Sam Oliver
A new report out of the Far East claims Apple will release both an upgraded "iPhone 5S" as well as a new "iPhone 6" with a larger 5-inch screen this year.
The details come from investment news service BrightWire, which cited a report out of Chinese mobile phone information site Laoyaoba.com. That source reportedly spotted two new iPhone models at Apple's suppliers.
Mockup of iPhone with 4.94-inch screen, created by Marco Arment.
The report said that Apple "may" release both models in 2013. The iPhone 5S reportedly has a design similar to the current iPhone 5, while the 5-inch iPhone is said to be lighter and thinner.
As larger iPhones like Samsung's Galaxy Note series have gained traction in the marketplace, there has been increasing speculation that Apple could go even bigger with a future iPhone model. The company increased the screen size of its flagship handset from 3.5 inches to 4 inches with the launch of the iPhone 5 last September.
Some have speculated that Apple could launch an iPhone with a bigger 5-inch display by keeping the same 640-by-1,136-pixel resolution as the current iPhone 5 screen. Stretching those pixels out to a 5-inch display would give a lower pixel density of 264-per-inch, but it would allow developers to continue to create applications for one screen resolution.
Analysts have also called on Apple to launch a big-screen iPhone, sometimes referred to as an "iPhone Plus." They believe Apple is "leaving money on the tablet" by not competing with larger devices like the Galaxy Note.
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151 Comments
More stupid rumors. Great. Now the stock can start dropping again when they turn out not to be true.
Oh! Oh no.
Really? Stick to the plan they've used for the past 5 years? SHOCKING!
More stupid rumors.
Great. Now the stock can start dropping again when they turn out not to be true.
LOL
Brightwire read AI forums and saw my posts about Apple releasing 2 models going forward. I hope they really do, i would love that (already said why).
They don't need to do it, but for me (and countless millions) a 5 inch iPhone is a better device.
Its a shame to see Apple now playing catch up when it used to lead. They shouldn't have released the 4inch iPhone and then introduce a 5inch a year later. Leaving THREE different iPhones and TWO iPads for developers to work on. Took ages (and is still taking ages) for devs to update to the iPhone 5.