is dumping the plastic backing in future iPhone models comes as suppliers continue to report that demand for the plastic-backed iPhone 5C remains week. Apple is reportedly scaling back orders for the handset. Analysts from some firms have said that demand for the handset could pick up over the next few months, however, since early adopters of Apple’s iPhones are more likely to opt for the high-end iPhone 5S rather than the 5C.
