Largest iPhone 6 May Launch In Fall, 4.7-Inch Version In Summer
While WWDC didn't yield any new hardware, we're all still expecting at least one iPhone 6 this fall. The device, often rumored to be larger, is also said to come in three sizes. The 4-inch form factor is likely staying, but a 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch version also seem to be incoming. A new line of thinking puts the 4.7-inch coming very soon, and the 5.5-inch version a touch further out.
Originally thought to be launching this fall, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 is now believed to be coming to us sometime over the summer. The 5.5-inch version is now said to be slated for a fall release, meaning Apple is essentially staggering their releases, perhaps learning from launching an iPhone 5S and 5C simultaneously last year.
The largest iPhone was rumored at one point to have some supply or manufacturing chain issues, leading to it being delayed, perhaps even into 2015. Now those issues (if there ever were any) appear to have been settled, with analysts assuming it will hit us in September.
We'll cast doubt on this news, though. It seems as if the analyst in question, Brian White of Cantor Fitzgerald, is simply walking around the Computex trade show in Taiwan looking at cases. White noted the following in his report:
We noticed that a few vendors had already started work on accessories for the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and the pieces were available at the show," White said in a report. "Given the lack of data points in recent months around progress with the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 and growing skepticism in the media around a 2014 launch, we view this as a positive development. Based on today's research, we believe the timing of the 5.5-inch iPhone 6 launch appears to be in sync with our expectation around the unveiling (i.e., September) of the 4.7-inch iPhone 6.
Many case manufacturers are likely using leaked schematics, hinting the info is't directly from Apple. It's possible everyone is simply jumping the gun, or creating case mock-ups which White holds to be evidence. Either way, it's interesting, but nothing we should rely on too much.
Source: MacRumors