Those hoping for an iPhone 6 with a larger screen might be in luck. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s suppliers say the company is indeed testing bigger screens, not just for its iPhone, but also for its iPad. There have been other reports about an iPad with a bigger screen in the past, and of course we all known how much some fans want an iPhone 6 with a larger screen.
Apple requests bigger prototypes
Today’s report comes from The Wall Street Journal’s Lorraine Luk. She reports that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has requested prototype products with larger screens. The requested products include an iPad that’s a little under 13 inches in size. Of course the regular iPad is roughly 10 inches, while the iPad Mini is about 8 inches.
The iPhone screens that have been requested are larger than 4 inches, although the report does not say just how much bigger they are. The iPhone 5 has a 4-inch screen.
iPhone 6 with a bigger screen addresses a greater market
One of the biggest problems Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) has had to face over the past year is the fact that it addresses only high-end markets with just a single device. Its biggest competitor Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930), meanwhile, doesn’t follow a one-size-fits-all strategy. Instead, it offers a variety of products in different price points and different sizes.
If the iPhone 6 and future iPad models have a larger screen, it would break Apple’s past model of trying to address every consumer with a single product.
iPhone, iPad production ramping up
Sources at Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s suppliers reportedly told The WSJ that production is ramping up for both the next iPad and iPhone. The new iPad is said to be about 10 inches in size but be lighter and have a thinner display. The new display is said to be a thin film with touch sensors in it rather than the glass which is in current models.
Mass production for components for the next iPhone began last month, according to the sources. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) reportedly told Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., (TPE:2317) to be ready to ship out the next iPhones late next month. There’s no indication of whether this will be the iPhone 6 or the iPhone 5S, although if there aren’t many upgrades to the device, it will likely not be the iPhone 6. Apple may be saving the iPhone 6 name for the model with the bigger screen, if it does come out.
If The WSJ’s sources are correct, a late August shipment date for the next iPhone would match up with what some believe because of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT)’s deep discounts on the iPhone 4S and iPhone 5. Some have speculated the discounts mean that by this time next month, the discount retailer expects to have the next iPhone model on the shelf.
