Rumor: Samsung to take on Apple's iPhone 6 Plus with 5.5-inch 'Galaxy S6 Plus'

Samsung is rumored to be just weeks away from introducing a larger version of its flagship Galaxy S6 Edge smartphone, featuring a 5.5-inch display that would match Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, and may even use the same "Plus" moniker.

The alleged "Galaxy S6 Plus" name was attributed to reliable sources by Italian website HDblog.it on Tuesday. It's expected that the larger smartphone will be a larger version of the Galaxy S6 Edge, which features a curved display on its left and right edges.

It's been said that the so-called "Galaxy S6 Plus" will feature a Super AMOLED display sized at either 5.4 or 5.5 inches, coming in a bit larger than the 5.1-inch screens on the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. In comparison, Apple's iPhone 6 Plus has a 5.5-inch display, while the iPhone 6 has a 4.7-inch screen.

In addition, Samsung is also believed to be working on an even larger 5.7-inch "Galaxy Note 5" that is rumored to feature a curved back for an even thinner design. It's expected that the S Pen-equipped "Note 5" will debut at the IFA Berlin trade show in September.

Samsung had a particularly rough 2014 after Apple launched its larger iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, pushing operating profit to an all-time low. The company has seen a slight rebound so far this year thanks in part to the launch of the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. But those phones have also been criticized for copying the design of Apple's iPhone 6.

If Samsung does indeed brand its larger Galaxy S6 Edge variant with the "Plus" name, and with a 5.5-inch display, it will undoubtedly draw even more criticism for aping Apple's branding and design.