Apple will reportedly launch bigger iPhones this year, with displays that measure both 4.7 and 5.7 inches diagonallys, C Technology said on Chinese social network Weibo. The information apparently comes from unnamed Foxconn executives, who supposedly said that Apple will make a “one-time exception” this year by launching two new iPhones with bigger displays. The bigger iPhone models should also come with biometric features such as the Touch ID fingerprint scanner that’s already found in the current iPhone 5s flagship.
While it obviously can’t be confirmed at this time, this new rumor echoes previous reports that suggested Apple is working on iPhone “phablets” that will debut this year in order to take on similar devices from the competition. However, it’s not clear what size screens the iPhone phablets will have.
In early September, The Wall Street Journal said the company is testing iPhone designs with screens up to 6 inches, although the size was then disputed by KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo who said the device would likely have a display measuring anywhere from 4.5 to 5 inches. A DisplaySearch analyst in early October said that Apple is testing 4.7-inch and 5.7-inch iPhone displays, with Cantor Fitzerald’s Brian White also saying a few days later that the 2014 iPhone may have a display that “could approach 5 inches.”
Bloomberg then followed in November, writing that Apple will launch 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch iPhones this year. Finally, the same C Technology site said in December that Apple may be testing an iPhone 6 prototype with a 4.9-inch display.
